Tomorrow's Cell Phones

bart_scriv writes "Businessweek looks at the future of the cell phone, starting with some existing button-free prototypes and moving on to more outlandish and whimsical designs. From the article: 'New technologies drive many of the new designs. One example: Synaptics ClearPad, a new type of touch screen that will become commercially available later this year. Unlike today's touch screens, which aren't entirely transparent and often not very sensitive — we've all had to endlessly tap one with a stylus to get a response — ClearPad is clear, so it can be used as a sensitive overlay to a cell-phone display. Another innovation likely to change the cell-phone's appearance: flexible displays. An electronic ink screen prototype, developed by Koninklijke Philips Electronics and startup E-Ink, is thin and flexible like paper so it can be worn wrapped around a cell phone. Users can unwrap it to view a map on a larger screen. Eventually, the display could be used to watch video.'"

misfeature

The most important use of the cell phone is to get a girl's number. In a loud club, a phone without buttons would fail at this most important of duties.

Re:misfeature

Talking, to a girl, at a club?! You must be new here.

Re:misfeature

Call me an idiot but I'd expect that most important job of a cell phone is to make calls (and hopefully not drop them). I don't care if it can store roman numerals for crying out loud all I am asking is to let me make and receive calls, even indoors. Seems like that is a feature that no one is interested any more.

Re:misfeature

Making calls is assumed to work, atleast here in europe where we have basically 100% coverage.
I can't remember when I couldn't have made a call because the service was unreachable, or I was dropped from call due bad signal.

Not important to Slashdotters

The only way a slashdotter gets a girls number is when it's written on the restraining order.

Re:Not important to Slashdotters

The only way a slashdotter gets a girls number is when it's her MAC address

Re:Not important to Slashdotters

Hex doesn't contain letters. It contains extra numbers A through F.

video on the cell phone

I can't even complete a freakin' voice call, on the network with "the fewest dropped calls." I live in a metropolitan area and have never had a call last more than 5 minutes, even in clear weather standing still next to cell tower! How the fuck am I supposed to watch video? Frame, redial, frame, redial, frame, redial? Or do I download it to my phone while I sleep? Oops, now my phone needs a harddrive.

I wish there would be more innovation in basic service!

Re:video on the cell phone

Just to let you know. They have the fewest dropped calls because they changed how the towers drop a call. it is not called dropped until the tower releases it, and towers are programmed to not release the call for 30 seconds or more after signal is lost, so you press end before it drops. I used to get credit for dropped calls on Cingular, I havent got one credit for 8 months now and a buddy that works in their engineering dept told me thay "tweaked" the software to not let calls drop.

Re: dropped calls

Well, yes. Also note that towers may not be owned by the service provider, so the tower operator gets paid per connect minute. Calls generally should hand off to the next adjacent tower when traveling, but since the adjacent tower may not be owned by the same entity the software is 'tweaked' again to keep the call no matter what or however bad the signal may get, to maximize the billing to the carrier by the tower operator. This is why, the second your call is dropped, you look at your phone and have five bars of signal.

The software and business arrangements in the industry are fundamentally broken. The technology is pretty good, and the companies involved manage to screw it up through concerted effort.

Next generation iPod controls?

There have long been rumors of a 6th generation iPod with a full screen display and a virtual click wheel. This invention might make that possible. The track pad could be an overlay on top of a display that spans the face of the entire iPod.

What I really want

First?

I don't want a touch screen. In fact, that is the precise antithesis of what I want.

I want a cell phone that has few to no menus. I want to be able to operate it without looking, by feeling the keypad.

I don't care if the screen is even in colour, because I'm not going to be looking at it if I don't have to.

I also want to be able to connect it to my computer as a USB modem.

I have been asking for this for upwards of four years. Can I have that, please?

Re:What I really want

So buy a cheap Motorola phone with real keys, use a standard USB cable (with the mini plug on the phone end) and Google for instructions about using it as a modem.

Here are search results pertaining to my old Motorola v180, which at the time I bought it was the second-cheapest phone T-Mobile sold. [hotbot.com]

Re:What I really want

Thank you.

Every time there's a cell phone thread, someone posts a variant of the grandparent post about how all they want is a simple phone that only makes calls and oh god why can't someone just make one. Apparently these people have never been to the damn cell phone store, because they make a jillion of those things and they're cheap as dirt.

Re:What I really want

the problem is that all these folks say "i just want a phone that does X, Y, and Z, and i don't care about A-W", but everybody's X, Y, and Z is different. the phone manufacturers can only produce so many models, and the stores can only stock so many; the market drives them to hit averages and exclude the peripheral. for example, the grandparent wanted a USB modem. well, that's not on most peoples XYZ list; most folks who want a USB modem also want a camera phone, so they only (not literally "only", but the focus, still) build ones that bundle the two. there's no build-to-order market, clearly.
i have a very small set of features i want, but i'm well outside the curve. actually what i want is very close to the firefly, except some form of data service (preferably bluetooth) is a must and it clearly should have some form of address book syncing via USB/bluetooth (programming it on that 5-key pad is stupid).

Re:What I really want

Except for the USB port modem, what you are describing is a cell phone from 5 years ago.

The modern cell phone has gone thru gobs and gobs of feature creep. The market wants more gadgetry, and if that is what sells, it will be provided.

I think the reason nobody has made (to my knowledge)the cell modem, is because they can cell (sell!) you a PCMCIA plug in and bill you for the modem service as an independent service. Verizon sucks $150 a month out of me instead of $70. You get the idea.

Re:What I really want

I really want a device that drops the functions that aren't directly tied to remote communication, and adds features that make remote communication easier.

OUT-
Video
Camera
Ringtone Symphonies

IN-
Detailed Call History w/ Search
(ex: show me the number from the phone call I got on a thursday night last month after 11pm, not sure which week)

Intuitive Dial
(ex: I call my wife from work, and I call my office from home, when I open the phone it should be ready to guess which call I want to make based upon the time and location)

Security-
My phone is probably the ONLY place I want a biometric security device like a fingerprint scanner, and I want to be able to call the cell company and have them tell me the approximate place I left my phone (ie Corner of 9th and Main)

Energy-
I know it's not going to recharge the thing instantly, but why not toss a small solar cell on the back and let me dribble charge my phone by setting it on the dashboard?

Buttons are "out"?

What's wrong with buttons? How would replicating the function of buttons on an easily-dirtied touch screen be an improvement? It really does sound like they are trying to find applications for technologies that are not really needed when trying to make a phone call.

Re:Buttons are needed ...

Personally, I'd love to see a merger of touchscreen technology with something along the lines of piezoelectric polymers [montana.edu]. This would make it possible to create flexible, touch-sensitive interfaces with surfaces that could be deformed to provide tactile feedback.

Re:Buttons are "out"?

Well, one advantage of a touch screen is flexibility when presenting user interfaces, as you're no longer limited to a prearranged set of hardware buttons.

Cell Phones the new pocket watch.

It has been a long time sence the watch that a piece of technology (carried on the person) is considered to be styleish. So it is not to suprising that there is a lot of R&D going on to make them more so. Because other then style the cell phone hasn't change much (batteries last about the same as it did 10 year ago, and the rececption is only better because there are more towers), yea they added some stupid features that Teenyboppers like but all in all cellphones hasn't changed much in 10 years. The only reason why people get them is because they are stylish, and you want to stay in fassion.

Do we need all that junk?

As long as it makes and takes calls reliably, that's all we need.

Forget the camera and data transfer capability, as this makes them a target for bans at work, jury duty, the gym, and other sensitive areas.

e-ink phone seen years ago on Earth Final Conflict

The e-ink prototype that they are displaying from phillips looks almost identical to one that was on Earth Final Conflict years ago. Just like the one on the show, this one has a screen that can roll up to place in your pocket, or expand to reveal a large screen suitable for displaying video.

Helloooo?

From TFA:

In mid-2005, the average person bought a new cell phone every 18 months. But by May of this year, the cycle had shortened to 17.6 months, according to a J.D. Power & Associates survey of 18,740 consumers. "Cell phones [are becoming] so increasingly personal, they tend to be a slave to fashion,"

Yah. I think we can all see how that statistical fashion trend is accelerating. :-/

e-Ink hype, again

The "e-Ink" guys need to shut up until they make their technology work. What they have is an expensive overlay film for existing displays that makes them reflective. What they've been talking about for years are cheap high resolution flexible displays, which they don't have. Eventually, someone may do that, but it probably won't be e-Ink.

Cue the oldies

"I just want a phone to make phone calls" they will say. "Who wants all those other features? Kids these days...".

It's OK, you don't need to keep telling us, we know and phones for you exist. There is also a large market which wants email, internet, calendar, notes, SMS, video playing, music playback, radio etc on their phone: I certainly do.

Re:Cue the oldies

The problem these people have is that they precive the extra features as adding expense and more parts. This is largely not true. The phones already have a processor and a display. Radio requires extra parts (but the cost is virtually $0), and the video playing requires a better screen. The better screen just makes everything else more pleasent to use. Other than that the rest is basically software. These people complaining about phones getting more features are in the same category as people complining that computers are too fast and have too much memory. After all, the C-64 computed just fine, and that is what we should all stick with. Anything more is just making computers more complicated and expensive.

Snaking buttons on a phone.

If you don't have a simple 4 x 3 array of actual press buttons with numbers in the usual order, with perfect right angles (none of the snaking, swoopy rows), you've failed in making a decent phone. Do whatever you want with the rest of the UI, but don't mess with the basic phone function. I've seen and have had to use some pretty bad phone button designs (where you have to look for each button in order to press it), and to put it bluntly, "I've had it with $#$##@@# bad button design on this $#$##@#@##@@# ". It's not rocket science. Here is a badly designed phone [ebayimg.com] and a well-designed phone [gsmhelpdesk.nl]. At least as far as being able to dial numbers goes.

Cheap+one use

While everyone is adding PDA and MP3 player functionality to their cell phones, I'm still just wanting the big 3: Reception, Battery Life, Weight. Keep the reception good, the battery life as long as possible and the weight low enough and I'll want it. I very rarely use my PDA and my MP3 player get little to no use as is. Integrating them into a cell phone to make it more expensive to lose doesn't gain me anything.

Kids Cellphone

How about a simple cell phone for kids with around 6 buttons that can be pre-programmed with phone numbers.

Button 1: Home

Button 2: Parent's cell/work number

Button 3: Other parent's cell/work number

Button 4: Other relative

Button 5: Neighbor

Button 6: 911

Now the kid can use it to call their parents in case of emergency or other problems, (or just need to be picked up after soccer practice). Can't use it to call their friends since it doesn't have a normal keypad. If you want to be paranoid, add some GPS tracking software so you know where your kid is.

This type of thing may also be appropriate for younger children since it is hard to abuse - except by calling 911 when your mommy doesn't answer her phone. But if your child isn't old/smart enough to know that, they probably shouldn't be out of your sight.

Re:Kids Cellphone

They already have one. It's called Firefly Mobile [fireflymobile.com]

Re:Kids Cellphone

Something like the Firefly [about.com] or the Migo [about.com], then?

All that sounds pretty cool,

but this [motorola.com] is what I'm waiting for. That should be out at by the end of this year, I believe.

Earth Final Conflict, Get Smart

Earth Final Conflict Global [jjambproductions.com]

Get Smart Shoe Phone [wouldyoubelieve.com]

The number one feature they need...

...is price.

I cancelled my family's cell phones because with the price of gasoline we couldn't afford an extra $80/month, Verizon's cheapest plan at the time, for two cell phones. So I cancelled them and we went back to a "land line" via Vonage for $27/month. Yes this is on top of our $50/month for broadband but I'll cancel everything before the broadband connection.

It's amazing how little I miss having a cell phone. Of course I still keep the phones in the cars in case of emergencies - all cell phones will dial 911 for free.

I won't consider cell phone service again until it's around $10/month.

Keep the bells and whistles - give me Third World cell phone prices. If they can have it, so should I.

Steve

slave to fashion? hardly

My fiance, who couldn't be more obsessed with fashion, pretty much stopped at getting the coolest cutest phone available. I have no doubt that if one came out that was really cheap and better, she'd probably switch. I don't think anyone's switching up in price on a phone very often, though. That would imply they bought a crappy one to begin with. Once they trade up, the trading pretty much stops there in my experience.

All of it useless

I want a cellphone that is not half assed like everything we have today.

Razr V3 - nice formfactor, volume is way too low, antenna sucks badly, OS kind of crappy, camera a complete joke.

Treo - nice try, let's not have early alpha stuff please?

Some of the Nokia devices get close but they always lack somewhere. Somf of the lacking is the fault of the provider locking it out.

Future phone will be unobtrusive

The future phone will be unobtrusive. Assuming it's not implanted, it will resemble what Secret Service agents use.

As far as buttons, it will probably be either eye-movement activated using an eyeglasses-mounted device or remote-activated using buttons worn as jewelry or carried in your pocket, like a car key-fob. Video for those who want it will be via an eyeglasses-mounted "floating" display.

Expect routine vga-resolution-or-better web browsers on video phones in the next few years.

Interestingly, the last time I bought a new phone it was because it was literally cheaper to buy a new one with airtime than to continue with my old one's plan. I'm not the only one "forced"/incentivized into buying a new phone to save cash.

i wish...

Wanted: Robust inexpensive mobile phone that can be purchased at local brick&mortar. Extremely loud (but mute-able) ringer preferred.

NOT Wanted: Potentially *hot* phone from eBay, which requires any hacking at all to use any given service provider. Phone that can play music, check email, make coffee, and/or dance the jitterbug. Service agreements. ... never gonna happen.

J

Touchscreen? No thanks!

I had a Samsung i300 that had no buttons, just a touch screen. It was a pain if I had to use the thing while I'm eating fried chicken or pizza. It also sucked because I couldn't dial by touch. I just want buttons. Nothing bloody wrong with buttons.

Quantum leap

The article is called "A Quantum Leap for Cell Phones".

It puzzles me that people use a "quantum leap" as a term for a large jump, when in reality it is the smallest jump possible.

What about cold weather?

These phones look pretty stylish, but I'd stay away from any touchpad style phone if you ever plan on wearing gloves. Touchpads only work with direct skin contact, so that rules out using them outside in cold weather.

Cell phones could go a long way, but I think that something like this limits the environment too much.

Innovative naming

I'd like to see some innovation in naming of these things. My suggestion: cell-everthing-but-the-kitchen-sink-"phone"

Secret Compartment...finally

I am glad that they started including a secret compartment for valuables. That way if someone tries mugging me then they will only see the 120 carrats of diamonds and not think that I have anything worth stealing.

I've said it before, I'll say it again

Cell phones are computer replacements for the general public. Eventually displays will get good enough, input will improve to an adequate state and cpus will be fast & low-power enough. Once technology gets to a point where you can browse the web in some sort of reasonable fashion, [desk|lap]top computers will become a niche market item.

A Quantum Leap for Cell Phones, says the article..

..but isn't a Quantum one of the smallest measurements possible?

Therefore, the article reads; "The Smallest Leap for Cell Phones", which just about sums it up for me ;-)

The Ultimate Buttonless phone

Here's my idea. Instead of buttons they could have a small plastic wheel with holes along the circumference that represent the numbers 0-9. You stick your finger in the desired number hole and spin the wheel to a starting point. Release the wheel and it spins a back to it original position, inputing that number. No more buttons! Just one plastic wheel with finger holes in it. To hell with having to "button" all these phone numbers. I want to "wheel" all my phone numbers. I wonder if I should patent this?

What I want in a cell phone

Things I need in a phone:

Durable - it needs to be able to withstand small nuclear explosions and/or an Irish Wedding. My cellphone is my ONLY phone, for both business and personal calls
Bluetooth - When I'm working and am using both hands to type etc, I need to be able to use a wireless BT earpiece
Internal Antenna - Don't want that antenna catching on my pocket when I'm trying to answer a call
Quad-band GSM - I need to be able to use my phone world-wide, so no crippled, USA only CDMA crap, please

Things I like in a phone:

Flip-phone style, with external display
Smallish size, but this is no biggie

Things I don't need/Hate:

Camera
Music
Games
Internet
Goofy colors (yes, that includes fake-metal silver paint that wears off after 10 minutes)
Goofy keypad styles

It seems that there are a decreasing number of phones that fit the bill for me... most of the new phones coming out seem to be focusing on goofy features rather than making a better, more durable phone. I understand why the manufacturers do this, but I wish they would put out more basic phones - although a lot of the basic phones that are out now omit the Bluetooth :/

From the second slide of the slideshow:

Pushing on one of the precious stones unlocks a secret compartment that can be used for carrying medicine or jewels"

english translation:
Drugs.

Already available

Tomorrows cellphones are already available in Korea. Someday I hope to use them, but the outlook is grim. Why oh why does the US only offer yesterday's phones?

How about a USB connection to the memory stick

It certainly would be nice if I could use my phone as a memory stick. Engineer a USB connector on to the back and allow me to put a memory card of some sort of the memory size I choose. Better than carrying a stick and a phone and chances of separation are slimmer.

I guess answering it plugged to the back of the server in the server room would be somewhat difficult though.

Answer the phone.

According to the article's slideshow "It also recognizes body parts. Lift it to your cheek to answer a call."

Um, I really don't want to use someone else's phone if I know they have dialed porn on it.

WIFI, GPRS, QWERTY, decent screen?

any mobile phone in 100$ range that has ...
WIFI, GPRS, QWERTY, decent screen?

Not so futuristic but not available.
Gosh

Review of the review

...it sucked. Let's go through the slideshow, shall we? #1: Intro that indicates that the cell phone designs of today are on the way out. Why? They're functional and easy to carry. Yay for sensationalism. #2: Yes, a diamond-encrusted phone is the way of the future. With a "secret" compartment that seems rather obvious to anyone who isn't writing a review of the phone. #3: The Onyx. While it's an interesting idea and certainly has its uses--answering just by placing the phone at your ear, for example--I just can't see trying to dial a number with "gestures". Number pads are in such heavy use today because they're easy, cheap, and intuitive. #4: Rotary phone. I guess this makes sense if you don't have a land line but want a dedicated home phone. But...umm...how do you check your voicemail? #5: A big fat ugly wristwatch, a variation on a clamshell phone that just looks akward to hold, and an alarm clock. Yeah, that's where things are going. #6: The Samsung Ultra Edition: I guess the "old-fasioned" cell phone isn't dead. Please ignore the opening lines of this slide show. #7: It sounds similar to something that's been done before, but looks a lot cooler. One thing I can't figure out: in the picture, I can't see where it actually turns into a phone that would be easy to hold or carry compactly. Maybe that's why they say "If it ever gets out of the design stage..." #8: Philips' Readius. Now this is cool. Electronic paper, movie-watching, all the things a phone of the future should be. We could have skipped the other 6 phones and still seen just as much.

Why Still a "Cell Phone"?

I'd like to know why the focus remains on creating "cell phones". In Britain the cell phones work as advertised (i.e. few dropped calls, decent sound quality) and there is excellent coverage of most of the country. Incorporating a cell phone should now be a *feature* rather than the defining characteristic of the device. What we are seeing is a convergence of the PDA with the cellphone to create an internet-connected mobile computing device. IMHO, fast mobile internet connectivity, coupled with a *decent screen* and *device programmability* is where the *real* power comes in.

three in one

I carry around: One cell phone, one mp3-player and from time to time one camera. And then I'm still missing a PDA.
All of these could be integrated into one device, and that's exactly what is happening. I don't see why people
are all upset and "I just want it to make calls". I bet most slashdotters carry around at least three different devices.

Besides, the more stuff they crank into one device, the cheaper the basic-version will get.

GPS Phones

I would like to see GPS integrated into the phones. This would be handy for integrating it with Google for maps and getting directions from your current position.

With GPS coordinates combined with a camera (and maybe a compass), metadata could be added to pictures that would not only allow an accurate time stamp, but also show exactly where the photo was taken and maybe even which direction it was facing.

Think of the possibilities...

WANTED

A device not much bigger than an iPod.
With a screen covering the whole front face.And a slide or pop-out keyboard that's JUST big enough to type on.
With a touch-screen that can be activated/deactivated and tactile depressable areas where 'normal' buttons would usually be.
An always-on internet connection that's quick enough for you to 'google' something in the middle of a conversation without the other party punching you in frustration or walking away. a-la i-mode, but FASTER than current CDMA. At least Wifi speeds.
And Bluetooth, And Wifi, and USB2.0
And a scroll-wheel.
With a multi-megapixel camera that can take video or still
With a microphone to record voice,
With a headphone jack.
And a fingerprint scanner.
With a responsive OS designed by Apple, or at least something good enough you'd think it was.
-- that has an open API so that 4rd party developers find it a joy to program for.
With 100gB storage space.
Battery that lasts at least 2 days with moderate use.
The rest is all software.
Features? I want them *all*. I'm sick of this trend towards having to PAY for 3rd party software for simple features that were once standard on all phones. voice recorder, calculator, decent image browser etc etc. FINE I don't mind paying for specialist software but a decent PDA shouldn't NEED extra software for things which everyone is expected to do on a daily basis.

It's not "bloat" if it obviates the need for a 2nd or 3rd device. In my case that means a camera and a PDA. I currently use a Motorola M1000 (japanese version of the A1000) and it's *almost* there. It's just clunky (bad software), proprietary(transflash, no headphone socket or USB) and SLOW. It has WiFi, but hotspots are so few and far between, and the software makes it painful to connect to them, it's as good as useless.

Most of the things I said above are available on today's phones (or PDAs or iPods). Many phones today have multi-megapixel cameras, Here in Japan you can get one with a fingerprint scanner (not perfect security, but good enough). I have yet to find a device that has them all.

Come on technology. Come on Apple. I have $500+ in my pocket just waiting for this thing and I want it NOW.

Oh and I'm no 'teenage punk', just a 34 year old geek who hates carrying too much stuff, and hates being off the 'net when outside.

Intelligent clothing

I want a cell phone that:
* I do not need to carry around
* I cannot forget to take with me

What about a sticker phone, or built into clothing.
or in your access/identification badge at work that is hanging around your neck anyway.

I pay 10 for a plain T-shirt, 20 if there was a fashion guy who 'designed' a print. Probaly made for less then 0.5 by child labour in Asia. How much for a cheap cell phone these days?
And for these 20, I still get wet and cold in the rain.

I'll happily spend 100 on this shirt, if it fits, keeps me warm and dry, and includes some conductive interwoven fabric for connecting your central unit containing your personal 'SIM card'/ID card/credit card and settings.
I will combine this with a 'small' wrist unit for functionality when on the road:
* reading the time, having an alarm
* storing some MB's
* dialing a number
* reading my heart rate when sporting
* communicating to more performant unit at home (PC)

Intelligent clothing is what i would like to see, and current cell phone functionality can all be included. People could even have the fictional e-Ink displays on the front or back of their shirts.

The "fashion cycle"

The article states that cell phones have a turnover rate of 17.6 months and that cell phone manufactures are looking more to the fashion world for ideas. I think if they were to provide a consistent method of transfering addresses, pictures, games, etc from one phone to another that it would shrink that window even further. I personally dread getting new phones because I have to spend hours transfering and setting up my numbers, and I leave my old pictures behind. Ringtones are getting a little better now that more phones are supporting MP3s, but proprietary ringtones are lost.

People put an emotional and financial investment into their phones long after they purchase them, and until that sentiment can be transfered, I don't see the window shrinking much.