PDA Cell Phones – The Future is Now

There is a lot of hype and buzz surrounding the next generation of cell phones hitting the market right now, the new PDA phones and other cell phone – pocket PC hybrids.

PDA cell phones and pocket PC (personal computer) phones take your PDA or handheld pocket PC and add the features of your cell phone to it.

The result is an all-encompassing device which can handle organizing and record keeping; allow you access to email and the internet; allow you to work with computer files; transfer pictures, files, and software; take pictures (through low-resolution video and camera technology); read books, purchase items online; as well as making local and long distance phone calls and all of the features that normally come with comprehensive cellular phone service.

Not only are traditional cell phone manufacturers such as Nokia and Samsung starting to work toward releasing their own PDA cell phones and pocket PC phones, but you are also seeing PDA and Pocket PC manufacturers such as Blackberry and others such as Handspring jumping into the fray with their own models of upgraded PDA and pocket PC.

One of the great things about these new pocket PC phones is that they come with larger screens to accommodate the extra features. It is not uncommon to see colour LCD screens upwards of 2.5” X 2.5” on these new devices, allowing for easier reading than traditional cellular phones.

They can also make use of the additional space due to the width needed by adding a fully accessible QWERTY – style keyboard just like the one on your computer. That means these PDA cellular phones and pocket PC phones are going to be a little wider than the standard cell phone fare, but with all the extra abilities and features packed into these little guys you probably won’t hear too many people complaining.

These new phones also come with their own mini web browsers that bear such familiar names as Opera, Netscape, and yes, even Microsoft Windows. While Windows has become the number one browser and operating system for the world of PC, there are no clear leaders in this new market of PDA phones and PC cellular phones.

Many companies are currently working toward finding the perfect balance between size (it takes memory to store and run an operating system) and usability. Currently, those companies are looking for ways to make their web browser break the “5MB Barrier”, and providing a usable web browser for their PDA phones and PC cell phones that come in under 5MB of space.

These web browsers also come with email browsing and sending software to browse POP3 email accounts, and instant text messaging software such as MSN Messenger.

In the future the world will see more and more software applications for their PDA phones and PC cell phones as the technology becomes more prevalent. In a few years the world will also be seeing all kinds of web hosting/cell phone service packages designed for customers using PDA phones and PC cellular phones for both internet access and cell phone calling needs.

Like many new cell phones on the market right now, a lot of PDA phones and PC cell phones come with optic technology for low-resolution digital photography and video recording. Though these are poor quality compared to today’s average digital camera, rest assured that as the technology shrinks and becomes better we will soon be seeing high quality photography and digital video capture available to these new devices.

From there you will be able to edit and then send some of your pictures and videos off via e-mail to your friends and family.

The new generation of PDA phones and PC cell phones also come with built in slots for memory expansion or transfer, as well as the ability to hook up to desktop computers for downloading MP3 music files or video files. All of the features that come standard on devices such as the Apple iPod will soon be available on your PDA phone or PC cellular phone.

Memory slots and chips are also a great idea because files can easily be traded from PC cell phone to PC cell phone or from PDA phone to desktop computer. In addition, stored photo jpeg files can easily be transferred to most new printers via memory storage slots (just like standard digital cameras) and printed off whenever you need them.

One of the features that cell phone designers and PDA manufacturers alike are taking a serious look at is the wireless capabilities of some PDA phones and PC cellular phones.

Knowing what they do about the insides of both the cellular phone industry and the PDA industry, many companies are quickly looking for ways to use this technology as a leg up on their competition.

With a wireless feature, you could send and transmit information directly to desktop computers or wireless printer ports with no hassle. This could link your PDA phone or PC cell phone directly into your home or office wireless network with no muss and no fuss.

The advent of the G3 technology and mass-wireless networking could make this one of the most important features of the new generation models of PDA phones and PC cell phones, as wireless high speed internet access could soon be as accessible as your cell phone access is.

Although PDA phones and PC cellular handset are expensive right now for the average cell phone user (the average running upwards of $300 - $500), these are comparable prices for PDA users, one of the fastest growing computer sectors in the home computer industry.

There is absolutely no doubt that the price of these PDA phones and PC cell phones will come down in the future, just as any form of technology, as will the level of quality steadily rise.

For now, they are the perfect option as an all-in-one organizer, PDA computer, digital camera and cell phone for the growing masses that see their cellular phones and PDA devices as more of a necessity than a luxury.

About the Author

Bill Schnarr is a single parent and freelance writer who makes his home in Calgary, Alberta. As well as having dozens of online and print publishing credits, he has recently reviewed numerous cellular phone companies. Look for him in the upcoming "Chicken Soup for the Single Parents Soul" due out in February 2005.

PDA Cell Phones – The Future is Now

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