Overview

Wireless telephones connect the end user (or communication device) with the pubic telephone or data network. Mobile telephone design and product performance requirements will change dramatically over the next five years as the industry evolves to its third generation (3G) multimedia content and entertainment driven future.

Third generation wireless will present the broadest offering of wireless handset terminal/device diversity, interface methods (input/output) large color displays, various keyboards, including pen-based input, touch screen, and speech recognition technologies. It is expected that various consumer electronic and computing companies will also enter the field. Each of these manufacturers will bring in their ideas to the many shapes that the future of handsets and devices may take. Second generation mobile devices are optimized for voice (cellular phones), organization (personal digital assistants, -or PDAs) and portable computing functionality. These will be fundamentally redesigned to meet the evolving information, communication and entertainment needs of 3G wireless users. The user interface design of 3G terminals will be key to the handling of data and multimedia files in a technology-efficient, cost-effective and user-friendly way. This interface will center on the ability to meet users needs for applications access, be it fun, security, messaging, database access, or plain old connectivity.

Wireless telephones may be mobile radios mounted in motor vehicles, transportable radios (mobile radios configured with batteries for out-of-the-car use), or self-contained portable units. Whether mobiles, transportables, or portables, their functions are almost identical. Because all wireless telephone equipment provides benefits to the subscriber of the service,...