Archive - Imperfect Now

The Next Mobile Revolution

Cellular phones have become a hugely successful industry, but not because of technological innovation. Since the point in time when Cellular service dropped to rates low enough for everyone to have a pocket size phone [no more Zack Morris seven pound handset], there really has been little innovation in the cellular market.

The next big thing a few years back was the camera phone, the color screen, games, and ring tones. Text messaging was a fairly important development, but not really unexpected or particularly creative. Electronic communication via text messages had been going on for years, and it really only made sense to bring that technology to the mobile landscape.

Assuming then there really has been no true innovation, what really should cellular users expect, and why haven’t cellular companies already brought it out?

Money is a big issue here. Ring tones and color screens and even cameras are fairly inexpensive, but cost users a good amount of money, proportionally to the cost of providing the service. Cameras for instance, encourage users to send large amounts of data over the mostly vacant cellular networks. Only during a major crisis is the cellular network really overextended. So offering users the option of sending pictures to each on off peak hours makes a lot of sense.

But cameras really aren’t an innovation. Digital cameras as a whole were a brilliant development that will and has already changed photography dramatically. But camera phones are not even the equivalent of a Polaroid or even a disposable camera. The pictures are at best grainy.

Gameboy developed a camera concept that really is better than most camera phones. Attaching to the old school Gameboy system, the camera would snap a picture and then print onto a sticker a black and white image. Gameboy’s camera system was not going to revolutionize photography, but at least you got a fun sticker when you were through. Camera phones on the other hand, only leave you with a drunk picture of your friend that pops up when they call.

While the cellular industry was busy building useless technology, cellular phones continued to fall apart after six months, batteries drained after twenty charges, and missed calls are not by any means a thing of the past.

Durability is a serious issue. Of course, not for the cellular companies, only the for user. Five years ago, updating your phone was important because it meant more storage capacity, smaller design, and better signal. Now though, none of these are a factor in decisions for new phones. Primarily, people upgrade their phone because they want something sleeker and cooler, or because their phone has fallen apart. We for example, have never replaced a phone because of aesthetics. Instead, we’ve always replaced our phones because they stopped working.

Relying on fresh sales of new phones every year or so ensures cellular companies a steady flow of cash. But then again, wouldn’t it be better for a phone to hold up for six weeks in your pocket?

Interchangeable parts were a huge revolution for gun manufacturing. The first guns were assembled by hand, and repairs required a gunsmith. With machined parts though, any gun of the same model could take parts from any other gun and work perfectly. This innovation lowered the cost of guns and allowed them to proliferate in the nineteenth century. Yet, cellular phones can’t share batteries even from the same manufacturer.

The one innovation that cellular companies are making is the combination of personal organizer and web browser, like Blackberries or Sidekicks. The technology right now is too far behind to make these combo devices particularly useful. But shortly these devices will become all in one multipurpose devices that do better serve the user.

Apple released iPod Photo, the ability to store photos like MP3s. However, the iPod signals a trend that in fact might actually be a good thing. When the iPod first came out, the open ended design of the software allowed users to hack it open and turn the iPod not just into a music player, but also address book and data organizer.

Add to these features a pre-programmed GPS map system, much like those already in automobiles. The GPS system would be useful not only for driving but also navigating cities where walking is a requirement.

The new all in one device would already be music players, so why not also throw in satellite radio. Satellite radio players snap in and out of cars and home stereos, and the new device could do the same. The real advantage then would not only be portability of MP3’s, but complete music needs. And if there is going to be music, why movies too? Plug the device into the television and watch Saving Private Ryan.

Combine all these features into one unit and maybe the cellular industry would have a new product rather than the old product in the new package. But then there is the Nokia NGage. NGage is a cellular phone and full fledged game system that fits in the palm of your hand, sort of. The big critique of the NGage was not the quality of the games but the size of the device and its usefulness as a phone. Essentially, it’s a wireless game system, not a phone that plays games.

The real issue at stake here is building a device no bigger than a large cellular phone that completes all these tasks. The hardware right now is simply too big. But soon you can expect an all in one cell phone coming to stores, likely within the next ten years.