Motorola and Verizon Keep It Simple

Over the last few years, every working technology writer has, at least once, has expressed mock surprise at the notion that someone would use a cell phone to (gasp) make a phone call. (If there's anyone out there who hasn't, I bow before your astonishing will power.) But the truth is, even with all the cameras and organizers and music players and built-in-blogging, that's kind of what they're for -- and, as Jupiter Research discovered earlier this year, what most Verizon phone owners do. Which is why last week, Verizon introduced Motorola's W315, which does exactly two things: Send and receive calls, and send and receive text messages.

I could almost weep with joy.

Granted, I don't mind a little convergence in my phone -- that's why I'm waiting patiently (but not too patiently, Palm) for the Treo 680 to make its Canadian debut. And my mom certainly didn't mind her camera phone when my son was in his gym class. But generally speaking, most people I know use their phones for voice calls, and that's about it. So why complicate matters? In fact, I'd like to see carriers take this a step further and really push Motorola's Motofone, an even simpler phone than the W315 (its low-power electrophoretic screen is monochrome and has larger characters). The Motofone will theoretically be available worldwide, but Moto's been touting it as a phone for developing areas -- places where people have little or no access to phones. While that's admirable, I can think of a few people domestically who would appreciate its simplicity.