ArchiveDecember, 2007

The surge in popularity of mobile GPS devices this holiday season is making its mark on the cell phone industry, as well – thanks to the rising profile of the technology, Americans now say they want GPS on their phones more than they want Internet access.

Leo J. Shapiro and Associates (LJS) conducted the study, the results of which were reported in an Information Week article on Thursday. According to a sample of 450 Americans, 24% of consumers want GPS on their next phone, compared to 19% who’d prefer web access. In total, only 6% of GPS users currently use the technology on a cell phone, meaning the huge majority do so in a car.

The LJS group concludes that this disparity points directly to an opportunity for the cell phone industry, as more consumers clamor for GPS services outside of their automobile.

Seems like those ubiquitous television spots for GPS devices are making their mark on the American psyche – and perhaps some folks are realizing they can get similar turn-by-turn directions through a cell phone rather than investing in a stand-alone gadget.

Still getting used to watching video on your cell phone? Some folks in the wireless industry hope you’ll learn to not only love it, but be hungry for HD in a couple of years.

In an interview with Reuters, Nokia’s Chief Technology Officer discussed the future of HD-video on cell phones, and thinks that, not only will we be able to watch high-def content, but we’ll be recording it, too. “It’s coming,� Tero Ojanpera is quoted as saying. “Technically, we are a couple of years away.�

Nokia introduced its N95 model in the U.S. earlier this year, a handset capable of recording TV-quality video. And it sounds like the next step, to HD-quality, is right around the corner.

Analysts from the research firm Gartner concur with Ojanpera’s assessment; their estimate projects HD capable phones as making up 8%-10% of the market as soon as 2010. Not coincidentally, Broadcom announced today that it has begun shipping new chipsets which support HD video on handheld devices – including cell phones.

Wirefly released its 2007 Holiday Gift Guide last week via our newsletter, and, in the interests of “synergy,” we’ll link to it here on the blog, as well. Some highlights:

With nearly half of Wirefly’s customers saying that they shop at least a couple of times a month online, and Cyber Monday smartphone sales on Wirefly up 190% over the past year, the 2007 holiday shopping season should set a record for the busiest online shopping season in years.

And here are our Top Five Cutting-Edge Cell Phones for this Christmas (we cover other categories in the Guide, as well):

HTC Touch
Samsung i730
HTC Tilt
Motorola RAZR2
LG VX9400

The list of things you can do with a cell phone keeps growing. In the last six months alone, we’ve covered reports of cell phones acting as payment systems, two-way video devices, and even baseball tickets - now you can also use your cell phone in lieu of an airline boarding pass.

A USA Today report confirms earlier speculation that such a system was in development (which we reported on), and provides details of a Continental Airlines trial that began this week at Bush Intercontinental Airport in Houston. The system is pretty simple; a bar code displayed on your cell phone’s screen will replace the traditional paper passes scanned by security personnel.

You’ll still need to show photo ID, of course. Basically, this is another example of digital bar codes – stored and displayed on your cell phone – moving into the mainstream, and reducing the amount of paper you’re forced to carry with you while you travel. The Continental test in Houston is expected to last three months before expanding nationwide.

Other airlines, including Delta and US Airways, also expect to launch their own paperless boarding passes in 2008.