Posts Tagged ‘Young’

“Mobile-Crushes” – They end now!

Wednesday, November 26th, 2008

Now I know I’ve said it a couple of times in the past few months, but I’m looking for a new phone. The reason I haven’t yet bought one isn’t because I can’t be bothered to purchase one, or because I can’t afford one; in fact I’m more than happy to now pay a little bit more for a mobile than I previously would. The problem is I haven’t yet found anything… Well until the other day.

My Mum gets Carphone Warehouse letters in the post; and the other day I arrived home from School, seeking out any interesting post for myself, when I came across a little Christmas brochure. I expected to see the usual mix of non-interesting and far-fetched mobiles, which have very limited appeal to someone who is as indecisive as I.

Then I came across the LG Cookie.

I’m not an LG fan by any means, yes their phones are nice, and I have to say although I appreciate the minor attempts at creativity with their naming processes; previous experiences of LG’s have taught me that they’re not my cup of tea. Should I mention I’m not a fan of their interfaces, or just generally how they work and feel?

However, the Cookie did catch my eye! It looks nice, it’ll be a new experience, it’s a touch-screen (another learning curve), and also the ability to use an on screen QWERTY keyboard, and importantly its price.

I don’t know what to do.

Now this could just be a sporadic urge to go and spend money, and get something just because I’ve seen it, and I like the price; but then I think… LG. An interface I know I won’t like, and will struggle to get grips with, and I fear I’ll see all the flaws in my purchase just after I’ve broken that “unbreakable seal” on the box.

It’s hopeless! I do this with every wonderful find I come across, and I deliberate an item and a possible purchase so much that it either becomes outdated and therefore useless, or I decide I don’t like it although secretly still wanting it, or I’ll find something else to admire and want.

I know for one, I can’t be the only person who does this; and I know for one that it’s probably a good safety precaution my mind has implemented to stop such impulse buying – a trait I really try to avoid at all costs.

Now I wonder, why is it I find mobiles such as the Cookie, and previously before it the LG KS360 before that, and there was also a Sony mobile before that too; why is it I loose interest, and forget about it, and then find some other mobile-crush?

Could it just be that no matter how lovely one major aspect or feature of a phone is say, it’s price, a new built in gadget or a sleek, slender design; it really isn’t enough to make a mobile good, or at-least good enough to buy.

What I’m beginning to see is that mobiles tend to be about one major factor, be it its connectivity, a particular design focus, a built in application, the camera, the media, the price, or its “technological achievements”.  I don’t want just one particularly above average feature as reason to invest in a mobile; I want a device that has equally good features which aren’t just surfing above the acceptable quality in phone.

So my next mobile-crush won’t be on a weak whim, a spur-of-the moment encounter, it’ll be something which offers more than one better than alright feature, and something I won’t fall out of love with.

Feel free to e-mail me anything at Samantha@mobileindustryreview.com

Using SMS for the greater good!

Wednesday, October 29th, 2008

I love it when I see mobile phones being put to good use, and I also love it when say for important issues, mobile phones are being utilised to capture a target audience in the best sense and way possible.

I was browsing around my daily choice of news reads, when I came across an article where a simple SMS message is being used to highlighting the need to have HIV tests in Africa. I think it’s brilliant. It’s short, snappy, and highlighting a point, and trying to induce change with it.

So why then, doesn’t this happen here in the UK?

Now, I’ll tell you, I think it was around a week ago now I received a letter in the post informing me of the free Chlamydia tests I can have.  It’s a brilliant service, and I have to praise my local Primary Care Trust for providing it, and for the notice about it.  But do you know what would be better?

Tell me via the methods of communications I use most. And by that I mean E-mail and SMS.

I admit, I always check I have post, and I do write the odd letter (usually a complaint though), but I do use the “snail-mail” system. But, it’s not engaging, it’s not relevant, and it’s certainly not in touch with the speed of information transfer and communication I’m used to.

Whenever I speak to someone my age, it’s never “Oh, I got this is in the post this morning…” it’s “I got an e-mail a minute ago about…” and “Look at the text I just received!”. The old system of postal mail, I love it, it’s quaint and good to use occasionally, but it’s not good for informing me about a free Chlamydia test I can have.

What would have been brilliant would be a nicely worded (although not txt spk msg) with a link to a free WAP site. If that’s too much to ask for then maybe a service where I could text back my door number and post code to receive more information in the post, or maybe even a test pack.

This really isn’t rocket science, and nor is this asking too much. The most common methods of communication for young people (and probably, most people now), is via our phones. Not to mention, the effort required to get a reply is next to nothing, compared to the mini-form I would have to fill out, then the bother of finding an envelope.  And, with what is it, one in fifteen or ten people getting Chlamydia now, wouldn’t it only just make sense to target me, and all my peers using this method?

Obviously, there is an issue as to how, say my local Primary Care Trust would get hold of my mobile number, and then issues with data-storage and privacy – then again, I was slightly shocked at how information I’ve given to my GP has riddled its way into a mail-merging system.  But, if there was a way in which this system could work, then SMS could be used and become part of the greater-good.

But even say if Mobile Networks became obliged to send out such messages to all people aged nineteen or below, then this system would work brilliantly.

Food for though I think, and I would like to see something developed in the near future which maybe utilised the powers of SMS and even MMS more.

Any ideas, questions, thoughts or suggestions please e-mail them to me at Samantha@mobileindustryreview.com


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