One could say phones such as the 3G iPhone and the Blackberry Bold are top notch in terms of their technologically advanced features. For the most part, however, these features are not never before seen. There are some innovations in the works that will be deemed ‘next-gen’ or ‘revolutionary’ when released.

Video Chat

The concept of video chatting is not new, however it is a high bandwidth activity that has not yet been made possible. The development of fourth generation wireless technology (4G) should change this in the next couple of years.

Mobile Payments

Have you ever thought of paying for your purchases by swiping your phone as opposed to your card? Cell phone manufacturers say that a cell phone is the number one thing you never leave home without (besides your wallet), so why not combine the two? In Japan and Austria you can make small purchases with your phone by swiping it over a sensor. In the future, big credit card companies like Visa and Mastercard may utilize this function.

Video Projectors

Sick of the tiny screen on your phone? 3M, Texas Instruments, and Redmond have all come up with a solution - install projectors into cell phones. Cell phones equipped with such technology will be able to project their displays on a white wall or desktop. 3M seems to be the furthest along with this technology, planning to install the technology in Samsung phones maybe as soon as late 2008.

Unfolding Screens

If you thought cell phones with projectors were neat, what about a screen that folds around the phones core? Dutch company, Polymer Vision, has developed a cell phone called Readius, which features exactly that - a foldable, 5-inch electronic ink screen (slightly bigger than the screen on the iPhone). It is safe to assume we will seen larger than 5-inch folding screens in the future.

Wireless Charging

This is actually a concept I thought about a few years ago that could be used for laptops. Of course I did nothing with my thoughts and was shocked to see them as an actual design for cell phones. A company named Wildcharge has developed a flat panel that can charge cell phones by resting them on the surface. Cell phones will need an extra adapter in order to connect to the charge plates, which means you will have to buy one for each cell phone you use. Another company named Powercast is actually working on a more advanced concept, which involves using a small amount of energy transmitted in radio waves to charge a phone by placing it near a device, without touching in.

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