Travel to Japan and before you see the high-tech features you'll spot the high-gloss colours that their cellphone ranges are available in. And yet in the US and Europe you're lucky to find more than a handful of handsets in a hue other than black, grey or silver. Industry analysts MEX suggest that colour customisation may just be the next big thing in the Western cellphone industry.

Compare the image above with the one just below this paragraph; the first is a random sample of Japanese handsets, available in a miriad of colours, while the second are the top-selling models in the UK right now.  Spot the difference?  Unless you're viewing this on a b&w display it should be pretty obvious... so why has Japan been so quick to find the paints, while the rest of us steer towards "safe" tones?

Obviously, there's no easy answer; partly it comes down to the choice we're offered, and partly it's the feedback manufacturers get.  The few "fashion" phones available tend to be garish pink and steadfastly aimed at token women.  MEX see the future to be filled with swatch books, where customers can select from a range of hues to find a handset that better fits with their own tastes.

It's an interesting analysis on personalisation, and well worth a read.

Where is the colour in the monochrome mobile industry? [MEX]