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. 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.

Jay 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.

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