They put in cameras, a qwerty keyboard, GPS and even before we could wonder what's next, there's now a mobile phone that's packing a projector.
Now, it may seem like the latest from Beijing in Indian markets but this 'gimmick' may have just changed the way we perceive the devices.
For starters, a projector phone has now increased the number of people hooked on to one single mobile phone. Earlier, you couldn't have more than three, or four, friends peeking into your phone for the latest
YouTube hit. And with a maximum number of four, there was always pushing and shoving.
But now, all you need is a wall!
And what about the immense business possibilities. The qwerty keyboard was one of the first steps towards bringing phones closer to the banker. And then there were spreadsheet applications, text editors and the kind of software you find inside any one of those computers inside a cubicle. But just imagine a presentation using only a mobile phone. No more waiting for the boardroom to free up, all you need again, is a wall.
So, what's the big deal? For years, manufacturers have been trying to get an alternate display into a mobile phone. They experimented with holograms (pictured on the right), 3D, but almost everything fell short of expectations. Now, however, they seem to have succeeded with a little yellow device that's generating considerable interest in the market.
And because we can't name brands here, all we can tell you is that it's yellow and not by a company you'd expect to find inside most pockets. But how did such important tech land in the hands of a small-time firm?
We can debate for hours with many saying the projector phone is just a gimmick, while others may maintain that it's a milestone for the little gadgets. We, take the latter argument. With a projector, the mobile phone has now become the source of a second physical display.
It's a futuristic prospect that you won't mind paying for because it's an ACTUAL step — instead of just tinkering around that adds further price to the product.