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Mobile Phones have become such an integral part of modern life and our society that it`s hard to imagine a world without them now. At first the liberation of communication that they facilitated was the main selling point, but they truly penetrated the mass market as they shrunk in size, began to come with increased features and began to work in unison with the internet through ever changing and improving network technology. You may wonder where the mobile phone can go as a device in the next few years, when it had pretty much perfected its primary function over a decade ago. Taking a closer look at the future possibilities open to the mobile phone and the further impact it can and will have on the way we live our lives is an intriguing journey to begin.

Phone Hardware Technology – At the moment it is possible to divide the phone market into three categories, although the lines between each one are often so vague it may be hard to distinguish between the types. There are Multimedia Phones, Smart Phones and Camera Phones. Multimedia phones should be filed under `Jack of all trades, master of none` and essentially make up the low to mid range of the mobile phone market today. They have functions as mp3 players, video viewers, camera functions and basic internet and networking all included, but they are often the lower end of the spectrum in terms of performance in all of these areas. If you`re not really interested in most of the functions of your mobile phone beyond making calls and receiving texts then this is probably the kind of phone you`ll be interested in. Smart Phones are designed primarily for business users or high end mobile enthusiast who want to have their phone crammed with the latest technology, both in terms of software and hardware, often including full QWERTY keypads or, as the latest fashion dictates, touch screens which are elegant but do damage easily. In the smart phone arena it is speed of internet access and data transfer that is key to selling phones, and the latest network compatibility is essential. Camera phones have been around for a few years now, and nearly every new phone will come with at least a basic camera, for simple, low resolution pictures and video calling. However, from these humble begins an entirely new breed of camera phone has evolved, aiming to replace your digital camera and provide high quality picture and video capture on the move. Phones with camera that capture at up to 8 megapixels are currently coming into the market, and video capture at high frame rates has been the selling point of certain fashion camera phones of the recent past.

Networking Technology – Building on the GSM standard that has been around for nearly two decades, 3G is the current `hot` network and handset technology, offering higher speed internet access and video streaming and telephony within a mobile handset. However, as with each new generation of network and handset technology, and entirely new set of broadcasting and handsets are needed for each one. 4G, the fourth generation, is on the way, and although not much is know about it, it is said to offer an `always on` IP based connection with access to all internet features all the time. The consumer will have to wait and see how mobile phones deals are affected when 3G is superseded by 4G.