| There is a great deal of active research and | | | | the iPod. |
| development into mobile phone technology that is | | | | Developments in podcast software enables mobile |
| currently underway. Some of the improvements that | | | | phones to become podcast playback devices through |
| are being worked on are: | | | | existing channels like MMS Podcast, J2ME Podcast |
| Now that operators are upgrading their networks to | | | | and AMR-NB Podcast. |
| advanced wireless and other third-generation (3G) | | | | The emergence of integration capabilities with other |
| services, many new entertainment and | | | | unlicensed access technologies such as a WiMAX |
| communications services are becoming available, | | | | and WLAN, as well as allowing handover between |
| including new broadcast-type operations on spectrum | | | | traditional operator networks supporting GSM, CDMA |
| formerly occupied by Television Channels 52-69. With | | | | and UMTS to unlicensed mobile networks. The new |
| downlink speeds comparable to that of wireline DSL, | | | | standard (UMA) has been developed for this to move |
| mobile service can now offer capabilities such as | | | | towards fixed mobile convergence. |
| streaming video sharing and music downloads. | | | | Further improvements in battery life will be required. |
| Services such as MobiTV, Digital Mobile TV or Juice | | | | Colour screens and additional functions put increasing |
| Caster are just some examples of applications that | | | | demands on the device's power source, and battery |
| leverage these new networks. | | | | developments may not proceed sufficiently fast to |
| One difficulty in adapting mobile phones to new uses is | | | | compensate. However, different display technologies, |
| form factor. For example, ebook readers may well | | | | such as OLED displays, e-paper, or retinal displays, and |
| become a distinct device, because of conflicting | | | | smarter communication hardware (directional antennae, |
| form-factor requirements — ebook readers | | | | multi-mode, and peer-to-peer phones) may reduce |
| require large screens, while phones need to be smaller. | | | | power requirements, while new power technologies |
| However, this may be solved using folding e-paper or | | | | such as fuel cells may provide better energy capacity. |
| built-in projectors. | | | | New technology in Japan has combined the RFID chip |
| One function that would be useful in phones is a | | | | principle into the handset and hooked it up to a |
| translation function. Currently it is only available in | | | | network of readers and interfaces. The system, |
| stand-alone devices, such as Ectaco translators. | | | | pioneered by NTT DoCoMo and SonyEricsson, is |
| An important area of evolution relates to the Man | | | | called FeliCa and there are around 10,000 convenience |
| Machine Interface. New solutions are being developed | | | | stores where one can now use a phone to pay for |
| to create new MMI more easily and let manufacturers | | | | goods just by 'swiping' it over a flat reader. By |
| and operators experiment new concepts. Examples of | | | | charging up a phone with pre-paid cash credits, it can |
| companies that are currently developing this | | | | act as a sophisticated mobile-phone wallet. The |
| technology are Digital Airways with the Kaleido | | | | technology is proving popular and there are now even |
| product, e-sim, mobile arsenal, and Qualcomm with | | | | vending machines that accept this form of payment. |
| uiOne for the BREW environment. | | | | The delivery of multimedia and broadcast content |
| Mobile phones will include various speech technologies | | | | including video to mobiles is beginning to become a |
| as they are being developed. Many phones already | | | | reality with the rollout of Qualcomm's MediaFLO. In |
| have rudimentary speech recognition in a form of | | | | addition, there are two main competing standards DMB |
| voice dialing. However, to support more natural speech | | | | - Digital Multimedia Broadcasting - and DVB-H - a |
| recognition and translation, a drastic improvement in the | | | | handset version of the Digital Video Broadcasting |
| state of technology in these devices is required. | | | | standard. These methods avoid swamping the |
| New technologies are being explored that will utilize the | | | | network by using traditional broadcasting. |
| Extended Internet and enable mobile phones to treat a | | | | Image scanning, as seen in existing research. With time, |
| barcode as a URL tag. Phones equipped with barcode | | | | this may develop into full 3D texturing and modeling. It is |
| reader-enabled cameras will be able to snap photos of | | | | unlikely that cell phones will have the processing power |
| barcodes and direct the user to corresponding sites on | | | | to construct models and textures. But it is likely that the |
| the Internet. This technology can be extended to RFID | | | | bandwidth to communicate the video, and receive a |
| tags, or even snapped pictures of company logos. | | | | processed model will exist. |
| Searches can also be personalized to local areas | | | | There are several cell phones that can perform GPS |
| using a GPS system built in to cell phones. Examples | | | | positioning. In the future, GPS positioning may be |
| of companies that are currently developing this | | | | coupled with accelerometer positioning, for covering |
| technology are Nextcode, OP3, Neomedia | | | | underground or indoor positioning. This would likely lead |
| Technologies, and Scanbuy, the latter of which is | | | | to maps and help finding where one is going. It also |
| currently being sued by Neomedia for patent | | | | would support social efforts, such as locating friends or |
| infringement. Another approach (used by jumptag.com) | | | | group members nearby, and identifying some |
| is to map URLs to short text tags tailored for easy | | | | strangers. The GPS technology already available in |
| user entry on phone keypads. | | | | some phones, while coupled with the camera phone, |
| Developments in miniaturized hard disks and flash | | | | may also allow users in the future to not only take a |
| drives to solve the storage space issue are already | | | | picture, but snap the exact location and angle at which |
| surfacing, therefore opening a window for phones to | | | | the picture was taken. |
| become portable music libraries and players similar to | | | | |