Comments on: Las Vegas: Land of the shitty mobile handset

By: South77

South77 — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 23:12:54 +0000

Ha. People have been saying that for years. A hard life developing for mobile. And ultra competitve now the bandwagon is rolling.

The BlackBerry app store tells the story — a bunch of routine apps we've had for years.

By: Ewan

Ewan — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 20:27:58 +0000

The market is wide open but hugely, hugely limited today… But I agree in 5 years, that'll have changed dramatically. The key issue is for those spending 50k on app development hoping to get an instant hit. It's possible on the iPhone right now — but on any other platform it's a bit of a lonnnnng shot today. Long term it's looking good though.

By: South77

South77 — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 17:12:54 +0000

Ha. People have been saying that for years. A hard life developing for mobile. And ultra competitve now the bandwagon is rolling.

The BlackBerry app store tells the story — a bunch of routine apps we've had for years.

By: Ewan @ MIR

Ewan @ MIR — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 14:27:58 +0000

By: South77

South77 — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 08:50:56 +0000

Yes, if you're selling apps. But if you're selling data plans and handsets the market is wide open. That'll fuel services/apps down the road.

In five years you'll probably go back to Vegas and that same guy with have a knackered old 100-buck iPhone Nano he uses to keep track of his kids on TwitterBook.

And we'll be saying -- like, where's your Nokia implant geezer?

By: Ewan @ MIR

Ewan @ MIR — Wed, 01 Apr 2009 00:33:23 +0000

The site is staying live Giff, just, you won't see daily updates.
You'll see the odd one from me though!

By: Giff Gfroerer, i2SMS

Giff Gfroerer, i2SMS — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 18:33:07 +0000

Ewan,

I'm really going to miss these posts. Only mobile news source that cracks me up daily...

Come on, one last chance to leave MIR open to subscribers of 3+ years?

By: Ewan @ MIR

Ewan @ MIR — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:38:57 +0000

There is undoubtedly an amazing opportunity. In about 4-5 years time. If you're hoping to monetise substantially in the States within the short term, dream on.

By: South77

South77 — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 15:36:54 +0000

Don't you look at this situation and say 'wow, there's amazing growth opportunity in the mobile data market'?

By: Stephen Chukumba

Stephen Chukumba — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:49:13 +0000

As a person who ha always sought out the latest and greatest gadgets, I could never reconcile myself to the fact that so many people opt to own and utilize sub-standard mobile devices. When I travelled to Hong Kong in 2000, and saw the multitude of over-the-top phones, and witnessed the various things people were able to do with their mobile devices, I just knew that America would not be far behind.

Eight years later, and you still can't do 1/100 of the things that the Chinese could do back then. It seems that we are falling behind not only other developed nations, but developing nations as well. The pace of mobile innovation in developing nations is staggering. Despite the absolute lack of capital resources, that characterize many African nations, they are developing mobile applications of singular utility.

Elliott, all I can say is 'welcum ta 'Merica.'

By: KerstiKlami

KerstiKlami — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 12:08:41 +0000

Brilliant piece about the state of the American mobile industry by @ew4n http://tinyurl.com/c4oz4w

[Original tweet, Topsy page]

By: NeilHoskins

NeilHoskins — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 10:11:00 +0000

It's amazing how many people still don't get it.

Most people in the 'States have a computer at home and have had for years, even the ones that live in trailer parks and live on fried chicken. In the developing world, most people's first and only experience of a computer is one that fits in their pocket and is made by Nokia, Samsung, or Motorola. It will be old and not particularly top-of-the-range, but will be used extensively as a clock, calculator, address book, calendar, and maybe to run a few Java apps and move money around with Mpesa or whatever.

You're looking at the tip of an iceberg; if you want to see the 'real' mobile industry, get yourself out to Africa, India, or China.

By: KerstiKlami

KerstiKlami — Tue, 31 Mar 2009 07:08:41 +0000

Brilliant piece about the state of the American mobile industry by @ew4n http://tinyurl.com/c4oz4w

By: Will Park

Will Park — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:53:11 +0000

Good post, I have to agree that the US mobile landscape is in sad shape.

Jeb, you might be right. Even in LA I see far too many dudes sporting their handsets on their hip – to be fair though, they're usually BlackBerrys or Treos.

By: Steve Howard

Steve Howard — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:52:25 +0000

Las Vegas: Land of the shitty mobile handset A fairly predictable comment on mobile in the USA http://tinyurl.com/c4oz4w

[Original tweet, Topsy page]

By: Jessica O'Connell

Jessica O'Connell — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 22:21:19 +0000

Las Vegas is being invaded with the Wireless phone crew... good article http://bit.ly/juF8a

[Original tweet, Topsy page]

By: bogart

bogart — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:50:12 +0000

Great post, and right on target. It's going to be interesting to see what you take away from the US market after CTIA. I can't get my dad to dump his 4 year old Sony Ericsson phone (at least the screen works) for something decent.

I have to disagree w/ @JebBrilliant a bit. Miami is still way behind the other cities he mentions. It's not like the Bay Area, NY, or LA.

Looking forward to everyone's CTIA reports!

By: Oliver Palmer

Oliver Palmer — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:48:43 +0000

Off to CTIA tomorrow, very funny article on US attitude to "mobil" in general, http://bit.ly/juF8a RT @AndrewGrill

[Original tweet, Topsy page]

By: Lucian Tomuta

Lucian Tomuta — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:47:05 +0000

RT @dw2 got a good smile from reading the adventures of @Ew4n with the staggering handsets used in Las Vegas: http://bit.ly/juF8a

[Original tweet, Topsy page]

By: Kevin Neely

Kevin Neely — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:46:34 +0000

RT @jebbrilliant: @Ew4n: Las Vegas: Land of the shitty mobile handset: http://bit.ly/juF8a So spot-on it's not funny; it makes you cry

[Original tweet, Topsy page]

By: Mark Watson

Mark Watson — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:42:26 +0000

RT @MIReview: Las Vegas: Land of the shitty mobile handset: http://bit.ly/juF8a

[Original tweet, Topsy page]

By: Jeb Brilliant

Jeb Brilliant — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:41:18 +0000

RT @Ew4n: Las Vegas: Land of the shitty mobile handset: http://bit.ly/juF8a

[Original tweet, Topsy page]

By: JebBrilliant

JebBrilliant — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:36:53 +0000

How I missed having you in the US to hit it right on the nose. One thing to remember, it's different on the coasts in the big cities. LA, SF, NYC, Miami but outside of those cities I'd say 99 out of every 100 handsets is a flip and 50%-75% of those owned by men in their 30s and beyond wear them on their belt.

Ewan watch your handsets in limos and cabs this trip!!! Hope to catch up with you this week.

By: David Wood

David Wood — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:33:45 +0000

got a good smile from reading the adventures of @Ew4n with the staggering handsets used in Las Vegas: http://bit.ly/juF8a (via @AndrewGrill)

[Original tweet, Topsy page]

By: Alex Kerr

Alex Kerr — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 21:24:08 +0000

Too right, tooooooo right. The problem with America is they don't realise how far behind they are in mobile – in the sense of what the actual handsets in the hands of the populace can do (iPhone is in the hands of practically no one, %-wise). Nokia has a lot to answer for. Their handsets (even S40 ones) are leagues ahead, but they're in few American hands. iPhone REALLY is not the answer, for the exact reasons implied above. As a mass market commercial proposition it's a pile of ess-aich-one-tee. Compare it with the cheap and cheerful Nokia's in people's hands the rest of the world over, that are WAY more capable than any elitist iPhone.

So, this is America, in mobile. Complete crap, or the iPhone (crap except for the stuff it's good at, and SO not a mass market handset). Even worse is America THINKS it's good at mobile due to it's internet leadership, and simultaneously is too blind and has too much ego to be aware of the real state of affairs in the rest of the world. Oh well, bless em. Let's hope things improve soon.