Crave Talk: Start your own mobile phone rumour
Every company and his dog is supposedly making a phone these days, but they're not the companies we want making them. Where's the Stella phone?
According to the blogosphere, everyone is making a mobile phone these days. Google is making an Internet-centric device, Dell is going to make a smart phone and Creative is set to launch an iPhone killer just in time for Christmas next year. Of course it's all speculation, but are these really the companies we want making mobile phones?
We thought we'd ask a cross-section of people (okay, everyone in the office) what they want from a mobile phone and which companies they want to get involved in mobile technology.
Our pizza-loving reviews editor Jason wanted a Domino's phone, similar to the one in the advert, which features a dedicated Domino's button on it. One push of the button and a pizza would be delivered straight to you via a built-in GPS receiver (to pinpoint your exact location) and the pizza would be paid for via your phone bill.
PC editor Rory, a well-known lover of Internet video, wanted a YouTube phone that lets you watch YouTube videos on the go. It would feature HSDPA (3.5G) and Wi-Fi connectivity so that you could watch videos wherever you were, but it would also let you download them to the phone's memory so you could watch them when you lost coverage. Of course, a 5-megapixel camera would let you make your own movies and upload them instantly to your director account.
Games editor Nick said he wanted an Xbox phone that lets you download games from Xbox Live over HSDPA and Wi-Fi. It would feature easy-to-use controls, a large colour screen and speakers. Other features would include the ability to see your Gamerscore and play opponents locally and over a network, like the Nintendo DS.
Our shopping-mad sub-editor Kate suggested a Visa phone that lets you pay for everything using RFID or some other kind of short-range connectivity. All your details would be protected using a biometric scanner that let only you use it, and you could pay for things by simply pointing the Visa phone at the desired object.
As for me, no stranger to a pint, I want a Stella Artois phone. It would come with a built-in breathalyser that stopped you making calls or sending texts to (non-emergency) numbers if you were really drunk, which would mean no more embarrassing explanations the next day. The Stella phone would also automatically alert the police when post-pub violence was imminent.
So it's conclusive -- people want much more than just a phone, they want services integrated into a phone that fit their lifestyles. Either that, or they just want more entertaining phone rumours. Let us know which companies you want making phones in the Comments section below. -Andrew Lim