Man has prosthetic arm equipped with smartphone dock

There may not be a single smartphone user in the world that requires creative use of his device more than Trevor Prideaux.

Before fitting his prosthetic arm with a custom-made smartphone dock, the catering manager from Somerset, England had to lay the phone down or balance it on his prosthetic to perform the simplest of mobile tasks.

But with assistance from medical experts and the noble souls at Nokia, operating a smartphone is no longer a discouraging inconvenience.

"I can now take calls and make texts just by using my one hand, while the phone sits inside my arm," proclaims Prideaux in a Telegraph story. "The phone slots smoothly and securely within my limb and is easily removable, when required. I think this is the first time this has ever been done in the world - and it is brilliant."

Prideaux, 50, was born without a left forearm and has worn a prosthetic since he was three-years-old. His career requires frequent contact with clients and the developments of mobile technology have only exacerbated his disadvantage.

"From owning a mobile phone and with the invention of the iPhone, it became clear that this piece of technology was not ideally suited to be used with only one hand," shares Prideaux in the story. "I wondered whether it was possible to have a mobile phone built into my limb, to aid usage."

A slot for a Nokia C7 smartphone was conveniently installed into his prosthetic arm, but this particular device was not his first choice. Prideaux contacted Apple when he had first conjured the idea, but the tech giant refused to provide a blank iPhone casing for testing.

The idea was then put to rest, only to be brought back to life when he sought an upgrade to his Nokia a short while later. The mobile company then agreed to team up with technicians at the Exeter Mobility Centre, creating the groundbreaking prosthetic prototype in just five short weeks.

"Now when I get call I can either hold my arm up to my ear or put it on speaker phone," revealed Prideax. "I can also take it out if I need to. Texting is also much easier and a lot safer."

Prideaux couldn't be more thrilled with his upgrade, but the humanitarian in him feels there could be more to benefit from such an innovation.

"I think this would help a lot of people with prosthethic arms - especially those who were not born with the disability," shares Prideaux. "People who have had motorbike crashes and soldiers who have lost limbs - they could all benefit from this."

"I am hugely grateful to the people EMC. This is a leap forward which has helped me out a lot and can also aid others."

(Photo: Screengrab The Telegraph)