There was a time when a cell phone was just a phone. And that was novel enough. The ability to take your phone with you wherever you went - even make a phone call from your car - was extraordinary just 15 years ago. But cell phones have transformed into some of the most helpful devices available today.
Whether you choose a straightforward cell phone, a PDA, or a smartphone, you'll be impressed at the wide variety of features these devices offer. Not only can you make phone calls from almost anywhere, you can store phone numbers, keep track of ingoing and outgoing calls, keep your contacts up-to-date complete with phone number, address, email, and other information, play games, listen to music, surf the Web (if your device has a wireless data package included), take photographs, get directions - almost anything you can think of.
A New Era Begins for Wireless Internet with WiMAX
Despite phenomenal growth over the past decade, the wireless market is transforming once again with the introduction of WiMAX - a 4G wireless digital communications technology. This new generation of high-speed wireless technology will allow wireless access from PCs, laptops, PDAs, smartphones, gaming devices, cameras, handsets, camcorders, music players, and other wireless-enabled devices. So no matter where you are at any given moment - at home, in the office, in the car, traveling, at a coffee shop, a family member or friend's house - you'll be able to access the Internet and take advantage of an incredible range of features on the Web.
While today's typical wireless connection speeds - connected through a Wi-Fi connection or a wireless local area network - top out at about 700 Kbps, WiMAX promises download speeds as fast as 2 Mbps to 4 Mbps. And WiMAX uses bandwidth much more efficiently, making the technology a better choice for faster Internet browsing and online applications.
Although WiMAX is currently available only in Portland and Baltimore, the technology should launch in more markets by 2010. Clearwire, the company behind WiMAX, is also making the technology available to Silicon Valley in the fall of 2009. This move will allow Silicon Valley developers the opportunity to design WiMAX applications before the product becomes more widely available.
3G Mobile Broadband Applications
But while we wait for WiMAX, there are plenty of exciting developments in 3G wireless broadband technology. Most popular today are the Apple iPhone, Nokia's selection of cell phones, and Blackberry smartphones - along with literally dozens of other brands - which have captured the consumer's interest. These devices are secure, reliable, and offer a wide variety of popular features. So whether you prefer to make a phone call, send a text message, forward a video, download a new song, stylize your ringtone, play games, take pictures, or keep track of your contacts, today's cell phones have something for you.
