Mobile phones have come a long way since the 1990’s, where few technological advances have been applied to the mobile phone as we know it today. But thanks to technology in recent years, we can now expect the bridge between mobile phones and other electronics to merge- and create new types of powerhouse electronics.

First in line for discussion is the role of photography in mobile phones. Mobile phones are now commonly being used to replace full-fledged cameras with some definitions reaching as high as 7 megapixel, and the limits are only being pushed higher every day. Mobile phones with this functionality will often cost quite a pretty penny, but are great for photography lovers.

There has been much to enjoy from the networking side of things when concerning mobile phones as well. Networking was previously deemed a wire-ridden technology, although it is fast becoming wireless and easier to send and share data in just minutes. While wireless technology still has room to grow, already mobile phone users are using it to connect to the Internet, share data, and connect to friends and family.

Today’s society is absolutely riddled with video games. It isn’t hard to estimate that the mobile phone would succumb to this fact sooner or later. Indeed it has, as some mobile phones such as the Nokia N-Gage have already dedicated most of mobile hardware technologies in making a mobile gaming platform. This obscures the line between game console and mobile phone, but rest assured, the mobile phone won’t be overtaking the home console market anytime soon.

Also beneficial to mobile phone users is the fact that mobile phone networks are becoming faster, more dependable, and maintain larger areas of coverage. Current trends in mobile phones are shifting towards the 3G network, which has taken advantage of high speed networks to deliver content faster and more reliably. The upcoming 4G network is also expected to make quite a stir in the mobile phone community as well.

And of course, lest we forget, the GPS craze that has been sweeping the world is also starting to rewrite the way we think of mobile phones. Already mobile phones can tell emergency responders where a caller is based on the global positioning network they make use of. This technology is also starting to hit consumers in the form of driving directions, estimating time until a destination is reached, and even calculating speed or fuel efficiency. Whatever the case, the GPS industry is quickly becoming standard among consumer electronics of present and future technologies.

In Conclusion

It’s tough to tell where the mobile industry is going, but it’s easy to say where it’s been. The mobile phone industry has made considerable progress over the years, and there is no signs in showing that this progress is slowing down any. Mobile users get the benefit of this upstart in technological advances, although it doesn’t always come cheap. It won’t be long until mobile phones become multi-use consumer electronics, but many would attest that they have already become so with their vast features and options.