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TRENDS
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Smart Phones
Dial Up Productivity for Consumers
By Laurie Burstein
The new smart phones are smarter than ever. The latest technology
to hit the market combines all the functions of a pager, cell phone
and Palm Pilot into one surprisingly lightweight unit. Now it is
possible to send and retrieve e-mail, check flights, carry an address
book, find a limo service, and even trade stocks—all on a cell phone.
Companies including Sprint PCS and Verizon Wireless recently introduced
phones that merge the functionality of the three separate devices
into one integrated unit. Both offer the Kyocera Smartphone, which
retails for $499 for consumers and is available to corporate customers
for $399.
“The new Smartphone is the first device to consolidate all the gadgets,”
says Kim Dixon, area vice president for Sprint PCS. “Instead of
having to remember to carry a pager, a cell phone, and a Palm, the
new Kyocera lets consumers have it all in a three-in-one device.”
Kyocera’s Smartphone weighs just over 7 ounces. It has a screen
larger than most cell phones but a bit smaller than a regular Palm
Pilot. Users can enter text by writing or touching a keyboard display
on the screen. And though it feels like a toy, it performs hundreds
of applications. Customers have the advantages of a Palm Pilot with
the capacity to store thousands of names, addresses, phone numbers,
appointments, to-do lists and memo lists.
Other features include integrated touch screen and stylus, 15 ringer
types, infrared beaming to other IR-enabled devices, speakerphone,
and voice activated dialing and voice memo. Additionally, the phones
are Internet-ready with access to e-mail, e-commerce purchasing
options, and just about everything else from movie listings to sporting
events. The new phone does not require a lot of charging, with five
hours of talk time and 180 hours of standby time.
“Consumers can stay organized and keep in touch better than ever,”
says Cheryl Bini, a spokesperson for Verizon Wireless. “The Kyocera
re-defines how our customers are staying connected with both people
and data. The response has been great,” Bini adds. Verizon Wireless
is the largest communications provider in the United States with
27.5 million wireless voice and data customers. The company, formed
by Bell Atlantic and GTE Corp., covers 49 of the top 50 and 96 of
the top 100 U.S. markets.
One consumer using the new phone is Bob Bira, a business development
director with software company Hyperion Solutions. He says his new
Kyocera Smartphone is a business conduit he can’t do without. “This
phone lets me take my business with me wherever I go. It is vital
to stay in touch and this new device allows me to really stay on
top of my business,” says Bira who travels about 40 percent of the
time for his job.
Bira explains that the new phone allows him to take care of practical
matters. He uses his phone to send e-mails, make travel plans, and
look up restaurants in a new city. When traveling for business,
he especially likes the Taxi Finder where he can input a zip code
of a destination city and arrange to have a taxi waiting for him.
Also, the built-in speakerphone lets him record notes to follow
up on later.
“This is a huge step forward in productivity,” Bira adds who has
about 300 names programmed into his phone. He frequently uses the
feature that dials phone numbers by tapping on the person’s name.
Because he is so reliant on his smartphone for conducting business,
he has all the information “synced” into his computer as a back
up just in case it was ever lost. His Smartphone is also insured.
The Kyocera also offers a voice command feature, for people to use
while they’re driving. It can be programmed so that a user may say
out loud, “Call Mom at home” or “Call Susie at work” and the number
is automatically dialed. The Kyocera is also compatible with a headset.
Dixon says the response to the Kyocera Smartphone has been terrific.
“Our customers are looking at the new phones as a total business
tool. They have been a sell out since we first introduced them in
April.” Dixon adds that Sprint operates a 100 percent digital, 100
percent PCS nationwide wireless network in the U.S. and serves 4,000
cities. What can we expect from the Smartphone in the future? It
won’t be long before a video component is added, allowing the user
to see the person they are speaking to and more.
Laurie Burstein is a St. Louis-based free-lance writer
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