Need to download last minute material for a career changing presentation? (Says on Singtel 3loGy page) Look for a MacDonald or Library lar~~ at most cost you few bucks for an hour for WiFi lor.. I don't believe 3G phones will be a big hit after weighing the factors below. At best it will be used exclusively by professional who need the mobility it provides. However, do not underestimate the power of the marketing ploys to sell people stuff they don't need, nor underestimate the stupidity of humans to fall for it.


Why 3G Phones will not be successful.


Prohibitive Costs:

• Expensive sets, minimum S$500 with 2 year plan currently
• 3G phones can download 9 Times faster than GPRS but only 30% cheaper means that you rake up costs more than 6 times faster.
• Content costs if you want to watch video on your phone
• Plenty of fine prints including minimum fee per data transaction (whatever it means), S$0.368 per kilobyte but charged at 2 kilobyte blocks (See Singtel 3G Plan).
• More than 10 cents per minute for Video calls and subject to peak hour rates too.
• Infrastructure costs like bluetooth adaptors to be borne by user.
• Monthly subscription fee on top of your voice subscription.
• Lifespan of handsets is usually short (~2 years) and it get phased out quickly (no batteries or spare parts) and depreciate like $f(t)=$(1/t).

• So many WiFi spots in Singapore and it's cheaper on the whole.
• Portable TV at fraction of the price (No subscription fee) for those couch potatoes on the move.
• MP3 players, newspaper, paperback books/comics to entertain people on the move. We even have TV mobile.
• Webcam and netmeeting for video calls. It's free* (*Internet charges and webcam investment cost not included).
• Although 3G phones can provide updates/video/music/(fill in the blanks) but it will never replace the actual thing because the freaking screen cannot be bigger than a couple of inches. How to really watch soccer on it?

• Babe, Jealousy and Pickpocket magnets.
• 99 reasons you don't want your wife/boss to see where you are when you are in Geylang/Skiving.
• 37 reasons why SAF/Cinemas/Schools/Shopping Malls/(Insert the blank) would want to ban your phone in their premises.
• Answering a video call will take your girlfriend 1 hour to dress up.

• I underestimate the social status one can buy with this phone. (Show Off)
• I underestimate the number of geeks who yearn the latest technology regardless of phone.
• 100 reasons why your wife/boss wants to see where you are.
• Babe magnets
• Videos produced for phones are better than what is offered by "Mediacoarse Studios".
• China "Sunny Brand" 3G handphones that costs a fraction of Motorola/Nokia/Samsung/LG/(Insert your favourite brand here).
• MMOG on your 3G phone! (Now that's a winning formula)