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Next Generation Mobile Phones
The growth in the use of mobile phones has been staggering. We`ve progressed from nobody having one to virtually everybody having one in relatively few years. But do you remember back when people used to say that the mobile phone business is doing well now, but what happens when everybody has one? Sales of mobiles haven`t slumped, and people are now spending more on their phones than ever. Part of the reason for this is that mobiles are not simply functional items. They aren`t like fridges or wardrobes, they are a fashion item as well as being useful. This has always motivated people to upgrade to newer models, and not use their old phone until it breaks. Initially modernity of mobiles was simply measured by its size: the smaller, the newer, the better. But recently this trend has ended. Now, with new mobile phone technology, and more powerful and versatile devices, the practical functions of mobile phones are determining the trends. No longer is the smallest best: the smartest is.
With the numbers and variety of features that Smartphones have it almost seems odd that they should be called phones at all. The phone is just one (arguably minor) feature on what is a spectacular conglomeration of technologies: a phone, a camera, a video games console, a PDA, a music player, a radio, a video player, a portable TV, a memory device, a web browser, an emailer, a remote control, and a satellite navigation system. How we interact with our phones is also changing. The numeric keypad is being replaced by a touchscreen, a stylus, and in some cases a full querty keyboard. This has been born of necessity. Using the device to browse the internet, or edit word documents and spreadsheets, could never be achieved without a big change of the input mechanism. One of the more surprising recent developments has been the inclusion of an accelerometer in smartphones. This has opened up another new avenue of functionality, adding pedometer, inclinometer, and compass to the list of usurped devices, and screen-flipping and shake-control to the interactive functionality.
True freedom and creativity has recently been unleashed in terms of mobile phone software, with the creation of downloadable applications, which can be purchased directly to enhance your phone. Apps are a quick, easy and personal way to get your mobile to do what you want it to do, and with the number available in Apple`s Appstore alone recently topping 65,000 there`s certainly a lot of options.
As the number and diversity of features on mobile phones reaches almost mind-boggling levels, the task to
compare mobile phones and choose the right one, gets simultaneously more and less complicated. More complicated by the sheer number and variety of options, and less complicated because finding the right mobile for you means that you don`t need to find the right music player, camera, PDA, sat-nav etc. for you, because you`ll already have it.
 
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