A controller that stays with the phone - essentially turning the phone into a quasi clamshell - winds up with an interesting set of mechanical delimas. The phone is several multiples heavier than the controller it's paired with. In order to fit multiple phones, the mechanical hinge connection needs to be both generic enough to fit them all - and robust enough to support that heavy screen+battery+etc. that is then the 'lid'.
The ICP1 solved that by having several different side connectors to essentially make a quasi-tablet out of the phone/controller combination without a hinge. Not perfect, but was robust enough to function.
The ICP2 was supposed to have an innovative hinge & phone clamp design to solve that - but never came to fruition - not that the mechanical issues discussed here may or may not have been involved.
But - the hypothetical ideal of mounting a phone on a hinge that closes over the game controller may be a cool fantasy, but the weight of the phone hanging out there in space off of a base 1/4 or less it's weight that is expected to secure the phone and give a comfortable gaming grip and fit in a pocket - it's a very tall order.
What we get with the Pandora & Pyra's design is that all the weight of the 'phone' beyond the screen is now distributed in the base. It results in a much more comfortable and stable set up. Pandora screens sometimes flopped around a bit still despite their lowered mass.
Think how bad it would have been if that were an entire phone riding on top of that hinge. That combination would continually be trying to flip over backwards out of your hands.
Then there is the question of the connection. A mechanical clamp winds up having to be robust enough to hold the phone in - which also means it increases the size of the whole gizmo. A heavy duty hinged flap and double sidded tape would be more effective, but beomes a permanent install.
Another option might be to have a pair of 1mm dia stainless steel prongs flip up out of the controller base that insert into a double sidded sticky 'pad' that permanently attaches to the back of the phone. The phone and base would still be detachable, with exception of the mounting plate/pad on the back of the phone. Angle adjustment is by (un)bending the steel prongs, but is otherwise 'fixed' while the phone is mounted. Still not ideal.
I would like to see the Pyra's main board (with a much scaled back CPU, no connectors), keyboard & nubs get reused in a simplified case as a game controller. Thick enough on the back for two AA rechargeable batteries, no stylus, no connection or mount for a phone, done. I would much rather see a Pyra. On my desk. Soon?