A Japanese company, NTT DOCOMO have been experimenting with mobile phones and one of the greatest natural resources known to man…wood. The company revealed two prototype ‘Touch Wood’ handsets, including one working model with the compressed wooden casing at the Ceatec exhibition in China.

The new wooden phones could be yet another attempt at making eco-friendly handsets. The wood that makes the inventive cases is surplus from trees that are felled in forest thinning operations, not those cut for commercial use. Any concerns about woodworm or other wood loving creatures can be put to rest as the casings are resistant to both insects and mould, not only that, they’re waterproof as well.

For people looking for funky, exclusive casings for their mobile the Touch Wood range could be for you, because every wooden block has its own distinctive grain pattern and colouring, no two handsets will ever be the same.

The working prototype is a slider design with a touchscreen that slides up to reveal the QWERTY keyboard.

Whether these models, or others like it will ever come to the market is still unclear. DOCOMO said they haven’t decided if they will make them into commercial products.