A tech founder, who goes online by the name “CatGPT”, wanted a phone for herself that will help her to reduce screen time. When she couldn’t find one that fit her needs, she decided to create one for herself. Cat Goetze repurposed a thrifted landline phone into a device of her choice, CNBC Make It reported.
She told CNBC Make It that she missed the times when one would “twirl the cord of the phone while taking calls” and that it felt “nostalgic and chic” to her.
“In 2023, I hacked a Bluetooth antenna into a pink landline phone simply because taking calls while twirling my finger a curly cord made me smile,” her website’s “Meet the Founder” section read.
She further told CNBC Make It, “I literally just hijacked a landline phone and made it Bluetooth compatible.”
When someone buzzed her apartment building, she would answer and unlock the door from her landline – and she could even place outgoing calls through it.
After two years of using the phone she built, she “launched” it online in July 2025 just to test interest in a phone that reduces screen time. What followed took her completely by surprise.
The comments section of the “launch video”, which received over 10 million views at the time, was flooded with requests from people wanting the phone. She then set up an online store, assuming that only 15-20 of them would convert into actual orders and that she could assemble the phones herself.
But the demand exceeded her expectations. Her Physical Phones project generated $120,000 in sales within the first three days, according to CNBC Make It.
“Over 1,000 people bought one in 72 hours. That’s when I realised people weren’t craving a phone, but a feeling. In that moment, Physical Phones was born: a creator-led, community-built brand dedicated to using technology to strengthen real human connection,” the website further mentions.
By the end of October, over 3,000 units had been sold, pushing revenue to $280,000, CNBC Make It reported.
All about Physical Phones
Physical Phones, which connect to both iPhone and Android devices via Bluetooth, are available in the range from $90 to $110. Physical Phones are available in three styles – rotatory, handset, and wall-mounted.
According to the website, the phone will give a user “vintage feel” clubbed with “modern tag”. “Home of the original Bluetooth landline phone,” it states.
The company’s tagline is “Less Screen. More Time.”
How do Physical Phones work?
These phones ring when the user’s smartphone receives a call, app-based calls from WhatsApp, FaceTime, Instagram, or Snapchat. The audio calls automatically transfers to the handset. Users can dial a number directly or press (*) to activate the phone’s voice assistant and call saved contacts.
Goetze partnered with an electronics manufacturer to produce the phones, and the first batches are set to ship to customers starting in December. At present, the company is also offering discount on the phones.
Goetze told CNBC Make It that her invention resonates with people as they are increasingly overwhelmed by digital dependency.
“Our attention spans are shorter. We feel more anxious. We’re less present and unable to enjoy our lives. We’re going through a total loneliness epidemic,” she told the outlet.
People are now “starting to put their foot down and realise, ‘You know what, I actually don’t want this, and I’m going to go ahead and choose a different future’”.
