Innovation has a funny way of making totally integrate devices, or simply isolation a single feature and making it a primary function to create a totally different device. One example of the latter is the so-called Bluetooth dialer. Technically, while this isn't a phone, a Bluetooth dialer helps a user to dial up or receive a call without whipping out a bulky tablet or phablet from his/her bag.

You think maybe this is a ho-hum product? Technically speaking, there's nothing new here, right? But when MediaTek's president talked about Bluetooth dialers during a one-on-one interview with EE Times at this month's International CES, I confess that I was intrigued. So, I blurted out my question: "You mean feature phones are back?"

Bluetooth dialers don't come with a modem. With just this device, you can't actually dial anybody. And yet, combined with a phablet or tablet, the Bluetooth dialer assumes all the elements (look and feel, convenience) of a feature phone.

From what I gather, some innovative Chinese OEMs are beginning to add more features to Bluetooth dialers. I'm sure they don't see the irony: a stripped-down Bluetooth dialer is suffering from feature creep, getting smarter and getting fatter.

But think about it. Bluetooth dialers aren't much different from many of the smart watches that are emerging. The only difference is whether you wear it on your wrist or keep it in your shirt pocket.

Otherwise, such basic functions as answering a call, dialing numbers and displaying e-mail notifications are already there both in smart watches and Bluetooth dialers. It's not hard to imagine smart-watch SoCs soon being embedded inside a Bluetooth dialer, or vice versa.

MediaTek's "all-in-one" SoC dubbed Aster, introduced at the CES, could in fact become the driver for both next-generation Bluetooth dialers and smart watches.

Housed in a 5.4 x 6mm package, Aster is integrated with ARM7 ESJ, Bluetooth 4.0/Bluetooth Low Energy, power management unit and memory (4MB of flash and 4MB of SRAM). MediaTek is pitching it as the "smallest SoC" with "highest integration" for wearables.

A prototype demonstrated by MediaTek came in the shape of a smart watch. But the chip can be an engine for any wearable device or for Bluetooth dialers.

Because Aster provides also a comprehensive Application Framework, MediaTek Run-time Environment, which allows users to install and upgrade apps, it's a snap to run apps on wearable devices, according to MediaTek. One MediaTek representative, demonstrating its smart watch prototype, noted that the smart watch can also remotely trigger a smartphone (or phablet) to take pictures.

But one thing is clear. While we are still debating over here in the United States the usability issue of hand-held phablets, the Chinese market is moving at warp speed to create not only the phablet market but also demand for Bluetooth dialers, which could end up in the resurgence of... well, slimmed down feature phones. Call it back-to-the-futurism.

By: DocMemory
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