The 411 on Your Next Cellphone

We brought the latest technologies out of the lab to create the phone of the future
By Christopher Null Posted 07.02.2008 at 4:30 pm 8 Comments

Cellphone, Supercharged: Paul Wootton

Next-generation super-phones won’t just be slimmer versions of today’s devices; they will be entirely different machines. Chipmakers are reinventing every processor that powers your portable. From PS3-quality videogames to built-in cameras that can fill in for your current point-and-shoot, a chip for it is in the works. And thanks to shrinking transistors, the new phones won’t be any larger or more power-hungry than today’s ultrathin models. Below, we've pulled together the technologies being released in the next year and a half to build the smartest smartphone possible.

Images:  Kodak

Crisp Photos

Five- and eight-megapixel cameraphones will soon reach the U.S. But simply adding pixels won’t fix the dark, blurry photos from cellphones. So Kodak is changing how camera chips work. By augmenting the sensors for red, green and blue with pixels that capture all colors of light, its new five-megapixel chip produces sharper photos even in dim settings. It also reduces the static between pixels that causes grainy images.
ETA: Early 2009

Screen:  Paul Wootton

Big Pictures

Mini projectors will turn a wall or tabletop into a giant screen for photos, videos or presentations. 3M is developing an LED-powered projector that shines standard TV-quality (640-by-480-pixel) images bright enough to stretch 15 inches wide in a well-lit room and 40 inches wide in the dark. Microvision’s PicoP uses miniature lasers to project a DVD-quality image of about the same size.
ETA: Late 2008

Graphics:  Paul Wootton

PC-Grade Computing and Graphics

With beefier CPUs from Nvidia, Qualcomm and Samsung, cellphones will start to perform like laptops. These processors can run several applications simultaneously for true multitasking. And powerful graphics processors on the same chip will replace flat 2-D icons with a 3-D interface like that in Windows Vista. They will also be able to run DirectX 9, 3-D videogames like Quake and Far Cry.
ETA: Various chips roll out from late 2008 to late 2009

Safe:  Paul Wootton

One-Touch Security

You can use a password to block access to your cellphone today, but few people take that tedious step. AuthenTec’s tiny fingerprint reader, about the size of a phone key, will replace typing a password with swiping a digit. It also works like a touchpad, for scrolling around the screen.
ETA: Late 2008

8 Comments

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hihahockey
07/03/08 at 12:37 am

How much will it be?

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privatepilot92
07/03/08 at 3:01 am

This would be an awesome phone, but it would be way more than I would pay I'm sure, and it looks like something like this could come out sometime in late 2009 to 2010, but with all the new technology the price would be sky high, it would probably be more likely something like this would come a few years later when the tech becomes cheaper. Plus the longer you wait the technology will get better and more compact, most likely cheaper after a while too...just like early computers and cell phones.

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marilynn
07/03/08 at 10:31 am

I'm so amazed by this phone, I wonder how deep in my pockets I have to go for one. I agree with privatepilot92, that's always the trend with technology, so chances are it'll get beaten within a yearr

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nnaammee1
07/07/08 at 2:06 pm

It will be cool for like a while but there are always cheaper, more compact or have more stuff that you can do on it. The trend might be on for a while then get beat by a better item within a year or two.

I think that they should just make the best one with the tech they have and just put everything in it or something and sell it for more money. Instead of selling it in little chunks, but that is how they make money so I guess selling it little by little would be an good for them.

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Avatarfanatic280

from Tualatin, OR

07/08/08 at 1:27 pm

Wow... That is like the iPhone on steroids, but not illegal ones. I would sell my laptop for that... And I saved up for YEARS for my laptop.

...

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CloudNine
07/21/08 at 1:38 pm

If theres one thing I have realized over the many cellphones I have owned in recent years is that I am never 100% satisfied. If I get the compact phone thats conveniently sized to the point of forget its in my pocket on a regular basis, then I miss out on all the features like a full sized QWERTY pad, nice camera, or a nice big screen for web browsing. Same goes for the opposite. If i get the smart phone with IM and web browsing and a QWERTY pad and the big screen with a decent camera then I am stuck carrying a phone that takes up more pocket space then my overstuffed wallet. I tend to enjoy the hybrids if you will. Phones like the LG Scoop, not quit a smart phone, but not quite a regular cell either. That way i have some basic high end features like a qwerty and IM but dont have a PDA sized monster.

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GadgetGuy23
08/12/08 at 3:37 pm

I rated this a a five star (points for imagination). However, like most everybody else, I'm gonna wait for prices to drop

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NickyJ
10/14/08 at 11:45 am

I think the new security features will be seriously useful - I know you mentioned that not many people will use them but I'm not sure this is correct. I use mine all the time but the ones on this new series look seriously good.
tanzanite

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