Strategy Analytics latest look at its spec-tracking (hence the name) SpecTRAX database of wireless devices has unearthed a few juicy tidbits of information, none more notable than the fact that phone thickness is at a new all-time low -- 13.96mm on average, the first time the metric has ever fallen below 14mm (for comparison, Motorola's original DynaTAC clocked in around 89mm, so we're making some solid improvement there). USB penetration is at a new high, too, supported by some 85 percent of newly-entered devices in the database, and battery life is up 25 percent from two years ago. Of course, that's still not nearly long enough -- battery tech is falling dangerously behind virtually every other technology that goes into the making of a mobile device, sadly -- but we'll take any improvement we can get.
[Via
MobileTechNews]
posted Oct 10th 2009 5:47PM
I dunno... the StarTAC from quite a few years ago was pretty thin, and the battery lasted quite a long time. It was much better than the RAZR... They might be getting thinner, but they've been thin for a while now.
Yeah, they're thin, but where the hell is my no frills bluetooth wrist phone that looks like a g-shock and costs $100 or less. They coulda been doin that 10 years ago.
I miss my StarTAC. Probably the most rugged, prettiest phone I ever owned. As it were, my service provider can't legally activate my old digital model, because of the fact that it's not compatible with current 911 systems. As a 911 dispatcher, I understand, but it sure would be nice to use it once in a while...
Good post, Zeigler. I'm so used to there be next-to-nothing on the weekends, but this is actually interesting. And I completely agree about the battery life issue, as I'm sure most users do. Ultimately, it's not the end of the world to have to plug in and charge your phone every other day, but wouldn't it be nice to just not have to even think about it for a month or so? Whatever happened to that awesome battery research being carried out at Stanford? They were promising like 10x battery life out of li-ion, I think.
Every night for my 3G. Yesterday only made it half a day, but I was using the 3G quite a bit, if it could go all day using 3G fairly often I'd be happy. My nextels I could do every other day. but they weren't nearly the battery hogs. Plus I never used the browser.
Unfortunately battery life has fallen behind on almost all technology. Cars would be the biggest market IMO
I believe they're working on solar fabric that captures power in your clothes, which you can then plug in to your cell to charge it. Maybe eventually they're have clothes that wirelessly charge your phone?
Battery is extremely important, now that I think about it... It does really push my buttons that my Touch Pro dies 3 times a day, so it pretty much needs to be constantly plugged in, and that's not because I'm using a shot battery either.
Actually, I do think that batteries are getting better, but the newer devices demand more energy: bigger color screens, wireless, bluetooth, gps, multi-tasking, etc. I just wish there was a "kill-all-processes-except-phone" switch to extend the battery life in phones, or maybe have them smart enough to know to shut everything down either by a pre-determined schedule, or by checking the calendar (eg off for meetings, meal times, bed times, etc).
I think we're at a point where nearly everyone would rather have a better battery than getting the phone a little bit thinner.
Since better batteries aren't in our immediate future, I'd gladly carry a thicker phone with a larger battery. Regardless of the flavor of phone, we get all these great features, but then are hobbled with ridiculously short run time before having to plug in. The pendulum needs to swing further towards the function, and a little less towards the form.
i can carry iphone with the same size but with better battery
my iphone 3g battert doesn't last for even 2 days if i used it for normal stuff what about playing games or using apps
People shouldn't discount larger-capacity third party batteries that come with replacement battery doors, and for the iPhone, there are a couple battery-in-the-case products that look pretty good.
You should see my phone, I have a BORDERLINE BASIC flip phone and the battery dies after about 25 hours. I had the phone swapped twice and the battery replaced 4 times lol
the only time i can get though a day without my battery going flat is if i leave it at home, other than that i get about 16 - 20 hours out of a charge, and its 2 weeks old HTC magic :( woeful :(
Fingers crossed for the future to bring us European-catwalk-model thin phones.... I already told my Touch Pro 2 to better start losing some weight or else I will ditch her for a Touch Pro 3/ HD2 / Leo. I just hope I am not putting too much pressure, I saw it puking some data through its USB port last night .... :S
Its not just the thinness, the ringtones have such sexy accents too
As long as it is not the numa numa numa hey one... lol
As long as your not canoodling with any iWhores...
I got an even better ringtone, put this one on and girls will be all over you.
P.S. How Indian men get laid, i'll never know.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-bAN7Ts0xBo
Want batteries?
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/technology/8297934.stm
Thank God for ANALYSTS. We would never have been able to figure out this earthshaking fact.
I know I'm eagerly awaiting the report about when Cellphones will have more features than ever before.
Holy crap, technology is advancing!
Compared to the day-long ratings now touted by netbooks, mobile phones are seriously falling behind when it comes to the rate of battery life improvement. From 2 hrs to over 10 hrs is an impressive jump in the last year or so.
you said penetration
No shit, Shurlock. Did you think they were going to get bigger over time?
in other news, the sky is blue!
In other news, cases of users biting their phones in half has soared 300%...
I'm going to be dead honest. I don't give a crap about how thin these damn phones are. I don't have skin tight pants that need a phone that is a thick as a CD jeweled case. I want a real keyboard, I want a battery that can last at least a day, if not two. I want a powerful device that can multitask that can send data back to waze, while listening to pandora and checking my e-mail. And I want a phone that feels comfortable in the hand. Something these uber thin phones aren't. They are too thin and I've almost dropped a couple as I try and type with my thumb one handed.
I'm perfectly happy with a phone that is as thick as a deck of playing cards. People keep freaking out that OMG its too thick. For what? Does it not fit in your damn picket? You can thank Apple and Steve's fetish for all things thin for this trend. Frankly if I ever met the guy I'd pie the man. http://www.zpub.com/un/bill/pie.html Other then bringing about a renaissance in design, and sparking the MP3 player and music store revolution they are a cancer on the tech industry with their form over function\specs.
If thats your problem then get a nokia 3310 again. It fits all your criteria...
I agree. And the damn shiny finish that every manufacturer insists upon? What the hell? If I wanted to collect my own fingerprints, I'd become a CSI.
Build a cell phone made out of the same textured plastic they used to build the original Game Boy, and I'll buy two.
I dont really care how thin they are either, its nice, but I would rather have more power , bigger battery and faster proc/ram
Breaking news!!! Gadgets get smaller over time!!!
O RLY?
I think we're all aware of that... Slow Saturday I guess.
They're not getting smaller; they're getting thinner. In all other dimensions, phones are pretty much getting larger. Maybe that still translates to a reduction in volume or maybe not, I don't know... but it's really hard to find a small phone that doesn't completely suck. And when you have hugephones like the iPhone leading the market, and praise being heaped on HTC's new even-huger-than-the-iPhone monster, I guess that's no surprise.
What happened to the 40 hour batteries???
http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2008/01/stanford-scient/
I guess this is what "all things considered" meant too.
mmmmm. penetration.
How long until every hipster starts to carry one of the bricks?
@Will
Around 10 years ago.
In other news: Cars use less fuel than 10 years ago.
not necessarily thanks to the increase in horsepower
Wtf is this study based on? Cellphones are thinner than they were before. Woah!! Brain overload! How's that possible?!
I Wish my 3Gs had a standard USB port instead of that proprietary one that it does....Hopefully the next version does
Another pearl of wisdom form a market analyst trying peddle his reports which either state the obvious. Or for a price will provide you with you a report stating that your product has great sales potential, is in demand ,is the next big thing, or what ever lie you need to get more money out of you investors.
USB penetration!... I can bet what other tabs u had open when writing this article ;-)))
When i read the title and was slowly scrolling down, the antenna was the first thing that popped into view and i thought it was a cell phone. Thoughts went through my mind thinking "damn, this cellphone is thing", until i scrolled down even further.
*thin
Phones are thin enough now. Why don't they just thicken the battery?
I know! The batteries in phones are so small now, If they could make a phone that lasted more than 20 days on standby I would want.
Or just make the iPhone as thick as an iPod touch, then make it as thick as an iPhone 3G and full in ALLthe extra space with battery. :P
OOOOOH YEAAAAH, I get 18 hours of wifi with my phone! how about you?
Modern mobile phones are thinner than phones two years ago?
SHOCK.
In other news, computers are faster than they were in 1993.
I was the first kid in school with an 8000. Before the teachers, and long before Zach Morris. I had the extra battery pack for it, making it almost square. lol.