Wales, she discovers, does not use a smartphone, just an old text and voice handset; he likes the old idea of the internet as something you do at your desk, and leave behind to have dinner.
One has only to sit in a Japanese subway car watching teenagers communicating via the Internet cell phones, or wander the stores of the Akihabara, Tokyo's electronics district, where there are literally hundreds of different voice, data and data-voice handset models on display, to grasp the momentum of the wireless Net in Japan.
John White of Portio believes that prices for simple, voice-only handsets could fall to $10 in five years.But affordable phones are only part of the picture.
On the contrary, the mobile-device industry will bear a closer resemblance to its other parent: the market for old-fashioned, voice-only handsets.Start with intellectual property.
He explains: "I don't think that voice-activated handsets as such are our future.
The key question that no one can answer yet: Will the growth in voice-driven handsets decline precipitously or will it continue at robust levels until the industry gets a second wind from newfangled data phones that can receive e-mail, games and other high-bandwidth services?
The key question no one can answer yet: Will the growth in voice-driven handsets decline precipitously, or will it continue at robust levels until the industry gets a second wind from newfangled data phones that can receive e-mail, games and other high-bandwidth services?
Disney Mobile plans to offer wireless voice service, exclusive handsets and a package of features and applications targeted toward families.
The industry reckons that the most promising source will be delivering data to handsets alongside voice.
With the latest smart-phones, however, which account for around 15% of handsets sold, voice calls and texting are just two features among many.
