Xard: Anno really has a fetish for putting phones down. I can't even count how many times they change scene or focus of the scene by inserting quick cut of somebody putting the phone down and usually reporting whatever just was discussed.
This is one storytelling motif that will become very, very familiar for us through the series. It does add a nice "punch" to proceedings though so it's not a bad habit.
This habit is also present in his other works, in fact Anno used it already back in Return of Ultraman tokkusatsu parody film he directed back in early 80s.
