The articles notes that Nokia will introduce its first two megapixel camera phone in the United States later this year and says other camera phones will feature optical zoom lenses.
The article says, "Essentially they will snap photos that are as good as those taken with your average, stand-alone digital camera. Only with a cell phone yu will be able to e-mail a photo over a wireless connection instantly, without going through the hassle of hooking up to a computer."
Threatening cable and satellite companies
Business Week suggests that richly-featured celluar phones -- with cameras and camcorders as well as MP3 and remote control capabilities -- could threaten the business of cable and satellite operators.
"Sprint PCS, a unit of telco Sprint, is starting to dabble in video services, and others are following
suit. Eventually, this trend could allow users to download movies
wirelessly onto their cell phones -- and TVs and other home devices.
"The cell phone would then work as a sort of a megaremote, shifting all
this content to devices around the home."
A panoply of services
My view is companies that can offer consumers a wealth of useful and well priced services that easily integrate, plus provide good customer support, have significant advantages over those that don't.
One example, you get Internet access from one provider, Voice over IP via your home computer from another provider, a WiFi router from a third company and a VoIP telephone adapter from a fourth company. Then add wireless music and wireless streaming and achived videos, wired phone service, cable service, etc., etc.
Then picture the poor consumer (including me!) trying to troubleshoot all these products and services. If one company can provide a great mix of products and services combined well priced bundles of services and, very importantly, a single phone number to call for technical support, you've got the makings of an excellent ongoing revenue stream.
T-R-O-U-B-L-E
Business Week concludes, "As phones pull in more of the other devices' functions, wireless companies are bound to grab more power. And for everyone from consumer-electronics companies to cable service providers, that spells trouble."
I think it also spells opportunity.
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