| "Individuality: advanced features, precision | | | | phones. More and more, it seems, what we own |
| engineering and couture style in a choice of | | | | defines us. Despite capitalizing on the trend |
| elegant colors -- as individual as you are". | | | | at lightening speed, handset manufacturers |
| This is the blurb for the new Motorola Razr, | | | | aren't the prophets personalization, the |
| one of the new breeds of mobile phone flying | | | | trend towards customized and fashion phones |
| off the shelves. Where mobile were once | | | | is consumer driven. In China, where mobile |
| marketed as an high-tech device, a tool | | | | phone saturation is high, it is possible to |
| packed with ingenious features, the new trend | | | | see phones worn on the wrist in handmade lace |
| is for fashion phones. The major handset | | | | cases, or covered in stickers of pop stars |
| manufacturers are now offering seasonal | | | | and smiley faces. In Japan, the omnipresent |
| collections, joint-venturing with well known | | | | Hello Kitty dangles from every schoolgirl's |
| fashion designers, and emphasizing aesthetic | | | | phone. These small aesthetic additions are |
| features when marketing their products. | | | | intended to reveal something about the |
| Indeed, some companies are scaling back the | | | | phone's owner. A Samsung cell phone |
| technical, yet utilitarian features, offering | | | | emblazoned with an image of Diane von |
| simpler but sleeker phones; form over | | | | Furstenberg serves a similar purpose. As does |
| function. Somewhere along the evolutionary | | | | the Roberto Cavali phone, or the Anna Sui |
| path of the cell phone, the device has | | | | phone. "Cell phones have become a ubiquitous |
| reached the point where it is no longer | | | | accessory-- every woman has a mobile phone by |
| considered a gadget, available only to the | | | | her side. I wanted to create one that makes a |
| privileged few with the money and/or | | | | statement with a signature look", declares |
| technical savoir faire, but an ordinary piece | | | | Ms. Sui on her website. Making a statement is |
| of equipment not unlike a wristwatch. For | | | | expensive, a designer's name on a phone |
| handset manufacturers, there is no benefit in | | | | increases it's value by several hundred |
| trying to "out-tech" the competition. The | | | | dollars. It is no longer a high-tech tool, it |
| technology has reached a stasis, cell phones | | | | is a designer accessory. |
| are reliable, small, WAP enabled, contain | | | | |
| innumerable clocks and alarms, include high | | | | Not surprisingly, engineers like Bill |
| resolution cameras and MP3 players. And | | | | Schweber are wondering who stole their glory. |
| excepting some radical departure from the | | | | "Engineers do design, and by this we mean the |
| silicon chip, the current technology can | | | | hard and slogging work of pulling together |
| expect only slight improvements. For | | | | ICs and software and resolving mechanical, |
| manufacturers the question is how to continue | | | | thermal, power, display, format, protocol, |
| adding value to their product, for consumers | | | | and packaging issues. Then a celebrity comes |
| it is a question of choice. A report produced | | | | along and takes all this hard work, puts on a |
| by ARCchart offers some insight into this new | | | | new case or shell-perhaps studded with |
| trend: "For the consumer faced with a range | | | | crystals or glitter-and takes the bulk of the |
| of seemingly identical devices from a | | | | credit. Once again, engineers do the work and |
| technical perspective, the aesthetics of a | | | | don't get the appreciation." Recently, Nokia |
| device can generate an emotional response to | | | | has undertaken a project with the design firm |
| which they will ascribe a value and for which | | | | of Schulz and Webb, to explore the |
| they will pay a premium". | | | | possibilities of personalized phones. The |
| | | | Schulz and Webb blog describes the project as |
| The rise of the fashion phone is inextricably | | | | "looking at how personalization of Nokia |
| linked with consumer's desire to | | | | phones can change their meaning or impact |
| differentiate themselves from other | | | | culturally. Large-scale manufacture is |
| consumers. The pursuit of individuality seems | | | | inevitably distanced from the very precise |
| to be a priority, at least that is what | | | | social context of use. Once we bring in |
| companies like Motorola believe. The | | | | short-run manufacture, however, the mobile |
| staggering growth in the mobile content | | | | can be more culturally situated." Nokia have |
| industry points to consumer preoccupation | | | | realized, at least, the inevitable paradox of |
| with personalizing their mobiles. The | | | | mobile personalization. At the end of the |
| catch-phrase, "Make it you own", is selling | | | | day, the mobile phone in your hand is a mass |
| ringtones, wallpapers, phone charms and | | | | produced clone. |
| decorative cases, now it's selling fashion | | | | |