Cell phones to do more, cost less in 2010, research firm says

By Kristi E. Swartz

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

As 2009 starts to wind down, the local telecom research group inCode Telecom has released a list of wireless trends for 2010. There’s going to be little to distinguish one high-end cell phone from another, which means many of them are going to come down in price, researchers at the Alpharetta-based company said. The AJC talked wth Jorge Fuenzalida, the firm’s vice president and general manager, about what he thinks will happen next year.

1. Mini laptops, known as “netbooks,” will be the gadget du jour, replacing carrying around something like a BlackBerry as well as a laptop, inCode said. The price – just under $300 – places netbooks in the “impulse buy” zone, making them an easier sell during a down economy, Fuenzalida said.

“If they were a little bit more, then folks would maybe do all of the research on buying one,” he said.

2. All of the cell phones are starting to look alike and do the same things. This means the so-called “smart” phones – ones that have Internet, music and video-playing and email capabilities – are going to be cheaper, and there will be new phones that are bigger, better and faster, Fuenzalida said.

“It’s like buying a car – most offer the same stuff, but the higher-end ones do things better,” Fuenzalida said.

3. If you want more services, you’re going to have to pay for them, Fuenzalida said. Think of the way airlines do things: they aren’t going to raise basic ticket prices, but they are going to make travelers pay to check their bags, eat and drink and watch movies. Techies who want to do things like watch movies on their cell phones are going to have to pay more – because that’s going to require the companies to provide more and better service, Fuenzalida said.