Next Big Craze in Wireless?

[footbull3196]

When cell phones first came out, they were just bricks, and nothing else. Then people started to be attracted to phones of smaller sizes and proportions.

After that, in the early 2000s, flip phones revolutionized the mobile phone market, as people did not have to constantly lock their phone to ensure that it would not dial randomly, and they could answer a call just by flipping the phone open.

As the decade progressed, slider phones started to replace these phones, as they were more compact when opened and closed and could also be used without being opened, while they also locked automatically when shut.

Then, in 2007, the iPhone was released, forever changing the cell phone market. People freaked out about the iPhone almost as much as Windows 95 when it was first released. The iPhone, a combination of a video iPod and cell phone, also had amazing multitouch features, WiFi, Youtube, and a lot of applications all built into it.

After the iPhone, more phones followed with multitouch capabilities, but some tried to fix the problem with the iPhone's touch-type screen by introducing a slide-out keyboard under the touch screen for the best of both worlds, including ease of typing. Phones like this include the LG Voyager, LG Xenon, and the Samsung Rant.

Which new thing will be the next big thing that everybody hopes to get in a phone? I think it will be something to do with apps, or maybe a cellphone with laptop capabilities.

[Kekeb]

I've never owned a cell phone.

[Izzy]

Cellphones just need to call people. The camera part is a cool addition, but I don't think cellphones need anything else.

Am I suppose to be choosing between something? You never listed any new big crazes to be.

[customstuff]

iPhone 3GS. Mmmmm. Yummy...

[Psychotik]

Originally Posted by Kekeb

I've never owned a cell phone.

this

[who_cares973]

G1 mmmmm sex

[footbull3196]

Originally Posted by Izzy

Cellphones just need to call people. The camera part is a cool addition, but I don't think cellphones need anything else.

Am I suppose to be choosing between something? You never listed any new big crazes to be.

No, it's an open-ended discussion topic.

For example, netbooks are becoming increasingly popular because college students can carry them around with easy access to email and internet, and they have more memory and features than a smart phone.

Well, in the future, maybe even in the next 2 years, there might be cell phones that have more memory and capabilites, and more applications are definitely going to be a plus.

Also, think of smart phones as a portable device that has amazing features, but also has phone functionality, similar to the difference of an iTouch and an iPhone.

[Izzy]

I think quick wireless file sharing would be cool. Say two people had phones with a memory card, you could be right next to eachother and send files for free.

[PsYcHoZeRoSk8eR]

This thread makes me laugh just a little bit.

From what I've seen, and what I believe, the next step for cellphones is faster data plans. As of right now, you can stream video on your phone, access the web, send email, pretty much anything that you could do on a computer except much much slower. Then again, who really wants to watch a video on a really small screen? Sure, this is where someone would argue about how there are bigger phones out there with screens that you could watch video easily on, but come on, you're still lugging around a brick of a phone. Now, this only really tackles the video aspect of why faster data plans are the next step, but email and browsing the web are not nearly as intensive as streaming video, for the most part. More on this later.

What I would really like to see is better coverage by all networks. I understand the problems concerning CDMA/GSM networks, but I am not going to go into that technical of a detail right now. For better coverage, I would like to see no dead spots. I'm not saying that I need to have full signal everywhere, but I really dislike it when there are places that I go that just lose the signal entirely. This is usually explained because of the tall buildings not allowing the signal to pass through or go around, but again, this is getting too technical for this so I will leave that out. Now, in all fairness, I would care a lot less about coverage if I was using a data plan, as I would be more worried about data, but this is not the case.

Another thing that I should point out, is that there is a movement right now going to VoIP phones. This would go along with the data movement that I pointed out earlier. With almost all of the major phone companies putting up backbone lines across the country you can see how this is becoming easier for people to use. There are more and more people getting connected to the internet. Back to VoIP, what this is doing because of more and more people being connected is that they are talking through VoIP instead of using their regular land line or cellular telephones. That might not seem like a problem, but think of it this way. Someone has a cellphone that can connect to the internet, and they can use applications or programs on their phone. What is to stop them from using Skype and an unlimited data plan with little to no minutes? Most VoIP services are cheaper than cellphone services, and every phone company understands this. They are looking into ways to make the system better, but at the same time, they are doing this only so that they can get your money from it because they are losing money every time that you do.

Ok, that was a poorly written little paper, but I believe the idea(s) are easy enough to follow.

[Kibblre]

Originally Posted by Izzy

I think quick wireless file sharing would be cool. Say two people had phones with a memory card, you could be right next to eachother and send files for free.

You can do this with ringtones over Bluetooth, I've never tried it with pictures or videos before.

[who_cares973]

Picture and video can be sent over bluetooth also

[tofurox]

Footbull has friends? Haha, anyways cell phones don't really need all those fancy features and stuff.

And don't you be insulting my brick!

[Dimitri13]

Ask Japan. They're like, 2 years ahead of us with cell phone technology.

[footbull3196]

Originally Posted by tofurox

Footbull has friends? Haha, anyways cell phones don't really need all those fancy features and stuff.

And don't you be insulting my brick!

They don't NEED features, but they are attractive, and most phones are being made with touch screens and QWERTY keyboards. It's gimmicky, but it works.

[alster1]

You said the samsung rant has a touch screen and slide out keyboard, but it only has a slide out keyboard. As far as cell phone features I would like to see, I would like to see a phone with internet that can function as fast as a computer (basically what psychozerosk8er said)

[who_cares973]

3G is p. Fast pages load only slightly slower than my dsl


I'm on my phone right now

[JKPolk]

Originally Posted by footbull3196

Then, in 2007, the iPhone was released, forever changing the cell phone market

lolled a little

[poochieCREAM]

my first phone was in grade 4. lol
motorola. then i had the N. something in grade 5
two sony ericssons until now,
i just ordered the Nokia E71 last night :]
literally cannot live without a mobile O-o
you become dependent on it for the time and everything else >.<;

Originally Posted by Izzy

I think quick wireless file sharing would be cool. Say two people had phones with a memory card, you could be right next to eachother and send files for free.

bluetooth.
i have that.

edit; oops didnt see who_cares' post [x

[Izzy]

Maybe connecting to wifi then. I know the iphone can connect to wifi, but I dont think normal phones can. They can sometimes connect to the internet, but it costs a ****ton.

[darkshark]

Projection screens, laser keyboards, bluetooth credit cards (kinda like that touch and go credit crap), Multi-user video conferencing, realtime GPS, 15MP camera WITH A GOD DAMN FLASH, camera phones never have a flash...an internet system capable of cable-like speeds, thumbprint security pad, garage door opener, tv remote, and I want the battery to last more than 10 days before needing to be recharged.