Imagine the mobile phone of the future, with no external speaker and clever bone conduction audio technology to boost clarity instead…Well, the future has just arrived, as Kyocera unveils its latest technology in the run-up to CTIA 2012.

The phone manufacturer Kyocera plans to integrate bone conduction audio technology into its next-generation handsets.

The technology works by emitting sound waves that vibrate in your inner ear and allow you to hear more clearly, even in noisy surroundings. And it works through clothing and even headphones.

A phone with this technology inside doesn’t work by using a traditional earpiece. Instead, the display vibrates and your inner ear picks this sensation up and translates it into an improved aural experience.

Originally developed for people with hearing difficulty, this bone conduction technology could spell the end of endless painful calls, of sticking your smartphone hard against your ear in a bid to hear the person on the other end more clearly. It is said to work well in quiet as well as noisy environments.

Kyocera may not be the first to announce their intentions to integrate the technology within mobile phones but the technology is its own.

The guys over at Engadget had a play with a demo handset and were “rather impressed by the noticeable difference created by tissue conduction in comparison to a traditional handset”.

The company plans to launch devices with this technology onboard in Japan in the coming months – but at the moment there is no word on whether this technology will reach the UK.

[Source: Best Mobile Contract,  Engadget]