Siemens' innovative range of prototypes and new product designs provide an insight into the future of mobile communications at CeBIT.
Miniaturisation is a common theme, with the incorporation of a loudspeaker into a Siemens S45's display - opening up endless possibilities for mobile phone designers, who currently have to design around the loudspeaker. Another highlight is the feather-light quad-band 'Pendant phone', which allows the user to take photos and instantly send them to a friend via GPRS. All of the innovations on display are concepts under consideration for further development.
Worn round the neck, the highly stylised GPRS quad-band (for 850/900/1800/1900MHz-Networks) 'Pendant Phone' allows users to move around freely because either the headset or the hands-free mode can be used. An integrated camera and MP3 player are the main features of this phone which also provides speech control for easy use. Photos can directly be sent via GPRS or via the invisible infrared interface. The pendant phone weighs under 60 grams and the quality of the photos is 352x280 pixel.
As one of the biggest components of a mobile phone, the loudspeaker currently limits the potential for miniaturisation and drastic new design. However, Siemens has teamed up with NXT (a British loudspeaker company) to develop the 'Display Speaker Phone', which integrates a loudspeaker into the phone's glass display.
This integration will open up endless possibilities for designers who will have more scope for new creative ideas. The sound quality of the glass display is incredible, especially its bass performance and maximum volume afforded by the large area of the display lens. As the speaker will be completely sealed, the new phone will be waterproof.
Business users may soon be able to carry the smallest projector in the world within their mobile phone, via the 'Mobile Beamer'. Intended for integration to business-oriented mobile phones, users will be able to project A4-size presentations directly from files (such as Microsoft PowerPoint) saved onto their handset's flash/MMC card. All power supply will come from the handset's battery, which will prove ideal for impromptu meetings with small groups of people.
'Web Mate' is a concept PDA-sized Web browser for full HTML viewing and easy landscape format Web surfing. The small device has a high-resolution display and is very easy to navigate.
The 'Pen Phone' developed together with OTM Technologies (an Israeli high-tech start-up), using an optical sensor to allow text input via handwriting recognition on any surface. In the future, it is anticipated that this could be particularly useful for graphical input, eg sketching a map for a friend.
For busy people who like to try out the latest applications, 'Jukebots' is sure to prove a hit, as it uses GPRS and Java technology to teach applications to learn your preferences - such as your musical taste. Ultimately this could mean your mobile phone could compile a music compilation for you in advance of a long journey.
Personalise your phone with pictures, sound and data via a wireless connection (by GPRS and Java) to any computer, via 'Wireless Data Access'. Using the Siemens M50 as a prototype, customers can download from a remote computer different data such as screensavers, ringer tones or e-mails. Even huge data-files can be downloaded such as PowerPoint presentations.
Peter Zapf, President of Mobile Phones within the Information and Communication Mobile Group, said: "These prototypes demonstrate our commitment to the future of mobile communication and will provide visitors and customers with an insight into what's to come soon. We are also sure that those creative ideas will bring a lot of fun to our stand at CeBIT."
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