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Where’s the mobile awareness gone?

Wow! Doesn’t time just fly by? I’ve been away for a month – organising myself with school and the various activities I’m involved in, and it feels like forever! Never fear though, because now I’m back. Well, for once a week that is!

Now school’s are a hostile environment (well, at least mine is), and navigating the Sixth Form common room is something like an assault course. But it’s so much more than that too! It’s buzzing with technology, and young people who know things, right?

I’ve been keeping my eye out for mobile news, and reading MIR, and of course the news in general. The Google Android is by no means a small piece of ignorable news at the moment, so how is it then, no one is talking about it?

After the twelve-week summer holiday some people were showing off their new gadgets, namely Sony mobiles, and the odd iTouch; in the three hundred student strong Sixth Form I’ve only seen a single iPhone. That’s just one.

Now before I criticise my peers for being totally unaware about the world of technology, computing and mobile phones; there are some techno-people like myself too; maybe even more technologically experienced. So why then is it that no one is talking?

From what I’ve gathered, no one particularly cares. Of course, I care, the rest of the MIR team cares, and I’ll hazard a guess that you the reader may also care too. The mobile phone industry is of course interesting, fast paced, and constantly evolving. But could this be the problem?

From what I’ve seen is that for those who I know (and you may beg to differ on this), the world of technology is just too fast paced to keep up with; and as a result, they don’t bother to keep up at all. If you ask someone about the new Nokia 5310, you’ll get a blank stare and no hint of excitement at the prospect of free music. Why? Well they don’t know about it!
For me this is quite an interesting piece of news, I won’t buy the phone as it doesn’t actually interest me, or grab me enough to go and spend money on it; but its certainly something of interest, and a product which is really targeting what I do the most – download music.

So back to the Android:
Well, there’s nothing to say. I think the device itself looks good (although for the videos I’ve seen, slightly slower than the iPhone), and if it’s priced correctly it should fly off the shelves. But where is the buzz from the Sixth Formers? The sixteen to eighteen year olds with plenty of disposable income, and a constant desire to keep up with the times just have no desire, or even no knowledge of this remarkable piece of news.

Then I think about this, why don’t my friends know about this? Or even the people who I see everyday, why don’t I hear them talking about the latest mobile phones? I hear them chatting about the new Manhunter game, and Gears of War, and maybe debating what’s best, the Playstation 3 or the Xbox 360? Why, and I’ve said this before, isn’t there more advertising, or promotions for the young people of today?
Obviously there is an issue here. Either my outer-London school and its students are blissfully unaware, or advertising just isn’t doing its job.

For all I know, I could be totally wrong; but in the numerous times I’ve tried to talk about mobiles or something I feel like I’m talking a different language. And, I don’t know about you or anyone else really, but in this day and age, who would expect that? What’s more, how is it, that Nokia with their 5310 which is so obviously designed and aimed at young people, aren’t they targeting us?

So to Nokia, and Google, what’s going to happen? You both have quite possibly big selling devices, but what are you doing about it? The 5310 launches tomorrow and I’m certainly not feeling, nor seeing any of the buzz.

If you have a differing opinion on this, or want my opinion on any particular aspect of the mobile industry please feel free to leave comments or e-mail me at samantha@mobileindustryreview.com

11 COMMENTS

  1. Only ONE iPhone? Interesting. Very interesting indeed. We keep forgetting just how niche (in terms of the youth) the device is. Bring on a £99 iPhone Nano for the masses!

    Good to see you back, Samantha. You've been missed!

  2. This is indicator that for most people, the content rather than the hardware is the key.

    Hardware sales are more influenced by the channel and the deals they're incentivised to make.

    Philosophical thought for the day. The only value in an empty iPod is its potential. (think about this whilst adopting an SJ, zen outlook on life).

    🙂

  3. “The 5310 launches tomorrow and I’m certainly not feeling, nor seeing any of the buzz.”

    Part of the problem is that there are soooo many new phones being launched all the time and most of them are the same but with more … (music in this case), that they pass the normob by. As David said, for most people it's the deal that counts.

    I am surprised that there isn't more talk of phones in a sixth form, but I suppose this is a sign that phones have become a commodity and they will only be talked about when they are groundbreaking.

  4. The lack of iPhone is quite amazing really. It does make me wonder about marketing, and how it's all planned out.

    Aww thanks Ewan!
    Feels good to be back!

    Samantha.

  5. Hi Kip!

    Erm, I don't believe I have. I have a friend who at the moment has an N80, purely because her other phone died or something. I'll look out for the N95's though!

    Samantha.

  6. My point exactly!
    However, even with the Nokia, it is offering something different, and it's really trying to appeal to the young market; it just isn't. It's very odd.

    I agree with you about the commodity thing too.

    Thanks,
    Samantha.

  7. My point exactly!
    However, even with the Nokia, it is offering something different, and it's really trying to appeal to the young market; it just isn't. It's very odd.

    I agree with you about the commodity thing too.

    Thanks,
    Samantha.

  8. The lack of iPhone is quite amazing really. It does make me wonder about marketing, and how it's all planned out.

    Aww thanks Ewan!
    Feels good to be back!

    Samantha.

  9. Hi Kip!

    Erm, I don't believe I have. I have a friend who at the moment has an N80, purely because her other phone died or something. I'll look out for the N95's though!

    Samantha.

  10. My point exactly!
    However, even with the Nokia, it is offering something different, and it's really trying to appeal to the young market; it just isn't. It's very odd.

    I agree with you about the commodity thing too.

    Thanks,
    Samantha.

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