July 19, 2004
Cell phone trend: Small is no longer beautiful
The New York Times reports that the cellular industry's long pursuit of ever-more minuscule phones has shifted into reverse, giving rise to bulkier wireless handsets with larger color screens and small versions of standard qwerty-style computer keyboards to send e-mail and instant messages - which could particularly appeal to Americans.
"In contrast to Europe and Asia, where text messaging with standard cellphone numeric keypads has long been popular, the use of short message service, or S.M.S., has lagged in the United States. That could change with the introduction of qwerty keyboards on wireless handsets.
Handset makers say they believe that instant messaging in particular will catch on quickly among American users because it affords a degree of privacy that voice cellphones cannot provide in public places."
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