Wirefly Says 'Ditch Your Other Devices'

Over the last few years, exciting multimedia features have been added, one by one, to the cutting-edge cell phones driving the market forward. Now, in the summer of 2007, many new models combine the best of these innovative applications and capabilities, to create a truly super-powered cell phone. Why would you ever again need a separate camera, MP3 player, GPS device, or audio recorder? It's all right in your phone.

In addition to the new hardware that's out there -- those built-in features that come with your phone -- there's a growing set of mobile applications designed to bring even more functionality, and customizability to your cell phone. These options allow you to fully take advantage of the next-generation connectivity; if you're into wireless Web browsing, or fancy yourself a mobile blogger, it's convenient and easy to do it all via cell phone instead of bulky laptop.

Wirefly presents the top 10 cell phone features that allow you to ditch your other devices:

• Music Player. The built-in music player is another feature that's slowly becoming ubiquitous in newly released models, although it's not clear that the iPod is at risk of extinction yet. Most of the earliest music playing phones were limited by small storage space, making it impossible to transfer your entire music library to your cell phone; that's changing, though. Current music phones can handle several gigabytes of tunes, and, with the growing utility of memory cards, that ceiling will only rise. Plus, with services like Song ID, your fully connected cell phone can actually do more cool stuff than the typical MP3 player.
• Digital Camera. The grandfather of all integrated features, the first built-in digital cameras really established the notion that all portable devices could be combined into one. And, now that nearly all new cell phones include a digital camera of some sort, it's a feature that we take for granted. The most powerful camera phones have begun to compete with high-end standalone cameras, with excellent resolution and tons of memory; last year, 9% of all photographs taken worldwide were taken with camera phones.
• Video Camera. A logical extension of the camera phone, cell phones with videocam capabilities may soon put pressure on the camcorder industry. The most recent models can capture motion at 30 frames per second, breaking the threshold between novelty and actual usefulness. In addition, AT&T's new Video Share program actually allows cell phone users to "broadcast" live video images directly from one phone to another. You've always wanted to be a cameraman for a cable news network? Now you are.
• Mobile TV. The mobile television movement is not quite at mass adoption levels yet, but both the cell phone carriers and manufacturers are bullish on services designed to send live (or on-demand) video straight to your handset. Questions remain regarding the public's desire to watch their favorite TV shows on the tiny screen, but that hasn't stopped content providers from flocking to the new medium. The major U.S. networks, as well as dozens of cable channels, are all working to find the right format… with that kind of industry backing, you'll soon see more and more people watching TV on their cell phones during the morning commute.
• GPS/Location-Based Services. Some of the coolest new cell phones come equipped to deliver "location-based services," using an integrated GPS locator. Need to know where the closest movie theater is? No problem. Some phones can even work in tandem with mapping applications to deliver directions while you're on the move. Your cell phone will always know where it is; there's no need to opt for that fancy guidance system when you're shopping for a new car.
• Instant Messaging. A step beyond text messages, accessing your favorite IM program from your phone allows you to utilize buddy lists, and connect even more immediately to your friends. This is a feature found in many of the multimedia cell phones currently available; you can usually even choose from any of the most popular IM clients (AIM, Yahoo!, etc). IMing is especially useful when combined with a phone featuring a full QWERTY keyboard.
• Web Browser. Internet access is another classic (and maybe the most far-reaching) example of "convergence". The first generation of cell phones with connectivity were on the slow side, and, for many people, using your phone to get online wasn't worth the trouble. It just wasn't quick enough. But now, the most cutting-edge cell phones deliver the Internet with broadband speed. With downloadable browser software that allows full scrolling, zooming, and interactivity, the mobile Internet has finally arrived.
• Social Networking. Do you desperately need to update your MySpace page from the beach? Do you and your friends "twitter" your every move. Now, when coupled with Internet access, certain cell phones come bundled with software packages designed to make it easy to stay connected to your favorite social networking sites. The applications are potentially endless, especially taken together with other features like GPS services and recording video.
• Podcasting and Moblogging. Here's another way to stay connected: If MySpace and Facebook aren't your thing, try recording and uploading a podcast to your website, or replying to comments on your blog (moblogging, by the way, is geek for "mobile blogging"). There's no longer an excuse to go a day without updating your personal blog, now that the right applications are integrated within your cell phone.
• Voice Memos. Of course, if you're not the type to share everything with the world, simply use that audio recorder to leave yourself quick reminders. The voice recorder function found in cell phones these days is often overlooked, but it can be an incredibly useful tool for the, ahem, absent-minded. Record, speak, and play it back later - perfect for task lists, grocery shopping, or preserving mental notes.

Add these ten features to the secondary cell phone elements we already take for granted -- clock/alarm clock, personal organizer, calendar, calculator, etc. -- and this summer there's really no reason to weigh yourself down with anything other than your cell phone.

Learn more about advanced cell phone features.

About Wirefly

Wirefly (www.wirefly.com) is the online leader in one-stop comparison shopping for cell phones, wireless service plans and wireless accessories. Wirefly is an authorized dealer for every major cellular carrier in the U.S. Wirefly also offers discounts and services not available in retail wireless stores, including real-time online order status and tracking, and the guaranteed lowest price – online or anywhere else -- on cell phone devices from Motorola, Nokia, Samsung, LG, BlackBerry and many other cell phone handset manufacturers. Wirefly.com has been named Best of the Web by Forbes magazine as the “best all-around number portability portal” and “Best in Overall Customer Experience” by Keynote Performance Systems. For more information on Wirefly, its wireless products and its services, visit www.wirefly.com.