Do we need Smarter Phones?
As the cellphone companies continue their endless battle for the best smartphone, should we be wondering when this might end?
There are so many options how does anyone choose? As soon as you have your new shiny device your pocket it becomes obsolete, and you feel yourself being lured to the next new improved version.
The power of advertising
There is tremendous power in a brand name. Having a household name is more important than anything. Word passes from person to person and very soon it seems like everyone has the same kind of phone- and even more feel like they NEED one. Do they choose this specific phone just because of the name, because their friends recommended it, or do they really look into the specifications to see if it's what fits their needs?
Apple, for example, has sold literally tens of millions of iphones since they came out on the market and they are upgrading them on a continuous basis to ensure that there are steady supply of customers, both new and returning. They also have the monopoly on the apps for this phone and there are many. Because they are so popular, many applications are designed specifically for this type of phone and this generates more revenue.
I notice that there is a prototype of the iphone5 lurking in the wings right now.....in fact stangely (or not) the test version has been "lost" in a bar, in the same way as the prototype for the iphone4. Is someone trying to leak the details ahead of time...again??
The androids have landed
I'm sure you've all heard that the androids are here... This approach allows several different phone manufacturers to use the platform. The applications used in this case are open source, which makes many of them free. However it's important to get your apps from an approved site or there's the possibility that you could catch a virus.
My kids both have this type of phone and they appear to be every bit as good as a iphone.
What happened to the phone type phone?
It's hard to even consider the new smart-phones even as phones any-more. Rarely do I make any calls on mine. I use it to send text messages, emails, surf the web and take photographs.
Naturally I also use it to listen to podcasts, the regular radio, and as an FM transmitter to play my mp3s through the car radio wirelessly. Not to mention global positioning to find directions.
Most recently I've started using it to scan those weird square patterned things that have started appearing in newspapers and on posters that take you straight to related websites...
What could possibly be next?
How much smarter can these phones get??
What about the environment?
Take note though, that the resources required to build mobile phones are not inexhaustible. Rare natural materials known as Rare Earth Elements (REE) that are required in their production are diminishing as every new wave comes in. That's why it's so important to recycle them.
There are several possible options:
- make a donation to charity box
- trade up for a new phone
- pass down to your younger sibling
Remember that it is important that mobile phones do not end up in the landfill.
Footnote
So....before you go ahead and purchase that next super dooper version of the latest mobile phone, ask yourself if you really need it..consider the options carefully...
....after all if you really need to play angry birds you can now play to your hearts delight on your personal computer instead...
...or even have fun doing something else with your spare time....