Cell phones are all the rage everywhere; in the U.S., the UK, Asia, and Africa. Asians reportedly use cell phones in remarkably different ways than people in the U.S. use them. In Japan, schoolchildren write messages on a piece of paper, photograph them with their cell phones, and send them via e-mail to their friends. Korea's third biggest national newspaper, Oh My News, prints most of the stories and photos it receives from its readers sent to the newspaper via email from their mobile phones.
The so-called conservative citizens of the UK have developed a penchant for cell phones-mobiles, to them. According to one estimate, an average user of a cell phone in the UK replaces his cell phone every 18 months. Furthermore, on average, a British child owns a cell phone at the age of eight. The nation boasts of more than 60 million cell phones being in use.
Only a few years ago, when cell phones made their modest beginning and text messaging was the national craze, some industry analysts had excitedly started talking of the next generation of mobile technology. They used the term 'convergence' to convince the non-believers. The expression meant the merging of technologies. The technology, they bragged, would equip the cell phones to function like cameras, videos, and the Internet. It all seemed quite ludicrous at the time.
However, today that ludicrous buzz has become a reality. Interestingly, most developments—3G service, PDAs, camera phones, TV phones—have been embraced enthusiastically. As technology matures, the next generation is definitely going to witness additional features of advanced synchronization in the technology.
Here is a quick look at the immediate future of mobile technology:
- Computing power equal to that of the present desktop PCs
- Huge data storage enabling direct downloading of DVD videos onto cell phones
- Flawless Internet access
- Graphic innovations to view true TV, feature films, and console-type video games
- E-payment
- Home networking controlling a range of devices such as security system, lighting, etc.
- Medical monitoring: pulse, blood pressure, and temperature
- Cell phone networks will move data at several megabytes a second
- High resolutions and image processing features presently found in digital still and video cameras
