Phone? What phone?

Wireless World, Singapore/Kuala Lumpur, November 2004 issue

Gone are the days that your phone was for making calls only. Years ago, text messaging entered the scene and turned them into communications devices.

But ‘communications’ doesn’t cover the functions that providers have in mind for us. Right now smartphones are the new new thing, giving us PDA functionality and Internet browsing. Although I still have to see one that combines all the goodies – and I mean all of them.

To my mind a proper smartphone should have – are you ready? – quad band, WiFi, Bluetooth (that’s already no fewer than six radios), full PDA functionality, Internet browsing, media streaming, a multi-megapixel camera and video recorder. The battery should provide enough juice for a full day’s use, including a decent number of phone calls and WiFi always-on. Oh and did I mention size? It should be really, really flat, really, really light, and fit easily within my shirt pocket without dragging it down.

So far, there’s nothing that even comes close. Nokia’s Communicator shows the right spirit but its nickname, the Brick, says it all. Nokia has announced two new and nimbler models. The 9500 comes with the full Monty but it’s still a small brick. (‘Brickette’?) Nokia seems to realize that too, so now there’s also the 9300, sacrificing WiFi for yet smaller size. Wrong again. But give it a year or two and you’ll be able to buy one that fits my ideal description. Not sure if it’ll be from Nokia though, given their current disastrous fixation on lifestyle.

But meanwhile back at the ranch, providers are starting to explore new and unexpected avenues. It started earlier this year, when Korean SK Telecom came up with an insect repellent service. Dial a buzz that insects really hate. If you think that’s funny, then try the Japanese guru who claims to have invented sounds that cause your breasts to grow in size. All you have to do is dial up and listen for a while. I would’ve hardly taken this seriously, were it not for the fact that Hideto Tomabechi is a well known AI engineer with numerous serious publications to his name.

Then there’s Siemens in Germany, no small fry either. They are developing a smell detector chip that can be built into handphones. If you hear a warning tone during a conversation, it means you’ve really bad breath. Better to stay on the phone and not meet anyone in person. And if your breath is fine, then BEDD, a Singapore start-up, can help you meet someone really soon by using your phone’s Bluetooth radio. Download BEDD’s software, key in some personal details and as soon as a kindred spirit gets within 20 metres, you’re prompted so you can decide the next step.

Are these fads that will disappear as quickly as they popped up? Probably. But make no mistake, there’s a clear trend here. Providers are frantically searching for ways to increase phone usage, now that markets are becoming saturated. There’s a limit to the amount of communication a person can take on an average day, so for further growth alternative uses are desperately needed.

What does all of this mean for mobile marketing? A lot. It means that the general public is being educated into expecting more from their handphones than calling and messaging alone. Phones will increasingly be used to sell services and products, making use of the full range of senses – sight, sound, touch and smell.

These are incredibly interesting times for mobile marketers. Pretty challenging, too. Come up with something new and chances are you’ll be way too early to make a profit. Stay on the sidelines and you’ll miss the learning curve.

My motto: stay tuned and watch this space. To be continued.