Has the phone industry lost the plot?

Read this article, over on the Register, and let the author know what you think. Whilst he makes some valid points, I think he's maybe looking for something that doesn't exist. There is no such thing as the perfect phone. I love the N73, one of the best handsets I've used, but I wish it could have WiFi. Doesn't mean the phone is crap though. The N95 is one of the most featured handsets on the market, but battery life is a bit weak. Doesn't make the phone a poor product. You need to strike a balance between what you want and what you can have. If you are still happy using a Nokia 3210, don't change. If basic simplicity is your thing, but you want something more up to date, try the excellent Nokia 6300.

Manufacturers are always going to try new features on a phone. They survive by people upgrading their handsets, they need to make the product enticing enough to tempt people to throw away a handset that works fine just to get the 'next big thing'.

Adding a camera to a mobile phone was a good innovation. Adding a music player to a mobile phone was also a good innovation. Satnav on a mobile phone is also a good idea.

I'm not sure the mobile industry has 'lost the plot'. Phones like Nokia NSeries, and ESeries, running S60, are still just as usable and reliable as handsets from three or four years ago, despite the extra features.

I like the innovation, long may it continue.