Dreaming Of 3G
Wednesday October 3, 1:00 pm Eastern Time
Forbes.com
By Arik Hesseldahl
While there's a lot of hype around surrounding what 3G wireless services will be like, few people can really get specific about what you'll use it for. And they're even less specific about what 3G handsets themselves will be like. As yet, there are precious few mobile phones on the market that can really be considered 3G by any conventional definition--and those few are only available in Japan. But there are plenty of ideas as to what they might look like within a few years. And in some cases, using the word "phone" to describe them may not quite be accurate.
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Starting Line
Japan's NTT DoCoMo is the first out of the gate with the 3G wireless service it calls FOMA, for "freedom of mobile multimedia access." It's a bold move, given the state of the worldwide market for wireless handsets and services. Its two handset types are made by Panasonic , a division of Matsushita and NEC . The Panasonic-made videophone (above, middle) has a built-in video camera for face-to-face video conferencing and sells for about $600 in Japan. The supposedly simpler NEC-made phone (above, left) sells in the $300 to $400 range and doesn't support video conferencing but still comes with a 945-page users manual. Then there's the data-only model, also from Panasonic, that slides into the PC card slot of laptop computers, thereby turning them into 3G data terminals. It's selling for about $250.
The Next Web Phone
3G wireless services aren't just about combining voice and video, data is going to play a big part in it too. This concept phone created in the design labs of Finland's Nokia ) takes the trend of combining a personal digital assistant with a mobile phone, a precedent already set by companies like Kyocera , Handspring , Samsung and others. But Nokia is taking it to the next level by adding wireless Web access that, at least on the nonworking prototype, actually looks like the real Web rather than the pseudo-Web too often seen on wireless devices. Turn it upright for voice calls.
Baby Steps
U.S.-based Motorola calls this concept phone its "introduction model." It may not look like much more than a standard mobile phone but the company says this phone would be aimed at people wanting to make the transition from 2G (current technology) to 3G. It would boast mobile Internet access, do credit card transactions and have the ability to download and play short video clips. It would also support Bluetooth wireless technology, which means it would work with a headset that connects to the phone without a wire or could connect wirelessly at your command with other Bluetooth-ready devices--your PDA, your PC or maybe even a Bluetooth-friendly soda machine.
Portable 3G E-Mail
Another concept device created by Motorola is reminiscent of the company's two-way text pagers and more recent devices that combine a text pager and phone into a single device. Dubbed the Multimedia Writer, it would have a built-in camera for video conferencing and image capture as well as a Qwerty keyboard for typing e-mail that can include audio, video and still-image attachments. It would also be useful for heavy users of instant messaging services who just can't stand to be away from their buddy lists. Motorola has tried pushing its text pagers on teenagers before by manufacturing them with brightly colored cases. And if it can be built affordably, the same thing could happen with this device. Road warriors might also rejoice at the chance to throw away their bulky laptop PCs. This might be bad news for chiropractors.
One For The Kiddies
Like it or not, wireless companies want to sell phones to your children, especially if they're chatty teenagers with lots of friends. Over the last few years, European countries have witnessed the craze of phones being used to send billions or short text messages, prompting many teens and twenty-somethings to buy add-on keyboards for their handsets. Rather than folding like a clamshell, the top half of this concept phone from Sweden's Ericsson swivels to cover the keypad, leaving the display screen exposed--perhaps for displaying photos of the person calling as an enhancement for caller ID and address books.
Never Miss A Meeting Again
If you're stuck in traffic or your flight is grounded by weather or you'd just rather stay home, you can still attend meetings using this video-conferencing concept phone designed by Nokia which would have a built-in video camera and speakerphone. But it could be a mixed blessing: If your boss gives you one, will you still be able to say you're stuck in traffic when in truth you're sneaking off to the golf course?
Everything In One
What wouldn't this Motorola concept device dubbed the Smart Video Phone do? Not much. The list of what it would do is long: Voice, data, video, personal digital assistant, one- and two-way text messaging, e-mail. The swivel camera at the top would take video and still images. You could also lock it up with the sound of your own voice as the only key so that others couldn't use it. It would also recognize your handwriting, keep track of your personal finances and even entertain you with videogames or a few of your favorite MP3 songs and still be small enough to fit into a coat pocket. With a device like that, who needs an actual living personal assistant?
A Phone, Or What?
It looks more like a laptop designed for Mr. Spock, but it's also a phone. This Ericsson -designed concept device has a pop-up video camera and microphone built into the frame of the display screen. Designed to cut down on lugging your laptop around on the road, you might realistically expect typical business applications like Internet access and e-mail. Why not a lightweight word processor and spreadsheet as well? The keyboard uses Bluetooth technology to connect with the screen unit, meaning it needs no wires. All three parts fold up into a single easy-to-carry package. But don't turn your laptop into a paperweight just yet.
A Tiny Display, Magnified
You'd think that for a phone that can display streaming video, the display screen would get bigger. Instead, Japan's Sanyo is bragging about how small the display screen is on this concept phone it unveiled at a trade show in Japan this week. The screen measures only 0.38 inches diagonally. The image you see is magnified through an eyepiece to simulate what you'd see on a larger screen. The small screen, made by Massachusetts-based Kopin , cuts the cost of manufacturing a phone with a more expensive, bigger LCD display.
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