Top mobile phone priorities for 2005: battery life, caller ID, ringtones, color screens

NPD Group reports that consumers likely to buy a cell phone in the next 12 months will be looking for features such as longer battery life, caller ID, changeable ringtone, color screen, voice-activated dialing, a built-in still camera, short text messaging, and email. The analysts say some 28% of likely buyers also want Internet access or web browsing capabilities, and 18% want a built-in PDA organizer. 74% of Americans now use a cell phone on a daily basis. However, lest manufacturers think handset usage is ubiquitous, 26% of Americans still do not use a handset today, indicating there is still a significant market for first-time buyers, as reported by Tekrati.