The latest revolution in mobile phones has arrived, even if consumers are still grappling with the finer points of the last one.

With the current generation of mobile phones offering considerably more than an address book and the ability to speed dial, users already carry a tiny version of a home computer in the palm of their hand.

Soon it will be able to perform all the functions a lot quicker.

The future of mobile phones was unveiled yesterday, and it was all about speed.

Leaders in phone technology introduced a bullet-speed “4G” service that will allow mobile phone users to download from the internet at least ten times faster than at present.

The Korean giant LG Electronics gave consumers at the 3GSM mobile fair in Barcelona a taste of the future, promising that the technology would provide much faster internet access for users on the move wanting to download music, video and other material.

Analysts said that it could make multiplayer gaming and video-on-demand on mobiles as smooth as if they were used on a fixed PC.

Analysys, a British telecoms consultancy, said that the new technology could “dramatically enhance the capabilities of 3G networks” and provide valuable new services to mobile users.

Mobile phones already use 3G technology that allows users to make video calls and download material from an internet connection, albeit at a much slower pace.

Yesterday’s preview came after a recent announcement from DoCoMo, the Japanese handset giant, of its successful tests of 4G, the next step in mobile phone technology.

The group announced last week that it had tested data transmission at rates as high as five gigabits per second.

At that speed, a two-hour-long feature film that now takes more than two hours to download on the most advanced 3G service would be accessible in only six seconds.

Existing 3G networks would use the 4G technology, known as long-term evolution, to provide the faster downloads.

But questions were raised whether consumers were ready for the revolution that would overtake 3G even before they have come to grips with it.

Research suggests that many mobile phone users are still unaware of 3G, even though it has been on the market since 2000.

Some industry experts were sceptical of the latest advances and said that companies might be throwing good money after bad.

The revolution promised from the introduction of 3G, they pointed out, had failed to materialise, with people still using their handsets mainly for voice calls and text messaging. Calls and text still account for more than 90 per cent of mobile phone companies’ revenues.

The chances of the phones taking off were not helped by early glitches that saw the handsets overheating and batteries rapidly running down. Users have also been deterred by the relatively high price of downloading data to their mobiles, particularly when abroad.

However mobile operators, who spent £22.5 billion acquiring the licences to use 3G technology, are desperate to see a return on their investment.

They believe that faster speeds would help to make the mobile broadband experience more user friendly and finally encourage consumers to tap into lucrative data services.

In addition, analysts say, mobile operators feel threatened by rival wireless broadband technologies such as wi-max, which could see users bypass the mobile networks altogether.

The GSM Association, the industry trade body that represents all the key mobile players, indicated its support for 4G.

While it was “very early days” for such a service, a spokesman said, discussions were needed about a successor to 3G.

4G is not likely to become mainstream for several years.

Top gadgets

Sony Ericsson J120

Features: A no-frills handset for the “feature-fatigued” user who just wants to talk and text. Single-icon menu is easy to navigate. Loudspeaker and stereo headset for radio. Nine hours’ talk time. Size: 17mm thick Cost: about £35

Blackberry 8800 smartphone

Features: Sister to the Pearl, which was released in September to rave reviews. However, this is aimed firmly at the core City audience. Full Qwerty keyboard, built-in GPS, multimedia player, large high-resolution screen and expandable memory. Trackball system for easy scrolling and navigation of applications and internet. Built-in GPS allows the user to tap into location-based services to make finding businesses easy. Size: 14mm thick Cost: about £154

Sony Ericsson W610

Features: The latest device from Sony’s renewed Walkman range. Key features include a TrackID application that lets the user record a short clip of a song and have it identified by name, artist and album. Works almost anywhere in the world. 2 megapixel camera. Capacity to store up to 470 full-length tracks. Size: 14mm Cost: about £100

Motorola MOTOSLVR L9

Features: Top-end phone that includes Motorola’s CrystalTalk technology aimed at making it easier to hold conversations in noisy places. Integrated music player with Bluetooth for wireless listening. FM radio gives information such as song title and radio station name on the screen. Mirror-reflective finish. Size: 11.5 mm Cost: not available