Cellphone Central

It's been a banner year for cellphones-one that brought us the iPhone, mobile TV and new open-source systems. But as always, two months before 2008 rolls in, fresh offerings already have us salivating. Smartphones are getting smarter, incorporating video calling, touchscreens and easy IM access. Free services are experiencing a renaissance, sprouting practical and well-designed applications that offer everything from step-by-step driving directions to lists of your friends' top-rated nearby eateries. And, in the face of the "Jesus Phone," designers have stepped up the competition with cleaner designs and tighter application layouts.

Also making headlines today is Google's announcement of the Open Handset Alliance-a partnership with key mobile players around the world such as T-Mobile, Sprint, HTC, Samsung and Intel focused on creating a Linux-based open platform for mobile phones, a direct challenge to the locked-down carrier control that is typical of the U.S. mobile business. It should be an exciting year.
Launch the gallery for a look at next year's mobile phones and the new software that will give '07 a run for its money.