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Thursday, June 1, 2006 - Page updated at 04:06 PM Q & A: The future of cellphones
Seattle Times technology reporter Tricia Duryee was online today to answer your questions about new cellphones and the future of the technology. Thanks to everyone who participated. The transcript of the discussion is below. Do you see cellphones taking over land lines as people's primary phone link in this country?
That's not very many, and I think people will hold on to their landlines for some time — or at least until other technologies become just as reliable and easy to use. Telecom folks talk about how things need to be four 9's, or working 99.99 percent of the time. That means, you should have a connection when the electricity goes out or when large numbers of people make phone calls at the same time. For some people, it means your burglary alarm service should be able to call the alarm company when there's been a break-in. It's possible these kinks get worked out quickly. Companies such as Bellevue-based RadioFrame Networks (which has a partnership with Nokia), develops mini-cell towers that can be installed in your house to improve coverage. T-Mobile USA is close to rolling out a technology that allows cellphones to jump from a cellular network to a Wi-Fi network when you step into your house or another area of coverage. One thing to note is that it won't only be cellphones that get people to drop their land lines. Internet-based services like Skype and Vonage also offer cheaper ways to call. For instance, to spur adoption, Skype just made phone calls within the U.S. and Canada free yesterday. Previously, they charged users when they called a land line or cellphone. Vonage already claims 1.6 million subscribers. Hello, I have a restriction on updating my phone. I don't want pay a lot of money for a phone. Do you have any suggestions? I could pay $50-$100. Thank you.
If you're looking for a little more style or functionality than what the free phones offer, you can get a lot bang for the buck. For instance, the flashy new Pink Motorola Razr is available through Cingular Wireless for $75 after rebate. Cingular also offers the cool Sony Ericsson Walkman phone (w600i) that I reviewed awhile back. It's only $50 after rebate. T-Mobile USA, often viewed as one of the lower priced carriers in the U.S., is selling the Samsung t509, which it calls the thinnest phone ever, for $49 after rebate. Less affordable are are the high-end phones that come loaded with the Windows Mobile operating system, or some of the Nokia phones that I featured in my story on Sunday. The phones, which come wrapped in leather and have flowers etched into the metal, easily cost $400 or more. Hi, Tricia. I am a T-Mobile customer and it seems that they are lagging behind the other carriers in getting the latest and greatest in cellular technology. Do you have any idea why this may be the case?
As the fourth largest carrier, it is in a tricky spot. Its competitors have all begun to roll out 3G, or high-speed wireless broadband. These services, comparable to DSL, allow subscribers to do more complex things — watching video, downloading big files, and surfing the Web. T-Mobile, owned by German telecommunications giant Deutsche Telekom, just completed upgrading its network to a 2.5G technology called EDGE. That helps. If you ask T-Mobile why it has not pursued 3G, it will say its customers aren't demanding it yet. That could be true, but it is also true that it can't because it desn't have enough spectrum, or airwaves, to do so. Deutsche Telekom has promised to give T-Mobile money to participate in an upcoming spectrum auction to remedy that. We'll see. What sort of information, communication and entertainment needs will Nokia's vision manage?
But here's something that maybe you can sink your teeth into: Imagine that you purchased a movie for download, and it's on your computer at home. You paid for it; you own it. Then you go over to your friend's house and say, "Hey, I just got this great new movie." But instead of just talking about it, you pick up your phone, access your network where the movie is, and then beam it to the TV, so both of you don't have to hunker over a screen the size of a postage stamp to watch it. All this would be controlled by your phone. And, to make the movie houses happy, once the movie ends and you leave, your friend would no longer have access to it. There's also the new concept of digital lockers, where you store all of your music, movies, photos, etc. The content is stored online, so it could be available from where ever you have Internet access — even your phone. Some companies are working on this, such as Bellevue-based GoGoMo, 3GUpload and Redmond-based Twango. Why does the U.S. get new cellphones so much later than Europe?
Having said that, wireless users in the U.S. can buy any phone they want. In fact, I've started to see advertisements in the Sunday newspaper for phones at regular retail outlets. And you can go to a manufacturer's Web site, like Sony Ericsson's, and purchase a phone. The caveat is you can only do this for GSM phones, or the wireless standard used by Cingular and T-Mobile. The phone also has to be sold as "unlocked," meaning that it will accept a SIM card for any carrier. It also has to be made for the U.S. And if those two things aren't enough, the phone will be full price. Typically, U.S. carriers discount a device by $100 to $200 to encourage you to sign up for a plan. Good luck. When can we expect computers and cellphones to fully interact with one another? There are too many problems and qualifications to use them together.
But I think as time goes on, a phone will become more like another computer that can be networked. This is Microsoft's vision, at least when it comes to corporate use of the technology. It thinks technicians, who work behind the scenes at a company, shouldn't have manage phones and computers differently. Is help on the horizon to transfer large data files to and from phones without memory cards?
I know that Cingular Wireless is working on a next generation network after 3G (HSDPA for High-Speed Downlink Packet Access) that will improve the uplink speeds (with HSUPA, High-Speed Uplink Packet Access). Verizon Wireless and Sprint are also working on new technologies. But until then, I think you are stuck using a memory card. Please compare the pricing structures for services between that of the United States, Japan and Europe. Is high pricing in the United States the reason for smaller market penetrations?
I think competition in the U.S. carriers has led to all sorts of pricing models — free nights, free weekends, free long distance, rollover, etc. In Europe, the relatively high price of a voice minute encourages people to send text messages. I'm not as confident about pricing in Japan or Asia. But I do know text messaging is popular there, too. Part of it may be because a high number of people take public transportation; Americans tend to drive and therefore don't use their thumbs to talk. Then, why isn't adoption here higher, you ask? I think America has built a solid land line structure that works too well. Meanwhile, I think we all still find ourselves saying "Can you hear me now?" way too much to cut the cord for good. Hi, Tricia. I am curious if you have seen any of these "smart phones" connected to a projector. I assume phones like the BlackBerry or the Sidekick, or even the handheld computer, Origami, have the capability to save a PowerPoint presentation from a PC or Mac. If not, what is your opinion about this?
Many of the smartphones, or phones with high-end oeprating systems, do have the capability of viewing and storing a PowerPoint presentation. I could imagine the phone could link to a projector with a USB cable, or even using wireless Bluetooth technology. In one of my stories that ran this past weekend, Hasse Nygard used his phone to advance the slides forward on his laptop. I'm sure making the presentation from the phone is here, or not far off. Do cell phones cause cancer?
According to the Food & Drug Administration, cellphones do give out low levels of radio frequency (RF), but only large amounts are harmful to humans. It says so far studies don't link cellphones to health problems, although it advocates more to be done to find out for sure. For more information, go to the FDA's Web site. I want a cell with a long-lasting battery, excellent range, voice-activated dialing and phonebook, but need nothing else (games, text, radio, music, etc). Ideas? Thank you.
A phone's battery will last longer the more simple the phone is. Don't get a flip phone with a screen on the outside that stays bright for a long time. As for better coverage, get a phone that has an extendable antenna. (A trick to get better signal strength is to not touch the antenna while holding it.) Check out the handy buying guide from CNET and Consumer Reports' cellphone decision guide. Having had a cellphone now for ages, I have a pile of a half dozen or more old cellphones. Are there specific charities looking for old phones?
The deal is, regardless of what wireless service provider you use or the type of phone you have, you can drop used wireless devices and accessories at participating retail stores. From there, the gear goes to a charity, may be refurbished or, if it is truly at the end of its life, will be recycled. For a list of drop off locations, check out this Web site. I live near the water. Are there any plans that help with that? I usually only have two (signal) bars with Verizon.
I would highly suggest trying all of the major carriers at your house to see which one works the best. You can do this by asking your neighbors what they use or having friends visit with different providers. There will be technology coming out soon that will increase the signal strength within your house. It will either work using Wi-Fi, which you would have to provide yourself, or by purchasing a mini-cell tower you could install in your home. For now, Verizon Wireless has a handy Bluetooth device from LG that allows you to leave your phone in a good coverage area, and walk around the house with the pen-sized device. Whatever you end up choosing, it will require some work. Do you think any cell companies will have videophone (two-way live video) service anytime soon?
If you have these things, I think the phone would come with a video conferencing application, or one could be purchased. The trick, of course, is that who ever you are calling would have to have a phone with the same capabilities and the same application. I saw a demonstration of this technology while I was at Nokia, and it worked flawlessly. Very cool stuff. Seems like cellphones just keep getting more and more complicated to where older folks are too intimidated by them to even get one. Any suggestions?
I haven't seen this much here, but I've seen Japanese phones that are very simple to use and have big keys that are easy to see and push. One of the nicer features of these phones is that it sends a text message to loved ones to say that it is being used; that way, the recipient knows the user is alive and doing well. Having said that, I don't think phones are likely to have fewer features going forward. But they may get easier to use. A Bellevue company called SNAPin is working on a solution that helps make it easier for people use features on their phone. Hi Tricia, I have two quick questions. One, which provider offer the better service, Cingular or Verizon in regards to coverage and dropped calls? Second, when will our phones be compatible with Japan's? I currently have an international phone that works everywhere but Japan. I would rather not have to carry two phones. Thanks.
I know for sure that Cingular claims to have the fewest dropped calls (according to a billboard outside my office window). Unfortunately, I think it comes down to your location. You should thoroughly test a phone when you first get it to make sure it works where you go. Of course, reports still try to figure which service ranks highest on a lot of criteria. A recent J.D. Power report ranked T-Mobile USA (of Bellevue) the highest in six U.S. regions. It ranked particularly well in service plan options and cost of service and billing. Verizon Wireless tied with T-Mobile in five regions, ranking well in call quality and brand image. As for your second question, I understand the frustration of traveling with cellphones. They often don't work where you want them to, and it seems bringing more than one device is the only way to get around this. I'm not sure if one phone could be truly international. Some countries use different radio frequencies and different technologies, making it very complicated when traveling abroad. Be sure to check with your carrier before you go anywhere to see if your phone will work and how much it will cost! Ditto for laptop cards. Is Sprint thinking of adding additional BlackBerrys to its lineup? None of the newer 7100 series is slated to be that I'm aware of.
What phone is good for grandpa and grandma? They don't understand technology.
I'm thinking Disney's new mobile service could be an easy-to-use phone for older folks. What do you think? But, seriously, you could check out the AARP's Web site. There's message board there where the question is answered. One possibility is the Jitterbug phone, which comes with big numbers, and can be preprogrammed with things like friend, work or 911. But I'm not endorsing it because I don't know anything more than what the Web site says at www.gojitterbug.com. Why are parents so (difficult) when it comes to cellphones?
The Wild West of unlimited phone access is coming to a close. Just look at what Disney Mobile is doing. It won't be long before all the carriers are providing those restrictions. Copyright © 2006 The Seattle Times Company
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