Smartphones are no longer just a means of communicating. They wake us up, get us from A to B and even help us find love. We’ve almost forgotten their original purpose. Text trumps voicecalls and apps trump SMS – it’s a good time to ask – what’s the future of the mobile phone?

The iPhone is India’s most sought-after status symbol. Gadgets are where it’s at, and as consumers get more confident buying and selling them online, they’re taking ownership of Facebook to tailor the digital marketplace to their needs.

While mobile money is having an impact all around the world, it has failed to take off in India, where fewer mobile transfers take place than in Pakistan. But with developing countries embracing mobile payments, particularly in Africa, why hasn't the same happened in India?

Anand Chandrasekaran, Chief Product Officer at Bharti Airtel, spent a month with rural communities in India to find out how they were using technology. His findings provide valuable insight into how mobile is changing life not just in India’s major cities, but beyond them too.