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 fill the roles of camera, laptop, media player, etc. With the added benefit 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.
Is It a Phone or a Computer?
Three of the most advanced handsets (for now).
Sony Ericsson Xperia
● Runs on Windows Mobile 6.1
● Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
● 3.2 megapixel camera with auto focus
● Online video streaming
● Wifi
● Synchronizes with Microsoft Exchange Server
● Mobile Microsoft Office applications
● Internet Explorer browser
● RSS reader
Price: TBA
Soon to be released.
Nokia N810 Internet Tablet
● Runs on Linux-based OS2008
● 2GB internal memory
● Slide-out QWERTY keyboard
● Desk stand
● Wifi
● Mozilla-based browser
● Free VOiP calls with Skype
● Video and audio streaming
● RSS reader
Price: US$479.99
Not available in Thailand.
HTC Shift
● Runs on Windows Vista Business and Windows Mobile 6
● 1GB RAM
● Wifi
● HSDPA
● Full Microsoft Office
● Internet Explorer browser
● Fingerprint recognition
Price: US$1,499
Not available in Thailand.
Unintended Uses for Cellphones
Paperweight
The iPhone has a special ability most users are not aware of. If you abuse it too much, such as by downloading programs or hacking functions of the phone without Steve Jobbs’ approval, your phone will automatically turn into a brick. Unless you manage to find a super-nerdy MBK vendor that will help you un-brick it, our advice it to use it as a chic paperweight or get your rich friends to buy you a new one.
Warding Off Unwanted Individuals
You’re stuck in traffic and the phuang malai boy is approaching. Or you’re walking to the MRT and you see the True Fitness guy lurking at the corner staring at you with paper and pen in hand. What to do? Whip out your phone and start barking into it. Don’t forget to look angry and either bang your head on the wheel (if in a car) or make erratic hand gestures (if walking). Speaking in a foreign language helps too (you can even make one up).
Importance Booster
You’re a big businessman but you still feel like a nobody. You have only 2.5 friends in your 300-capacity address book whom you can lean on. You’re dining alone for the fifth time this week in your neighborhood restaurant. If you’re afraid that the busboys are starting to take pity on you, take out your phone and make random calls to one of your trusty 2.5 friends and pretend to talk business. Or pretend to call someone—just make sure you don’t get a call in the middle of your bogus conversation. There’s this thing called silent mode, you know.
Third Gen Frenzy
As we were going to the press, the Ministry of Information and Communication Technology along with the National Telecommunications Commission finally drew up with a more concrete plan on licensing 3G to network operators. With the big yes from above, AIS is rolling out trial periods starting with Chiang Mai and then on to Bangkok within two months, according to The Bangkok Post. AIS network, which is under TOT’s patronage, will be tested with phones working on 900 MHz and 850 MHz frequencies. As for DTAC and True Move, whose networks are owned by CAT, they will have to wait for NTC to approve their request before they can launch their trials. All networks however are expected to be in service this year.
Yeo Got Game
At a mobile phone text messaging competition held in Singapore in 2004, Kimberly Yeo, 23, broke the World’s Guinness Record with her lightning-fast fingers by typing a 160-character sentence within 43.24 seconds. Contestants were not allowed to use predictive text or QWERTY keyboards, only the simple handset keys where each digit represents 3-4 letters. Since then, another Singaporean geek has clocked in at 41.52 seconds, proving that Singaporeans really need to get laid. The sentence the contestants were asked to type was, “The razor-toothed piranhas of the genera Serrasalmus and Pygocentrus are the most ferocious freshwater fish in the world. In reality they seldom attack a human.” Who makes this stuff up? They could have chosen something from BK.
Go-to Guides
Whether you’re thinking of getting a new phone or you’re just plain crazy about mobiles, here are your best local resources for the latest and greatest in cell phone technology (all in Thai).
Siamphone
www.siamphone.com
With the latest news, mobile pricing, close up shots of the newest models and hands-on reviews, this mega mobile portal is all you need.
Blognone
www.blognone.com
Are you a big fan of Engadget or Gizmodo? Get the same quality of tech reports from the Blognone tech wiz. The site caters to a much geekier crowd with a strong focus on programming but it also gives updates on the latest gadgets in town.
ARIP
www.arip.co.th
This is Thailand’s answer to CNET, an online tech magazine covering everything from games to the latest gadgets.
iGadgety
www.igadgety.com
Who said girls and gadgets don’t go together? If you like pink and know the difference between EDGE and 3G, then this website is for you.
The Peacock Effect
According to a British study by the Center for Economic Learning and Social Evolution, “Mobile Phones [are being used] as Lekking Devices Among Human Males.” A lek is a place where animals gather and mate. There, females and males can assess each other and pick the best mate. Sometimes, that means having brightly colored feathers coming out of your butt (like the peacock) or a 2-baht gold chain (ah siah). But what the study revealed is that, in your average present day Liverpool Pub, it is phones that men use to send signals they believe increase there desirability: I’m connected, I have money, I need to be reachable, I’m busy. What researchers observed to reach this conclusion is that while men were fiddling around with their phones, displaying them, taking them in and out of their pockets or leaving them on the bar, women kept their phones hidden unless they were making a call.
Losing It
Ever left your phone in a taxi? Been caught in the middle of a terrorist attack? Whatever the scenario, do the following to resolve the situation with grace and cool.
Back ‘em Up
You see that CD in the box of your newly bought phone? In it, there are usually content synchronization programs like Nokia’s PC Suite and Window’s Mobile ActiveSync that help you import contacts and other data from your phone to your computer. The program stores this information so that in the off chance you lose your phone it can easily be restored to a new one.
PIN and PUK
Your PIN is a password to access your SIM card. The PUK is the number used just in case you forget the PIN. It is wise to make your phone ask for the PIN number after it has been turned off. When a phone is stolen, the thief usually turns it off, and if you have the PIN working, when it is turned back on, they will need to put in the correct PIN number to activate the SIM card. If the PIN is incorrectly keyed in three times, the SIM card will be locked. Of course, if they remove the SIM card the phone can still be used, that’s why you need to...
Keep the IMEI number
International Mobile Equipment Identity (your phone’s serial number) won’t get you your phone back but it will thwart the thief’s attempts to use it. Here’s how you can get a hold of the number. Type “*#06#” and the 14-digit number will show up. If your phone gets stolen, you can report the number to your network (AIS, DTAC, True, etc.) and the phone will be “locked,” making it impossible to be used or sold.
Store your mom under ICE
Useful when you are stumbling about in a drunk coma or when you’re already dead. The idea behind ICE dates from the bombings in the London’s Underground. People are now encouraged to store “In Case of Emergency” numbers in their phone in the event of, well, emergencies, like a terrorist attack or a tsunami. The number can be that of your spouse or your closest family member, and it should be saved under the name “ICE”. The problem with por tek tung is that nobody has told them about the new trend. Some even think you’re supposed to keep the phone you find on a lifeless body.
