Just when I thought technology had finally outdone itself with
online dating, it goes one better with cell phone dating.  Does
it get any easier than this?

Cell phones are not just for calling anymore.  They went from
talking and voice mail, to text messaging, to taking pictures,
to tracking our location via GPS (not always necessarily in that
order), and now to dating.

Cell phone dating is so popular in some countries, like Japan,
that it's overtaken online dating.  Now the phenomenon has
spread to the USA to the tune of six million mobile-daters, and
more coming onboard everyday.  How many might be waiting to
"hear" from you?

A web search will turn up mobile dating services like Webdate
Mobile, Dodgeball, Zogo, Match Mobil, and SMS Flirt.  You still
have to go online to register, post profiles and/or pictures,
etc., but then it's all cell phone.  As with most anything
online you'll want to check several companies to find the one
that's right for you.  It's important to look for a service
that's compatible with your cell phone model, as well as your
carrier.

Webdate's service requires a web-ready camera phone (the best
source for a great camera phone is here).  With Dodgeball you
can make a list of "crushes" while cruising through the photos,
then while out cruising you can "check in" to see if one of your
"crushes" has checked in also.  If they happen to be nearby, you
can text message each other and possibly get together.  Zogo
works something like online dating, but instead of e-mailing a
potential date anonymously, you can speak to them by cell phone
through Zogo's anonymous phone service.

If your current cell phone isn't equipped with all the required
features, you can still date by phone by using SMS.  It's quite
simple in that no profiles or photos are involved.  Text is just
sent to and received from random suitors.

Each mobile dating service works slightly differently, and each
has different requirements and costs.  Most have a combination
of some free features along with a monthly fee.  With all that's
available, and more coming, you're sure to find one that suits
your needs and your budget.

J. Jackson is the webmaster of http://www.nextel-i930-phone.com,
a site that showcases the best deals in cell phones, camera
phones, and cell phone accessories.