I can't find the original reference article (and I'm too mean to pay for a subscription), but The Economist apparently wrote a piece earlier in the year comparing mobiles to cars, according to the Trendwatching Newsletter.

It noted (dryly):

Model and customization define the owner

Anticipation of new models is enormous

To this, I'd add:

It's also replaced the car as the most important element in most teenager's social lives. It used to be that "grounding" a teen was the worst thing you could do. But now threatening to take away their sim card is the nastiest weapon in the parental armory.

On a related issue, cars were pretty essential to your sex life, when I were a lad. Now the phone is. Without your phone you can't flirt, get to know your amour or even arrange to meet up for a bit of nooky - OK, you still have to use the family hatchback for that bit.

Hmm... other similarities....

They both have features no one understands how to use. Mercedes dropped something like 80 electronic features from their models last year, as no one knew they were there or how to use them.

OK, how about manufacturer similarities? Controversial this, but:

Nokia = Volvo
Samsung = Mazda
Motorola = Ford
Siemens = BMW
Sony Ericsson = Mercedes
Alcatel = Lada (the old version)

What do you think? Leave a comment.

Note to self: Having lit touch paper, stand well back.