There’s a lot of talk about the next generation Apple iPhone, and how it will improve user experience for travellers. Due to launch in July, with G3 and WiFi connectivity, it will speed up internet surfing, plus built-in GPS will help you find your way around your holiday destination.

The iPhone allows me to connect with friends, share photos and helps me find tourist information but you won’t find me booking a hotel or flight. I’ve briefly mentioned before, what improvements I think mobile technology needs, to be really useful for travellers, but I thought I’d go into a little more detail.

Security

Whenever I am paying for an holiday online I always look out for the padlock icon on the browser which tells me that the page is secure. Whilst browsing the net on my mobile I have never seen anything which identifies that I am in a secure environment. I don’t feel confident entering credit card details on my mobile

Mobile phone viruses are also on the increase, and with no apparent virus checking software pre-installed, it worries me how easy it would be for someone to retrieve data, or connect to my mobile phone through a Bluetooth connection.

Navigation and usage

Whilst my Nokia N95 has a screen size of 2.6 inches, the Apple iPhone is slightly larger at 3.5 inches, but you will still have to do a fair amount of scrolling which can be lead to a frustrating experience surfing the internet. It’s a shame that not many travel sites have a mobile friendly version, like travel rants.

The iPhone keyboard isn’t exactly easy to use with one hand, so expect to take longer to write emails to family and friends back home. I have found that the blackberry or N95 keyboards weren’t exactly user friendly neither.

Safety

I wouldn’t want to be wandering around the streets surfing the net, or even making a phone call on an in demand phone like the Apple iPhone. It’s asking for trouble to be honest. It’s advisable to use the iPhone in your hotel room, but then that defeats the whole purpose of using a mobile phone.

Remember that if you are taking gadgets like the iPhone on holiday, make sure that your travel insurance covers you should you have it stolen or loose it. It probably a good idea to take out additional insurance for your mobile phone, so that you are not out of pocket.

Cost

The cost of the new generation iPhone will only cost £100, and the Nokia N95, is free providing you sign up to a 18 month phone contract. I don’t know if you’ve ever used a mobile phone abroad, but in Europe, phone companies charge a fortune for phone calls and internet access.

It’s going to be cheaper to use a web café than a mobile phone and remember that if someone calls you whilst abroad you pay as well. A money saving idea would be to find free WiFi hotspots, a lot of coffee shops and McDonalds provide free access.

What I love about mobile phone technology

Earlier in the year I took a trip to Edinburgh and I had no idea how to get from the train station to my destination, so I switched on the GPS, entered the postcode, and the phone directed me to the doorstep, and informed me of tourist attractions on route – very neat. I also love the iPhone travel apps that are incredibly useful for travellers, and allow you to translate foreign languages or convert your currency.

I’m interested to learn what frustrates you about travel with mobile technology.

• Travel industry should be leading the way in mobile technology
• Maybe there is a future for Mobile and Travel
• Skype your way around the World
• Hotels expensive and bad connection WiFi internet access
• Mobile calls on flights cause Air Rage