mobile things
opinion and news on mobile gadgets and development
Jan
23
Update on iPhone sales model
Posted by grouchal in iPhone
Tomi Ahonen has posted as update to the sales model he predicted for iPhone sales last year:
http://communities-dominate.blogs.com/brands/2008/01/so-how-is-the-i.html
Well done Tomi for following up on the model I was only thinking about it a couple of weeks ago and had checked back to see if there was an update.
It is interesting to see that as he predicted they are struggling outside of the US - also I seem to think his model took the iPod Touch into account - I wonder how that might have affected sales.
He is predicting a solution to the texting problem perhaps with a texting keypad - I wonder if this will be real or virtual - a virtual one would be a neat a solution as they could continue to provide a single platform and provide the keypad to all the existing users also.
I also think that the SDK might mean that sales leap forward (depending on the details) and they still have the 3G model to pull out of the bag at some time this year.
I wonder when the iPod Touch will hit larger volumes than the iPhone - this must be possible as there are no geographical boundaries to the sale of the iPod Touch (as far as I know).
Popularity: 44% [?]
Oct
13
Using the back of a mobile device to navigate
Posted by grouchal in Gadgets, iPhone, research
New Scientist Article on a new technology that really could be interesting :
‘Transparent’ gadget could trump iPhone interface - tech - 11 October 2007 - New Scientist Tech
Although this is a very early stage prototype at the moment there is a nice video of the device too:
I guess this technology is 4-5 years away and they have a lot of things to get through I think that idea of navigation on the back of devices is going to become an active area of research because it means the front of the device can have a large screen.
Popularity: 73% [?]
Jul
17
iPhone text messaging sucks
Posted by grouchal in iPhone
Adding to my belief that there will be an iPhone with sliding keyboard or keypad at some time in the near future is a study by User Centric that found users like a lot of things - but messaging really doesn’t work well.
It looks like there may be hope for Apple by trying to have the keyboard work more often in landscape mode - rather than just portrait - apparently this only works in the browser.
Lets see…..
Popularity: 66% [?]
Jul
12
Nokia getting ready for the iPhone
Posted by grouchal in Business, iPhone, mobile software
The internet tablets form Nokia N770 and N800 have been hard to understand since they came out.
The idea of an internet tablet was an interesting one in the first place - Nokia chose not to make the tablet a phone like device but rather a pure wifi device. I think I am right that Skype now runs on it - and other IP based communciations software - but this device was never intended to be sold by operators.
There are some screens shots over at Engadget that show how Nokia has had to respond to user feedback about having a better way to use the internet and type in addresses. In my mind there is no question that Apple will have to introduce a keyboard into the iPhone - but if you take the two devices side by side is the N800 really the competition that Apple should be worried about.
If Nokia go from the basis that they do not have iTunes access from their device - and therefore tackling music and video is going to be difficult then they will have to move in a couple of directions. A they could create nTunes - but this may well leave them with problems with Operators own systems - perhaps Apple will show a way ahead here - and Nokia can try to become a media company also. They can search for a partner who has a great content system. They can lobby the European Commission about iTunes and anti-trust and look to get access to iTunes at least in the EU. The most worrying idea might be to ignore music and video on the phones.
If you take the fact that the internet access on the iPhone really requires wifi to work in anything like a reasonable way then the N800 is a competitor for easy browsing of the web away from the computer. How can they make more of this? is it by allowing zooming of web pages and other ideas? I think not! I think that if Nokia can get some partnerships with Yahoo / Flickr and Facebook they could create some interesting apps. Integrate a camera that kicks the iPhone- make it autosync with these websites etc. Look to implement google gears or firefox 3.0 offline capabilities - really open things up.
Eventually they will have to add in phone capabilities - but maybe in a smaller version - I think if Nokia play the game correctly they can compete with Apple - not in the music market - leave that to SonyEricsson - but in all of the rest of the functions - but they have got to start looking for partnerships with some popular websites and to try and flex some muscle with the operators - even to spin off a company to do this.
The iPhone will continue to change the world - but by making life easier for manufacturers and operators - not necessarily a great way for Apple to make money -but at their prices they hardly need volumes!
Popularity: 59% [?]
Jul
2
Balanced iPhone review
Posted by grouchal in iPhone, review
The BBC have given what I think is the most balanced review of the iPhone I have found - they do not seem to suffer from the fan-boy or apple-critic syndrome of some other reviewers:
BBC NEWS | Technology | Hands on with the Apple iPhone
Through all the reviews I’ve read the keyboard comes up - which is not surprising - but hardly any criticism of the greasy screen - it normally gets mentioned, but then doesn’t appear on the cons list - which is interesting.
Of all the main criticisms the keyboard looks to be the one that will give them teh biggest problem - and I think they will be unwise to take too long to allow either an external add on or a new model with built in keyboard. The network speed and other things will be solved with new networks etc.
I am just praying that they will allow 3rd party apps soon - there are so many areas where this device could be moved much quicker forwrad by allowing the masses of geeks that no own one to put their own ideas on there.
Popularity: 52% [?]
Jun
26
LG KU580
Posted by grouchal in Business, Gadgets, iPhone
The company who will probably make most money out of the iPhone may well be LG, as they ride on the tails of the iPhone hype with their cheaper and more mature touch phones.
I think they will be quick to match the successful parts of Apple’s iPhone over the next 18 months.
They have just released the LG KU580 and this review makes an interesting read - what will Apple do? My advice is invest in LG not Apple!
Popularity: 82% [?]
Jun
26
IPhone - the business plan
Posted by grouchal in iPhone
I came across a very in-depth analysis of how Apple will need to sell the iPhone over the next 18 months to reach their target of 10M units. I think this really adds to the iPhone criticism (well Apple criticism) that they have been far too ambitious in their sales targets.
Everyday I get this feeling that the iPhone and the Newton story may end up being very similar.
I think that most of the critics have hit the problems on the nose and Apple really face an uphill struggle here - the decision to create such hype and set such high figures may well come to be a big mistake. I think the initial iPhone purchases may not get the experience that they want - especially with the keyboard.
BTW The video from Apple I posted from yesterday really is interesting on second viewing - if you watch you can see how the demonstrator is having to turn his finger on it’s side for some functions - this is exactly where this touch screen is supposed to be different - no stylus needed.
I guess the hype before Friday is nothing compared to next weeks deluge from reviewers - that could be the week that makes or breaks this idea.
Popularity: 62% [?]
Jun
25
iPhone - A Guided Tour
Posted by grouchal in iPhone, off-topic
20 interesting minutes - on the build up to Friday.
I have to say I like what I see - will be interested to see if a clone or the real thing makes it to Europe first!
Apple - iPhone - A Guided Tour
Read a rumour today that google might buy Apple - interesting!
Popularity: 75% [?]
Jun
22
network effects - a story here for the iPhone?
Posted by grouchal in iPhone, off-topic
Found this article today (thanks to the BBC News website) Are network effects getting weaker? on Skrentablog which talks about how various “hip” tools for networking - myspace the key example are becoming less “hip”.
The web is a great leveller for people, allowing small companies to compete with the large companies, allowing independents bands to compete with Stadium bands etc. It also allows consumers to become much more flexible in their approaches and also less loyal. I am no marketer, but this must have a big impact on brand.
Sony is going through a hard time as a brand at the moment but it is likely to come out well, it has a long history and this contributes to a strong brand. Myspace though has no such brand, nor LinkedIn, they are new and well known, but people have no loyalty to them, especially when they are no longer “cool”. This must be something that Bebo and Facebook are thinking about, and must have something ot do with Murdoch’s decision to sell mySpace to Yahoo.
Anyway what has this to do with the iPhone - well I wonder how much we value brand nowadays, a lot of the belief in creating the market they need for the iPhone is that iPod is “cool”, so the iPhone will be too. How much cooler will you be if you have an iPhone? Is the iPod just enough cool without becoming a geek? Although having an iPod has been about fitting in and having the same, most phone owners want to have something unique - will this change?
In broad terms it makes me question if the iPhone does succeed it suggests that mobile preferences are starting to converge and that the currently diverse market will start to shrink based on consumer demand. I guess that is why they are charging for the device upfront, this will make people not upgrade their phone at the end of the 12-18 month contract. I can’t help but feel though that innovation is coming from Nokia, Motorola and the others and it won’t be the dream Apple want to come true. All of the manufacturers need this constant upgrading cycle to continue - there are not many other devices that have an 18 month life.
Popularity: 75% [?]
Jun
20
YouTube on iPhone
Posted by grouchal in Business, Technology, iPhone
Google certainly seem to be very much behind the iPhone with google maps being one of the killer apps that is on there, but the 12th application announced from the never-ending hype is now YouTube. See the press release from apple YouTube Coming to iPhone.
After the rumours of Google starting a UK mobile phone network seemed to dwindle the iPhone looks like their platform of choice. (Surely this can’t just be because they share a board member).
I guess that there won’t be a gmail client for the iPhone, but it would be interesting if Apple became the device company and google the services company. I don’t think this will happen though after seeing Steve Jobs talk at D5 he seems to be placing Apple as a services company too - just with proprietary devices. I think this is just a convenient partnership against Microsoft, and I am sure it will only be in areas where Apple don’t intend to develop, maps and video seem better handled by the market leader.
I wonder if this is a sign of Google planning to do more with the Safari browser, they have been very supportive of Firefox, but now that Safari is on Windows perhaps this will become their platform of choice. I think this is unlikely as Google is so big that left and right hand rarely coordinate on work now - and they are progressing ahead with Gears for off-line work and this is not yet Safari compatible. I think they will want to drive forward on all non-Microsoft browsers, especially as one of those browsers is about to be in 3 million US pockets by the end of the month.
Popularity: 47% [?]