by: Michael Hanna

Even as recently as the mid 1990's the majority of people seemed to function just fine without owning a mobile phone. The world continued to turn, people kept up with one another and generally nobody gave a second thought to being contactable 24-7 wherever you happened to be.

How things change. A decade on and on-demand communication is everywhere and living without a mobile phone is literally inconceivable. How did we manage to cope without them? Now everyone has one from kids in primary school to grandparents. Mobile phones have turned into an everyday item akin to a wallet or watch within the space of a decade and furthermore they have become a fashion icon.

As well as the phenomenal growth of mobile phone usage they have rapidly become a cultural article, its' attributes extending beyond the functionality of a communication device but also to the slightly more intangible fashion accessory. Like all fashions, phones change and great emphasis can be placed on having the ‘right' or the latest mobile phone. But in an ever changing and fast moving marketplace it can be difficult to keep up with the latest mobile phone developments.

Camera functionality, Bluetooth and MP3 support have all become embedded features of mobile phone functionality. Keeping up with the Jones' seems to be increasingly important in modern life and the mobile phone market is no different. But with phone contracts renewing only once a year how easy is it for consumers to keep up to date with handset trends to make sure that they have the latest phone?

If you are determined to keep up with the trends the web offers a suitable forum to research and choose your next phone. Reseller sites such as Dial-a-Phone specialise in offering the latest mobile phone handset and a brief browse around such sites allow you to research and select the functions and styles of handset that you want – even if your network provider seems unwilling to provide this. Similarly online forum and review sites offer an insight into the pluses and minuses of the latest mobiles from a user perspective. Comparison shopping is one of the web's strong points and for a market which is rapidly evolving offers the consumer a place to research and keep up to date with the latest phone developments.

With the latest mobile phones seemingly becoming old hat within three months the notion of a mobile phone as a fashion accessory becomes problematic for the individual. While you may be mocked by friends for your out of date handset you can find some comfort in the knowledge that their gleaming new handset will soon be redundant itself, superseded instead by the latest mobile phone with increased functionality and enhanced aesthetics.