Waiting for 3G

It has been 2 years since I bought my Nokia 6610 and got a GSM based connection. The usage was very limited till the rings got exchanged and the network nearly choked due to the extensive usage of the limited bandwidth. During this period I began to realize that the mobile could be much more than just a simple voice communication device. I seriously contemplated buying some “well-featured” phone until I came across the news about the 3G services which would be launched in India in 2006.

What is 3G all about? In simple terms it is about making available broadband over the mobile. One of the most talked about usage of 3G was video telephony i.e., watch your girl friend laugh in real time, at your not-so-non-sense jokes! ( Well, one of the articles had mentioned that in Japan (where 3G is very popular) the most popular use of 3G is to download music and keep listening to it. Well, what I foresee is that in the days to come you could use your phone as a mp3 player, radio receiver, digital camera, camcorder, email utility, internet browser, organizer, calendar, remote, GPS, weather forecaster, blood sugar monitor, blood pressure monitor, etc.

The definition given for 3G in wikipedia is, “3G (or 3-G) is short for third-generation mobile telephone technology. The services associated with 3G provide the ability to transfer both voice data (a telephone call) and non-voice data (such as downloading information, exchanging email, and instant messaging).”

There are two phones that have captured my attention. One of the Nokia N90 and the other is Samsung Z500. Well, Nokia N90 is truly my favorite and am looking forward to owning one or a better one once 3G is launched in India and then using the various facilities it offers. It might be a better time to throw away my digital camera which anyhow is showing signs of giving up!


A picture of Nokia N90 taken from engadget.com review.