Meltin' Technology

There's no doubt that mobile phones are amongst the top gadgets people want. But why do we have this love affair with mobile phones? When you get right down to it, what makes mobile phones so special?

From little acorns, big trees grow - The history of mobile phones

So, where did it all begin? Where did the rich variety of mobile phones we see in the world today actually come from? Well, the idea for a cellular-based system (the keystone of all modern mobile phones) was first proposed in December 1947, as a possible way of setting up wireless communications. It would go undeveloped, though, until the 60's and 70's. On top of that, the very first mobile phones are very definitely stone age compared to the modern breed. Before it all went digital, analogue phones were the standard (ones like the Motorola 'Del-Boy' phone), and they were unreliable, power-intensive, and weighed as much as a small town.

But still, the potential was there, and when mobile phones went digital, they crossed the divide from yuppies' toys into communication devices for everyone. We went from calls, to calls and text messages, to calls, text messages and the internet, to... well, who knows where we'll go in future! One word can sum up the state of mobile phones, though, and this is probably why, more than anything else, they've taken off so massively in the last few years: convergence. In other words, mobile phones do more than just phoning people, pulling in technology as disparate as music players and cameras. They do more, and therefore, you can do more with them, as ably demonstrated by the following three phones...

Nokia N97 - the smart choice

After the triumphant launch of the Nokia 5800, which was only ever meant to be a mid-range phone, Nokia needed a new top-ender to really wow the public. And that top-ender is the hyper-powered Nokia N97. It takes the brand new Symbian Touch interface, and adds in bags more power, as well as a full QWERTY keyboard. Even starting with the looks, it's a truly stunning phone, with sleek surfaces and a minimalist design making the Nokia N97 truly a beautiful sight to behold.

However, the impressive nature of the Nokia N97 doesn't end with the exterior, as it's what's inside that really impresses. Equipped with a 5 megapixel camera, it effortlessly switches from phone to camera, letting you leave your separate camera at home. And then, of course, there's the media player, and with a massive 32Gb of integrated memory, the Nokia N97 lets you leave your mp3 player at home. And, of course, with HSDPA data speeds, and WiFi, the Nokia N97 even morphs into a miniature laptop when you need it to. It's quite simply an astounding phone.

Palm Pre - the ultimate in convergence, with the best interface?

the Palm Pre is new in every sense of the word. With Windows Mobile growing in user-friendliness and raw power, it's down to a brand new operating system to really wow us. Say hello to WebOS, as found in the stunning Palm Pre. This takes phone interfaces to a whole new level, easily surpassing the supposed king of mobile phone interfaces, the iPhone. The Palm Pre does this by simple expedient of being at least as user friendly as the iPhone, but with vastly more power and potential. Everything becomes interconnected and synergised, so that the contacts menu on the Palm Pre links into your maps, which links into the browser, which links into email and so on. Everything is interconnected and intuitive, and on top of that, the Palm Pre has one extra thing that the iPhone can't manage: true multitasking.

Sony Ericsson Idou - the ultimate Symbian phone?

Announced at the Mobile World Congress, the Sony Ericsson Idou takes the same Symbian OS seen in the Nokia N97 (which is a good comparison, as both are keyboard-less), but refines it, adding a bespoke Sony Ericsson interface on top. It's much more optimised for finger control than either of the Nokias, and because of that, the Sony Ericsson Idou takes the crown in terms of usability. In terms of features, it may not have the QWERTY keyboard you get with the Nokia N97, but with a massive screen, and a much slimmer body, that's not an issue. Oh, and of course, it matches its features (except for built-in memory), but the Sony Ericsson Idou has one killer feature that beats the N97 hands down: the camera. The Idou is the first phone announced for the UK that features an enormous 12 megapixel camera. It may lack the keyboard and built-in memory of the Nokia N97, or the altogether 'new-ness' of the Palm Pre, but all-round, it's the more powerful phone. It's so good that many are predicting it may well be the phone of the year!