Are Wireless Phones Really About the Phone Anymore?

Monday, 11. 16. 2009  –  Category: Dial611

On the legal side of telecommunications, the “duck test” is often used to describe how new technologies fit into legacy regulatory policies.  When data companies unveil voice services and claim that they are data and not voice products, the argument is often made by competitors and regulators that “If it looks like a duck, swims like a duck and quacks like a duck, then it probably is a duck.”

This test is pertinent to the current state of the wireless phone industry as well.  With all of the enhancements happening, the user experience is getting more and more complex.  As a result, a paradox emerges.  If a phone doesn’t have a key pad, doesn’t require minutes and is rarely used to make calls; is it really a phone at all?

What has led to this change in experience?

Internet Connections: By far, the biggest change in wireless usage has come with the introduction of data.  Whether it is the data plan over the cellular network or Wi-Fi connectivity, adding the Internet access has opened the door to new applications and platforms.  Users can now check the weather, order a pizza, find movie times and more—all without placing a single call.

Unlimited Usage: Over the past year, most major carriers have released affordably priced, unlimited call packages.  Much like smart phones, unlimited packages used to be aimed at elite business users that were always on the go.  Now, with packages well under $50 a month, the average consumer can purchase one and forget all together about those excessive overage charges.

The unlimited packages also now include data plans.  For under $100 a month, you can make calls and surf the web to your heart’s content.  Having unlimited access allows users to feel more comfortable relying on their data connection rather than looking at it as a specialty component of their device.

Non-Verbal Communication Methods: Social networking platforms continue to add users of all different ages.  What once were tools for college classmates to connect now are mechanisms for friends and family across the globe to connect.  As more and more people add data connections to their wireless phones, social products quickly are becoming the real-time communication tools of choice for those on the go.  As a result, applications like Facebook, Twitter, e-mail and other non-verbal platforms are quickly replacing phone calls as the primary way to talk.

Touch Screens and Motion Capture: A recent study show that touch screens are beginning to dominate in the marketplace, with nearly a 150% boost in adoption over the past year.  As the technology become more response and reliable, the need for the traditional key pad is diminishing.  Touch screens have the benefit of being adaptable to a variety of needs, from typing to scrolling to gaming.  Additionally, touch screens have a sleek look that resonates with consumers.

Many phones now also carry accelerometers and gyroscopes, which capture movements of the phone.  On a minimal level, it allows users to flip the phone and see the content on their screen go from vertical to horizontal.  More importantly, however, motion capture also allows developers to enhance the mobile experience by creating movement-based applications and games.

All of these items have helped to reinvent the wireless phone, so much so that we hesitate to even call them phones anymore—they are devices.

David Fleming works for CornerWorld Corporation, parent company of Dial611.

Tags: accelerometers, cell phone, David Fleming, e-mail, Facebook, gyroscopes, internet, smartphone, Social Networking, touch screen, Twitter, wireless