Future Cell Phones to Look Very Different

Future cell phones might not be radically different in how they look in coming years, but what they will enable users to do will change significantly, reports In-Stat/MDR. The high-tech market research firm reports that high-speed data access, Wi-Fi functionality, high-quality video cameras, or viewing broadcast TV are just some of the future functionalities that are on the horizon for cell phone users.

"Service providers and manufacturers are paying attention to the latest trends because they can take off quickly in the fast-changing global cellular business," said Neil Strother, a senior analyst with In-Stat/MDR. "No one wants to be caught short when the next camera-phone phenomenon crops up." Some of this technology already exists; it just hasn't been widely deployed or accepted. Other technologies, such as fuel cells, are just a year or so away from commercial viability. Still other developments won't arrive in serious volumes until the latter part of this decade.

In an attempt to gauge end-user expectations for future cell phones, In-Stat/MDR conducted a survey that found the following:

• Many respondents want useful location-based applications for finding friends or family, which is available on some phones today, though not yet widely utilized.
• Most respondents had knowledge about the latest technologies, but they were interested in sensible benefits to their own usage. For instance, along with location-based services, access to e-mail ranked highest in a couple of the questions.
• Respondents are also interested in practical mapping services and easier hands-free capabilities.

Posted to the site on 17th March 2004