Users enjoy the portability, though safety demands that car drivers pull over to the side of the road to have an extended conversation. And courtesy requires that phones be silenced in restaurants and at cultural and social events. All newer model phones should include this silencing feature. Competition is fierce between service providers in the wireless market, so contracts, service plans, and equipment options are aggressively priced. Shop carefully for similar specials.
Digital service is the new standard, though coverage still is spotty, even in cities.
That's great news for churches that want to stay in contact with teams heading overseas for short-term mission work. In the next couple years, e-mail and Internet functions should expand radically. It also includes calendar software for notes and appointments. While that type of phone is currently very expensive, expect prices to tumble as services increase. Palm Reading Handheld and palm-top devices are functioning more like minicomputers today.