Smile for the Camera Phone
The mobile generation is riding a new wave of convenience. Camera phones are quickly replacing basic cell phones as the gadgets of choice for today’s on-the-move market.
These days, almost everyone has a cell phone. From Bluetooth and WAP-enabled phones to infrared-based models, we simply can’t live without them. There are almost as many cell phones on the street as there are pedestrians. If you’re not convinced, try a little experiment to prove it to yourself:
Stand in crowded public place, like at the mall or on a busy street corner. Have a nearby buddy call you on your cell phone and as it rings, look to see how many people are reaching in their pockets or purses to check their own phones.
Cell phone use has caught on like wildfire, and it’s not at all surprising. These phones are compact, affordable and ultra-convenient. Users can stay in touch from virtually any location, and make or receive calls to or from any almost anywhere in the world. What may be surprising is the fact that so many people are trading up to new camera phones.
Today’s cell phones are like the Swiss army knives of the communication world. With just a touch of a button they can be used to instantly send and receive e-mail and text messages, play games, surf the Internet and keep track of appointments. Best of all, each of these tasks can be accomplished while the user is out and about: at work, on the bus, in a restaurant or at a club. Now, the most exciting advancement in the average cell phone is the addition of photographing capabilities. The ability to take digital photographs from their handset is enough to send users out to the stores to replace their perfect good handsets with new camera phones.
The Japanese market was first to experience the thrill of the camera phone, and Asian cellular users immediately caught the camera phone bug. A few years later, manufacturers began marketing camera phones in the United States and these hot gadgets became available to the masses. While not overly popular at first, North Americans quickly began to appreciate the convenience of having a camera and cell phone together in one handset. Of course, the devices have become so well-received that some have predicted that camera phones will become the most popular consumer device in history.
According to industry analysts, camera phones comprised 12% of the total cell phones sold in 2003, and predicted those numbers to rapidly climb. A research firm called IDC suggested that more than 80 million camera cell phones have been sold worldwide.
You may ask yourself, why not just carry a phone and a camera? You’ll know the difference when you spot the perfect sunset at the beach, with your camera locked in the trunk of your car three miles up the shore. Or you’ll notice the difference when you bump into your favorite movie star at a busy restaurant, whip out your camera phone for an impromptu photo shoot, and email the photo proof to your buddies just seconds later.
It may seem a little excessive to have a camera incorporated into your cell phone, but it will all be worth it when life hands you those unforgettable moments. When it happens, you can’t afford to miss the call.
