It's a mobile phone SIM, but not as you know it

By Bridie Smith, The Age, January 6, 2006

Having a camera on your mobile phone is so 2005. These days it's fingerprint recognition and wireless technology that's considered cutting edge.

If phone manufacturers have their way, it won't be long before the mobile phone takes on the ubiquitous iPod, and also makes the digital camera redundant.
"The mobile will become, and is increasingly becoming, the alternative to the digital camera as the capacity of cameras on mobile phones improves," Telstra spokesman Warwick Ponder said.He said Australia could look to Japan — where the market penetration of mobiles is almost 100 per cent — to get an idea of the role mobile phones will play in the future. In Japan, where mobiles and SIM cards can be activated by fingerprints instead of PINs, mobiles are replacing credit cards and being used as electronic passes by employees to gain access to the office.

They can also be used to scan the bar codes of products in supermarkets, and then connect to a website to access product information."In Japan, you can't really call these things phones any more," Mr Ponder said. "It's just as much an internet device, a games device, a music device, a personal organiser and camera."

This week South Korea's second-largest mobile phone manufacturer, Pantech, unveiled its latest handset — a mobile phone that can send and receive calls and SMS messages while operating as a portable TV.

Samsung Australia has released its E530 handset, hoping to corner the female market. The pink phone can count calories, measure body fat and store the weekly shopping list. It can even be programmed to tell a woman when she is ovulating. And yes, it has a camera and MP3 music player.

Nokia spokeswoman Louise Ingram said 2006 would be the year for music, with the company working to increase memory capacity in a bid to gain a greater share of the MP3 market.

Of the 40 new Nokia models released this year, half will have an integrated music player. In 2004, Nokia shipped more than 10 million phones with an integrated music player.

"There will be a real focus, by the entire mobile industry, on music," she said.
Meanwhile, Optus is banking on photo messaging and video calling as high-growth areas, as more consumers change to the 3G network.
"Customers will be able to quickly download new film clips, music and live TV to their handset," an Optus representative said. "3G, in essence, will provide customers with an immediate, broadband-like experience on their mobile phone."

Ben Sivarajan, 32, Carlton Mr Sivarajan said he was considering getting a new mobile phone — mainly for voice calls and text messaging initially, but he would be interested in having internet access and TV by request in the future. "If I had it, I'd definitely use it. It would be very convenient to check things or contact people," he said.

Tessa Peterson, 16, and Ruth Evans, 48, South Australia Looking to upgrade to get an in-built camera and a flip-lid, Tessa would also be interested in the video-calling function. Her mother, Ruth Evans, said the idea of seeing Tessa when she was talking to her on the phone was a plus.

Ivan Murray, 51, St Kilda Mr Murray said he decided to upgrade his phone so that he could have internet access. He said the idea of keeping up to date with sport, news and music was the main attraction — particularly the cricket during summer.