For Mobility, Rubber Will Hit the Road in 2008
It is clear when someone has really hit something. A recent InfoWorld story makes a compelling case that 2008 will be the year smartphones really take off.
Much of the deep remodeling was done in 2007, and the introduction of Apple’s iPhone and plans for the Android mobile platform were compelling news. The reporter notes that this will shake the waters that, to date, have been dominated by Symbian, Linux, Windows Mobile and Research in Motion.
On top of that, it became clear that the other major player on the scene, carriers, will open up their networks and support a wider variety of phones. Users will no longer be limited to devices anointed by service providers. This will transform the world for everyone else, including app developers and end users.
The news is not slowing down even as the year ends. Reports originally published by Nikkei and Kyodo News say that Japanese operator NTT DoCoMo will offer Google’s email and search applications on its phones through its i-Mode Internet network. The reports, repeated on Boston.com, say the integration will be deep enough to allow development of other apps. DoCoMo is also said to be considering using Google’s free operating system on its upcoming phones.
This story in APC Magazine represents the next phase of Android coverage. The first phase, of course, was the announcement of the plan. Now, development prototypes are beginning to circulate. This story has a series of interesting photographs. The piece links to a YouTube video from the Open Handset Alliance. People are obviously intrigued: the clip was posted on November 9 and has had nearly 1.6 million views.
Another important thing to look for next year is a new mobile device from Apple. Seeking Alpha describes what it will look like, but doesn’t say whether it will use a version of the iPhone’s operating system. Regardless, anything Apple does is great news. The author assumes that the new device will be Apple’s version of the Ultra Mobile PC (UMPC) category. The rumored device will be oriented horizontally and held by each side. Other bits of information suggest the device will fall somewhere between the 3.5-inch iPhone and the “highly rumored” Apple 7-inch to 10-inch tablet.
There is an ongoing debate as to whether Apple will push the iPhone into the business sector. If so, or if employees use consumer versions of the device for work, the information at this New York Times link is helpful. Advice on how to find out which countries have carriers that support the phone and how to use the iPhone abroad cheaply. The link describes how to reduce the costs of data downloads, which can be very expensive.
In a sense, it doesn’t make sense to draw lines between iPhones, Androids, tablets, UMPCs, and other devices. The bottom line is that the drive towards mobility will continue, and accelerate, in the bright new year.