Is it a phone? Is it a gun? US cops will have a hard time with this weapon

Soon, we may not be able to tell whether a person is carrying a mobile phone or a lethal handgun as a double-barrelled pistol that looks just like the smartphone will soon hit the market. Owners can carry it in their purse or pocket like a mobile phone.

Ideal Conceal, a Minnesota-based manufacturer, is making this .380 calibre handgun that look just like a mobile phone when folded. It has double barrels, carries two bullets and has laser sights. It is dubbed as "iPhone gun" because of its resemblance with the device.

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"In today's day and age, carrying a concealed pistol has become a necessity," said Ideal Conceal on its official website. "Smartphones are everywhere, so your new pistol will easily blend in with today's environment. In its locked position it will be virtually undetectable because it hides in plain sight."

"The idea for Ideal Conceal follows the present-day demand for handguns that people can carry on a day to day basis, in a manner that makes carrying a gun easy to do. From soccer moms to professionals of every type, this gun allows you the option of not being a victim." 

The company said it will start selling the double-barreled mobile phone handgun in the first quarter of 2017, which means it will be available for purchase in the United States before March 31.

The iPhone-lookalike will be priced at $395 (around £325 / €375 / Rs 26,900) and has already received 12,000 pre-orders, according to The Times.

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However, the idea of a pistol in the shape of the smartphone may worry many as gun violence has become rampant in US. Moreover, sneaking in firearms into sensitive areas in the guise of smartphone could cost the society dearly.

The European police are concerned that the handgun could be illegally imported into the region as soon as it is launched in the US. The police have put out an alert saying the weapon could be overlooked as it can't be easily distinguished from a mobile telephone, reported Belgian newspaper Dernière Heure.

The pistol is legal in the US as it doesn't belong to "disguised weapon" category.

(Source: Ideal Conceal / The Times)