Cell phones are about to evolve again in size, in features, and in scope of use. The latest in mobile technology has a slew of new features that are a marketer's or public relations professional's dream come true.
Cell Phone Features
The past several years have seen email, texting, web browsing, word processing, spreadsheets, gaming and taking pictures or video added to most cell phones.
Current features such as touch-screen technology offered by Apple’s iPhone will be making its way onto many new phones such as the BlackBerry Storm. Some industry experts are predicting multitouch (touch-screen technology) making its way onto laptops soon and can one day replace the need for using a mouse or keyboard.
For marketing and public relations professionals, the multitouch technology can speed up using cell phones to enter names and addresses and using the Internet. It will also reduce the frequency of errors made when trying to type on those little keyboards.
Voice control has been available to give commands and dial phone numbers but in the next year, voice control will enhanced to allow you to send messages and surf the web.
Go Paperless with Cell Phones
New web sites are popping up that can be accessed via cell phone for items like store coupons and tickets to concerts. Just log onto the web site using your cell phone, call up the coupon or the ticket pass you need, show it to the sales clerk or at the event gate, and boom you’ve got the discount or the a seat at your favorite musical event.
Check out cellfire.com for coupons and tickets.com for digital concert passes.
For the future, Continental Airlines is experimenting with a cell-phone check-in system where you would show an encrypted 2D bar code to a TSA agent instead of a paper-boarding pass.
GPS in Cell Phones – LBS is Coming
GPS (global positioning systems) has been an option for cell phones for the past year at least but just down the road to finding yourself and others, is LBS (location-based service). LBS can locate cell phone users in the same area. The service is enhanced with additional services such as suggesting nearby restaurants and stores to locating your friends whereabouts.
GPS will be enhanced with the availability of 3-D maps that users can zero in on specific locations or spin the globe with just the touch of a finger.
iPhone Features for Sales Professionals
Coming this April (2009), Apple will introduce several new features that can help sales, marketing, and public relations people track projects and people better. Some of the new features include:
- Sales process, a voice reminds you of the steps of the sales process
- Expense Report, tracks expenses and replaces lost receipts.
- Car Locator, GPS feature locates where you parked your car.
- Boardroom Key, gains instant access to C-level executives in big-budget companies.
- Lie Dectector, by holding the iPhone within 6 feet of a prospect’s face, the phone will scan the person’s facial expressions and flash “OK” or “BS” depending if the person is telling the truth or telling a lie.
- Persuasion Booster, makes the sound of the sales person’s voice digitally enhanced to project greater confidence.
Cell Phone Hardware Advances
Cell phones have been evolving into these little pocket-sized minicomputers. Hardware advances are allowing cell phones to come with more processing power and bigger screens. The features listed here are just a few of the phenomenal enhancements expected next year.
