What to Expect in 2008: Mobiles as Playthings

The year that went by witnessed some truly remarkable achievements in the mobile phone segment. We saw advancements in operating systems, radical new phone designs, and an overall step ahead for handheld technology. There’s plenty to look forward to in 2008. Here’s what I expect to see in the new year – with particular regard to funky multimedia devices that have been developed but not yet made it to our shores.

Play - Part 1
Nokia 5700 (new addition)

The 5700 is not an altogether new design concept but a hybrid version of the Nokia 3500 with the revolving camera. The newer version, part of the XpressMusic series, looked sleeker and was even lighter than its predecessor. The latest version looks the same as the new version, only with edgier colors. Rumor has it that this version will have a 3.2 megapixel auto-focus camera. Other specs would presumably remain unchanged. Nothing conclusive has been announced so far, but this is definitely worth checking out.

Samsung Serenata

In a major effort to deliver something truly unique to a music-minded audience, Samsung enlisted the help of Bang and Olufsen to create the Serenata. It has a very unique slider design with a scroll wheel, and a 2.26 inch display with a 240 x 320 pixel resolution. It has Bluetooth with A2DP profile, supports HSDPA, and is 3.5G enabled. The Serenata also comes with 4GB of internal memory. Of course, the most important feature is the music player, which I feel could be a real winner.

ROKR E8

Here’s another innovative idea for a mobile phone. Although the design is essentially candybar in shape, the best part about the E8 is the touch-sensitive keypad. While the media player is active, only select keys are highlighted, and these can be used to control and navigate media files and the player itself. There’s also a touch-sensitive scroll wheel for navigating menus etc. Other specs include Bluetooth with A2DP, a 2 megapixel camera, USB 2.0 connectivity, EDGE support, and an integrated FM radio. Memory can be extended using MicroSD cards. It's worth a look-see, even if only to check out the funky keypad.