Remember when a cell phone was just a cell phone? When things like internet access, camera quality, and IM capabilities didn’t impact your final decision when buying one (since most of these features were limited or nonexistent at the time anyway)? As long as your phone made clear calls, clocked sufficient talk time, and looked fairly decent–LED screen, pull-out antenna and all–you were straight! And you probably held on to the same model for more than a year. That’s hardly the case these days. With features like text messages, mobile web, and IM (among others) now on the scene, the game, as well as consumer demands, have been changed forever.

This article in today’s New York Times takes a look at the steps that a few cell phone manufacturers are taking to appeal to the tastes of today’s design and environmentally conscious consumers.

Like fashion or entertainment, the cellphone industry is increasingly hit-driven, and new models that do not fly off the shelves within weeks of their debut are considered duds. The most gadget-conscious shoppers buy new phones every nine months, twice as fast as they did a few years ago. And teenagers, one of the fastest-growing markets, are especially quick to dump a brand if it loses popular appeal.

Read on.