cell phone: Motorola Q
When I first received my Q, to be honest, I was a little intimidated. It was a birthday present and it was exciting, but as my husband explained to me all of the features, I just kept thinking… I’m never going to be doing all that with my phone, this is too much for my needs. And, in reality, I didn’t really get the full use out of it for those first six months. Sure, I would pull up a few e-mails now and then and check my calendar, but it was not an integrated part of my life.
All that changed the minute I got my new job. Suddenly having constant access to my e-mail and calendar became a necessity of the position. I was using Google Maps on the road to get me to where I needed to go, and was sending photo messages back to my husband to keep us connected while away. Before I knew it I was IMing, Twittering, catching up on my industry blogs on NetVibes Mobile… maybe even sneaking some time on LostPedia during a really dull meeting. I ordered my husbands Christmas present using my phone while waiting in line at Sam’s Club. That’s about as integrated into daily life as you can get.
To my surprise, the time has come. I’ve hit the point where my faithful Q, well, no longer cuts it. It doesn’t support Flash video. The operating system, not to mention the web, run excrutiatingly slow. Some web pages are not even navigable. The battery life is pathetic even with the big pack. And almost daily, I have to reboot the phone due to a system freeze, sometimes it even requires me removing the battery pack.
My Dream Phone
On long drives home, I fantasize about what my perfect phone would be:
1. Flash Video
An absolute must, big enough to have its own category. How entertaining it would be to pull up that funny YouTube video for the friends in your bar? That’s a perk, but for me I could see an almost daily use. I would love to follow Gary Vaynerchuck’s almost daily wine video blog. It’s an intimidating time commitment to become a true Vayniac, but something in me wants to be one, merely because I have so much respect for what Gary is doing for the industry. It’s fresh, it’s interactive, it’s the blend of my two big loves in life. Give me a Flash-enabled phone and a headphone jack and I’d gladly give up 10 minutes of my 45 minute commute to listen to the show.
2. True Internet
While it is a part of it, I’m not limiting this idea to the iPhone “true internet”. There are actually times I find a targeted mobile version of a website very helpful. But then there are others where I just want to have the web work like it does on a computer… AJAX, Google Maps with all the features, no crashes, faster speeds, delete my temporary internet files easily, save my passwords, cookies. I want to easily subscribe to RSS feeds and bookmark on del.icio.us. I want to find words, cut and paste, save images to my background. Oh, and… I really want to be able connect to WiFi when its available for even faster surfing!!
3. Location-Based Services
Ultimately, it is a mobile phone, the keyword being “mobile”. Tools should be tailored for that purpose. Google My Maps is a great way to build a travel guide before you go somewhere. A phone with a GPS feature could add an extra layer of functionality, layering your custom map travel guide onto your physical environment. What is the closest wine bar I researched? Any good sushi nearby? Based on where I am, what is the best way to get there and avoid traffic?
4. Flexibility and Extendibility
Just like my Q proved, the right phone now could be the wrong phone tomorrow. The Wii can add new channels, the PS3 can launch the Home network, and every OS comes with their service packs and upgrades. Why then is cell phone technology so inflexible, such a black box? There should be a built in feedback mechanism and frequent updates. I want Windows and Verizon to know just how much my cell phone crashes. And I want widgets, a custom desktop showing weather… I want an iconic alert the minute I look at my phone telling me if there is traffic in my future or if my favorite blog just updated.
Bottomline, I want a phone that makes my life easier and better.
So… what is THAT phone?
In a follow-up article, I will analyze the cutting-edge phones that are on the market and the technologies on the horizon that might make my dreams come true (or not).
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