When email capabilities first came about, the immediacy of replies revolutionized correspondence. No need to wait days for an answer, as in the era of traditional mail. So perhaps it is no surprise that the younger generations, accustomed now to the speed of email, want something faster still: the truly instantaneous reply capabilities of IM and text messaging. It is a trend that is changing the field for both mobile providers and Internet portals.

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This increasing connectivity isn't just limited to youth, however, but visible also in the corporate world, where the buzz of Blackberries announces emails, phone calls, text messages, and reminders. Am I wrong to sometimes still want to be unreachable? I long for those little corners of America where the signals haven't yet reached...

But I know I would never give up my phone. Knowing this, the mobile industry is working to convert technology to accessory – even more than it already has. As connectivity becomes ubiquitous, the devices themselves become differentiated by design alone. The success of the Motorola Razr demonstrated the public's collective readiness to embrace a thinner, sexier mobile body, and BlueTooth technology has freed us from both handsets and wires, making mobile conversation as seamless as speaking to a neighbor (and who hasn't thought themselves addressed by a fellow pedestrian on BlueTooth?) But how much further can this go? BusinessWeek.com recently reported on the future of the cell, foretelling high levels of customization, touch sensitivity, and high-fashion exteriors.

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