The smaller they get, the bigger the role they play in our lives. By Alisara Chirapongse, illustrations by Nawapan Silawong

It’s not something we think about, just how much the humble cellphone has changed our lives—and the world we live in—and just how much we depend on them. But that powerful little tool in your pocket is so much more than a “phone” limited to voice communication.

Cellphones help us become more productive, they provide entertainment and they are, increasingly, the way we record our lives. They’ve helped cause scandals, bust criminals and even topple governments. Whether it be SMS-organized protests or brutal crackdowns captured on phone videos, mobile phones are now being seen by the high and mighty as part Molotov cocktail, part pamphlet, as they empower crowds from the Ukraine to Myanmar to the Philippines. Once hailed as revolutionary for allowing us to make phone calls anywhere, anytime, cell phones are taking on every communication and entertainment function out there, squeezing out all the dedicated devices that used to be required to fi ll the roles of camera, laptop, media player, etc. With the added benefi t of connectivity, the results are nothing short of revolutionary.

The Hard Cell

According to a survey conducted by the National Statistics Office, 42 percent of Thais were proud owners of mobile phones in 2006. This year, it has doubled to 80 percent. In Bangkok, though, the number of cellphone users is over 100 percent, according to Ariya Banomyong, deputy director marketing support of True Move. Wondering about the math? That means many of us now own two phones—or more. (In Hong Kong the figure is nearly 140 percent.)

How did we get here? Price is a factor. Once a privilege of the wealthy, mobiles now cost now as little as B1,000, and SIM cards with numbers are often handed out free as a means of promotion.

We can also thank a competitive market, aggressive service providers and a steady stream of innovations—features and functions—from handset manufacturers.

“Competition is fierce,” Ariya says. “At True Move, we use a tactic called convergence, where we combine our phone service with others such as music-on-demand and internet.”

Isriya Paireepairit, one of the bloggers behind Thailand’s popular tech blog, Blognone.com, confirms: to sell a phone these days, it has to at least be able to play MP3s and take pictures. “The upper end of the market wants new models that come with lots of features like those found on PDAs,” he says. “The main concern when buying a phone isn’t about how good the reception is, but how clear the pictures it takes are or how many MP3s it can store.

It’s not just added functions that can convince existing users to switch phones; pure hype plays a large part. “Mobile phones have become another trend people have to keep up with, along with the latest handbags and jeans,” explains Pichet Mekkaw, content editor of Thailand’s leading mobile portal, Siamphone.com. The site fetches updates from all around the world, making it the go-to guide for Thai mobile users.

“Phone makers are now working with brands like Giorgio Armani and Prada to attract image-conscious users who want looks, not just functionality.”

“Urban cellphone users are not thinking about prices. As you can see on the ads of brands like Nokia and Sony, they focus in on looks,” explains Isriya.

For Anissa Thanarat, a mobile-dependent advertising director, her two mobiles, a BlackBerry and a Motorola Razr, are vital: “I don’t usually follow trends. But when I see people around me getting new phones with cool, interesting functions, I want to have them too.”

The marketing works. In Thailand, according to a survey by Nano Search, 67 percent of cellphone users get a new phone every 6 months. Is their phone stolen, lost or broken? For 72 percent of these repeat customers, the answer is “no.” They just want the latest model; a trend so strong in Asia it puts highly developed nations, like the USA, to shame, where mobile penetration is only 81 percent.

Cell Culture

Behind the marketing, there is some substance to what drives today’s consumers. “Thai users are now using their phone differently than before,” explains Pichet. “Like the recent boom of music phones, we’re now seeing more and more internet and GPS phones.”

Anissa, too, justifies her constant upgrades with professional imperatives. “I work in advertising so when things need to get done quickly, I use my mobile phone. I started using more SMS with my BlackBerry. I’m also using emails more than before through my phone, to set meeting appointments and even assign tasks to my employees.”

Anissa is also an avid blogger, who writes about her personal thoughts and travel journals online through her BlackBerry. “I would love to be independent from my phone but I always get this anxiety that people won’t be able to reach me,” she says.

According to an article by the University of Florida, the need to be constantly reachable and connected through your phone is the onset of mobile phone addiction. Other symptoms could include the need to constantly check your phone for messages or feelings of anxiety when you’re separated from your phone. The Ministry of Culture, as noted in an article by www.bangkok-today.com, is worried, too. It claims people who are addicted to cellphones are prone to develop psychological and social problems. Addicts usually isolate themselves and develop a split with the real world that forbids normal face-to-face relationships. The ministry is worried about everything from bad school results to snapping up girls’ skirts on the BTS.

The ministry better get used to it. Phones are here to stay and our reliance on them will only get stronger. In fact, some are seeing the bright side of things: the city of New York, last year, introduced a campaign for citizens to send in mobile photos of criminals in the act to 911. Our own police also encouraged people to use their cell phones to record wrongdoings, especially for female victims of sexual harassment during the Songkran holiday.

For better or for worse, as phones become increasingly sophisicated, their role can only become more significant.

Call Waiting

The sky is the limit for the future of cellphones. “Third Generation Technology (3G) is definitely what we’re all raving about,” says Isriya of Blognone.com, “It will enable us to have video calls, faster internet connection, and watch live TV.” Currently, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology is trying to push through a policy to get 3G to finally work in Thailand after years of delay (see “Third Gen Frenzy”).

But broadband is not the only surprise cellphones have in store. In Japan, cellphones are being used as digital cash registers. Services from NTT DoCoMo (a Japanese cellular company) allow users to scan bar codes with their phones and use them to purchase goods and even subway tickets. In Thailand, we already have mobile money for virtual payments like online shopping and booking movie tickets. However, many services are looking to link their virtual services with offline ones. True Move is currently developing the technology called RFID, which will be embedded in the SIM cards. You will be able to use it to purchase BTS tickets or pay for anything at the mall by merely tapping your phone onto the scanner.

The future is also the business of phone makers. “Nokia already covers a wide range of innovative phone platforms,” says Nontawan Sindhvananda, the head of product and service planning of Nokia Thailand. “The Nokia N-Series are like mini computers. Soon cellphones will have the potential to replace laptops but, right now, mobile phones still lack proper processor power and technology to take on full-blown computers.” But the gap is getting narrower and narrower (see “Is It a Phone of a Computer?”) and cellphones are just tiny steps away from replacing computers. What can’t be forseen is how having a computer in your pocket will further revolutionize our lives.