With the end of the year getting closer and closer, SMS Text News wants to know…
What do you think was the one biggest thing in the mobile industry this past year?
and
What are your predictions for the biggest thing to come next year?
9 COMMENTS
Biggest non-event has to be O2’s ‘unlimited’ data offering.
Not the iPhone. It’s nice and all, but it’s not a revolution in mobile communications, in fairness.
The rise of Jaiku/Twitter was big, MAXroam could be big, Grand Central could be big.
Single point of contact should be the big thing next year, if anyone can manage to crack it (and the gPhone ‘package’ may). IM, SMS, voice, data, email, etc, all to one unit with one number and no outrageous charges. A combination of what Grand Central, gmail, Cubic, Jaiku/Twitter, etc, have been doing.
The iPhone. Hands down.
Not because it’s Apple, not because it’s complete (it certainly isn’t) but because it has redefined what the mobile internet experience can be like – i.e. something a completely non-technical person can enjoy immediately. iPhone-style interfaces will make the ‘true’ internet mobile for the masses. No need for transcoding. (as opposed to the ‘mobile’ internet, but I ain’t getting into that debate). Thanks for the kick in the arse Apple, the industry needed it.
A few years from now, when touch-screen graphics-rich motion-sensitive devices are commonplace, we will look back on the current devices (N95 included) the way we now look back on monochrome dot-matrix displays.
Cheers,
Mike
I’d agree with Mike that the knock-on effect on the industry of the iPhone UI will prove to be “the biggest thing” in 2007.
(And I’ve already got “IM, SMS, voice, data, email, etc, all to one unit with one number and no outrageous charges” via 3UK’s X-Series.)
And next year?
The gPhone without a doubt.
I’m terribly reassured to hear the rumour that 3UK are in the running for it, too!
Well it’s hard to argue with Keith on the iPhone (even though I don’t have and don’t want one), but the 3UK USB modem has be in the top three. I know it’s not entirely new as a concept, but they’ve made it mass market. Now the holy grail of decent speed data everywhere is coming true. Yes, Voda has its own and it may be faster, but I don’t think they’re flying off the shelves like the 3 version into the hands of people who wouldn’t have considered it before.
However, I concede the modem arrived a bit late in the year to make a winning impact in this particular competition. But really, apart from these what great developments have there been this year? I feel like there’s been a bit of a hiatus in creativity…
Oh, okay, sorry, Mike – it’s hard to argue with Mike. Keith’s backing the iPhone. Duh.
The iPhone. On this side of the Atlantic anyways. I think the killer mobile app has become the web browser. Phones need real web browsers these days and I think that’s going to be apparent in 2008.
Oh and mobile video is finally starting to become big too.
(YouTube on the iPhone is pretty awesome!)
The Iphone definatly.
next big thing is gphone.
…with HSDPA as a close second to the iPhone. The iPhone is useless without WiFi, the USB modems need HSDPA to be a viable DSL substitution.
The 7.2 iPhone with stereo Bluetooth and cut/paste (WTF isn’t it there already?) will sell like the proverbial.
Biggest non-event has to be O2’s ‘unlimited’ data offering.
Not the iPhone. It’s nice and all, but it’s not a revolution in mobile communications, in fairness.
The rise of Jaiku/Twitter was big, MAXroam could be big, Grand Central could be big.
Single point of contact should be the big thing next year, if anyone can manage to crack it (and the gPhone ‘package’ may). IM, SMS, voice, data, email, etc, all to one unit with one number and no outrageous charges. A combination of what Grand Central, gmail, Cubic, Jaiku/Twitter, etc, have been doing.
The iPhone. Hands down.
Not because it’s Apple, not because it’s complete (it certainly isn’t) but because it has redefined what the mobile internet experience can be like – i.e. something a completely non-technical person can enjoy immediately. iPhone-style interfaces will make the ‘true’ internet mobile for the masses. No need for transcoding. (as opposed to the ‘mobile’ internet, but I ain’t getting into that debate). Thanks for the kick in the arse Apple, the industry needed it.
A few years from now, when touch-screen graphics-rich motion-sensitive devices are commonplace, we will look back on the current devices (N95 included) the way we now look back on monochrome dot-matrix displays.
Cheers,
Mike
I’d agree with Mike that the knock-on effect on the industry of the iPhone UI will prove to be “the biggest thing” in 2007.
(And I’ve already got “IM, SMS, voice, data, email, etc, all to one unit with one number and no outrageous charges” via 3UK’s X-Series.)
And next year?
The gPhone without a doubt.
I’m terribly reassured to hear the rumour that 3UK are in the running for it, too!
Well it’s hard to argue with Keith on the iPhone (even though I don’t have and don’t want one), but the 3UK USB modem has be in the top three. I know it’s not entirely new as a concept, but they’ve made it mass market. Now the holy grail of decent speed data everywhere is coming true. Yes, Voda has its own and it may be faster, but I don’t think they’re flying off the shelves like the 3 version into the hands of people who wouldn’t have considered it before.
However, I concede the modem arrived a bit late in the year to make a winning impact in this particular competition. But really, apart from these what great developments have there been this year? I feel like there’s been a bit of a hiatus in creativity…
Oh, okay, sorry, Mike – it’s hard to argue with Mike. Keith’s backing the iPhone. Duh.
The iPhone. On this side of the Atlantic anyways. I think the killer mobile app has become the web browser. Phones need real web browsers these days and I think that’s going to be apparent in 2008.
Oh and mobile video is finally starting to become big too.
(YouTube on the iPhone is pretty awesome!)
The Iphone definatly.
next big thing is gphone.
…with HSDPA as a close second to the iPhone. The iPhone is useless without WiFi, the USB modems need HSDPA to be a viable DSL substitution.
The 7.2 iPhone with stereo Bluetooth and cut/paste (WTF isn’t it there already?) will sell like the proverbial.
Cheers
Mike