Unless you’re living under a rock, you all know the big launch of the Google Nexus One happened this week. Exciting news as the world of smart phones gets better and better. But what’s even more exciting than simply the launch of its own device from mega-power Google, is the quiet unveiling of their online store.
So what, you say? Well, on first glance, yeah, so what… So Google is selling their phone themselves, unlocked. WELL, the big picture here is that THEY are selling the phone, THEN you pick the carrier you want. To date, the traditional protocol is to sign up with a carrier, then pick what device that carrier sells. They may have what you like, or they may have something that suits you, if not, you need to switch to a new carrier, which is often difficult to do because you’re locked into a long term (approximately 2 year) contract every time you buy a new phone. Well that’s all about to change.
Apple really laid the ground work here, and I don’t think anyone will dispute that. Prior to the iPhone, no one really got overly excited about a device. Every carrier had some form of Blackberry and that seemed to fill anyone who needed a smartphone’s needs. Well when the iPhone hit, overnight millions of people dropped their coverage and flocked to AT&T to get it… because lets be honest, it wasn’t for the AT&T service, that’s for sure. So now the idea that was initially paved by Apple, however still executed in a somewhat traditional fashion (carrier provides device) is not being capitalized on by Google… and rightfully so.
Google has always been a game changer, whether it be search (RIP Webcrawler), Mapping (RIP Mapquest), Email (RIP Hotmail), web browsing (RIP Firefox… to be noted, the jury’s still out on this one, but we’ve got a good guess at the outcome) and now Mobile operating systems and devices (RIP RIM/Blackberry), Google has always been out to reinvent. So who better to take the concept of “Pick your phone, THEN pick your carrier” and run wild with it.
Ultimately, this represents a huge shift in the dynamic of the mobile model in the US, as well as the rest of the world. Its exciting to see such a dramatic shift as it now places greater emphasis on the carriers themselves to provide a better service as opposed to just lure you in with whatever the hottest device is. Should make for an interesting next couple of years as more manufacturers adopt this model and the carriers make moves to accommodate.
Great little video walkthrough from the folks at TechCrunch from CES. Also sounds like Flash 10.1 will be officially available in the next two months and is not currently installed on the devices.
Today, the mobile landscape changed. And it changed in a good way. Today, Google took a bold new step (as they always seem to) by releasing their first mobile device, the Nexus One (manufactured by HTC). So its another Android device, right? Wrong… Its not only the newest Android 2.1 operating system, running on a 1gHz processor (that’s right, its almost as powerful as a small desktop computer), 4gb storage (through Micro SD, expandable to 32gb), 5MP Camera… UNLOCKED. There it is… the first major phone release to come carrier free. You can still get your device through T-Mobile subsidized by a 2 year term contract to lower the price, with Verizon and Vodaphone hot on their heels to release shortly, but their primary focus is on selling the device unlocked, carrier free, thus expanding the reach of the android platform to virtually ANY carrier.
So what does this all mean. Well, here’s how we’re thinking. All things start proprietary. Its a great way for invested parties to make a buck on an exclusive service or product (or combo in the case of cell phones/data networks, like the iPhone and the AT&T 3G network prior to anyone else effectively releasing any 3G smartphones). That’s how it always starts. Lots of people buy in and someone makes a ton of money. But things get stagnant as there’s no real incentive to push the limits because you’ve got your audience locked in. In this story, we’re at that breaking point. The cell phone industry is changing as technology moves forward. The concept of device exclusivity to a network is becoming a thing of the past. People have been unlocking devices for a few years now and Google is the first to genuinely embrace that concept and say “No Carrier Required.” We now have the ability to have the device we want, and pick the service we want. No more being stuck with a sub-par network to get the hottest new device.
So 2010 is off to a big bang with the unleashing of a new mobile standard. If we had to take a guess, we’ll see much more of this happening throughout the year as more and more device manufacturers begin to compete for that top slot.
Since most everyone out there is celebrating with some time off, or at least slowing down a bit and looking back on what a wild year we’ve all been through, thought we’d share a few ‘artsy’ shots from around the office area. Fun little experiment with iPhone photo app “Camera Bag,” capturing a few classic Minnesota Winter moments.
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Apps, apps, apps. Everyone’s talking about them. Everyone wants one. And now, pretty much every platform has some version of what they call an “app.” Facebook has been on the App train almost as long as anyone, and they’ve always done a pretty great job of managing the balancing act between controlling the content in their otherwise very controlled atmosphere and allowing app developers free reign to create experiences with very little red tape. About a year ago, Facebook implemented an App Verification process, similar to the ever so un-popular process developers are run through for iPhone development, but with a caveat, the process was ONLY for developers who wished to gain Facebook ‘approval’ and earn some incentives like additional plugs on the Facebook Apps page and unrestricted app messaging. For those of us uninterested in seeking the approvals of daddy, I mean, Facebook, nothing changed and we went on about our merry way.
SO, just the other day, Facebook announced they would be ENDING their “verified apps” program after little over six months. So, what, right? Well, not really. What they MEAN is they’re ending the special program and rethinking the entire process in an effort to apply app verification to EVERY app moving forward. This stems from a rash of semi-malicios apps that’ve hit the streets of Facebook recently, however, as the old adage goes, a few bad apples shouldn’t ruin the whole bunch. Has Facebook been living under a rock the last year and a half? Have they NOT been aware of the extreme backlash and brand damage that has come from Apple’s approval process? I don’t think anyone will disagree that bad apps are bad for everyone. They make the platform look bad, as most users don’t distinguish the app developer from the app platform, they also can make the entire platform experience quite frustrating if they do perform some semi-malicious functions after you unknowingly allow access to your entire friends list. HOWEVER, no one has ever successfully managed the implement any sort of approval process and had long term positive results. The online community is a bit of the ‘wild west’ and the free market concept has truly proven to foster some staggering innovation across many, many platforms and media types. If the major players start playing gatekeeper to what is an isn’t allowed, then we begin to stifle that innovation. Its the same argument that’s been going on for YEARS, even back to the early days of software publishers and distribution houses. Yes, there needs to be a watchful eye for the bad apples, but don’t bottle neck the rest of the flow as a result. It will never lead to the happy ending we’re after, it will only lead to frustrated developers, confused users and ultimately a decline in your brand image.
Ok, ok. Enough out of me. If you want a little more insight on the Facebook App deal, head over to TechCrunch: http://svns.in/k
Last week came the big unveiling of the newest Android device to hit the market, the Droid from Verizon Wireless. The first ‘iPhone Killer’ that may actually be on par to do so, however, it was born to many mixed reviews and even more mixed media hype.
From a ‘product review’ standpoint, when you compare hardware to hardware, the reviews have Droid as the hands down winner (minus the slide out keyboard). When you compare software to software, you get a slight advantage with Apple on the speed/elegance factor, but you get a slight advantage with the Droid’s Android OS on the ‘open development’ factor as well as the new upgrades in 2.0, most notably, the Google Maps Turn by Turn GPS Navigation system that comes pre-baked into the software. And yes, the # of apps in the two stores is drastically different, and we all know the stories of how Apple developers have made tons of money on app sales, but does that really come into play when you’re talking about a device for a consumer? Not in my book. From a network standpoint… well, do we even need to go there? AT&T has proven to be the biggest stumbling block to the iPhone since day 1. No need to re-state what’s already a known fact. (Verizon has a much better network)
There was also a large ‘hype’ criticism around the device as well, primarily because there weren’t lines of people at 6am waiting to snap up the new device, thus claiming the launch of the device a bust. Lines, there were not, but a bust, it was not either. The audience is different, the Android/Droid brand hasn’t been around much more than a year, there aren’t legions of ‘fanboys for life’ out there quite yet. But, to be fair, from everything I’ve read, it was pretty dead the morning of the unveiling. That isn’t to say most store didn’t sell out of their stock within the first day, as many did.
So what’s this all about? Well, here’s what I think. I think the Droid truly is the first device to give the iPhone a run for its money. The hardware is superior, the operating system is essentially the same, just different, the network is superior in almost any way. So why so much “I’m not switching talk?” I think its a number of things.
1. The Apple brand is strong. They may not always be the leader, but their sense of design and unbreakable loyalists will always keep their numbers high.
2. Android is new and its not tied to any specific device or brand. I love Android, and I love HTC as a device maker, but currently the HTC devices running Android leave a little to be desired. I’ve had a Motorola before and I hated it, thus leaving me with a relatively negative brand impression, regardless that Android is running on it.
3. Switching is hard. If you’re on any platform but Android, moving your contacts, emails, etc is relatively painful and involves a fair amount of manual labor. On the Android, you’re synced to a Google account, so switching is seamless and takes only a few minutes.
4. iPhone was the first big release, being a part of the first big thing is a powerful motivator.. also, many folks are probably still tied to their 2 year contract renewal from their first or second iPhone (because the new device conveniently comes out every year, meaning you need to re-sign a 2 year every 1 year if you want in on the new device)
So even as devices come out that do honestly trump the iPhone in pretty much every category, you won’t see the mass conversion rate we once saw. They’re better, but they’re not breaking new ground in any major way. So until that Android device that allows you to teleport, it’ll be hard to judge their success based on craze/hype, thus always creating a big set of mixed reviews.
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TechCrunch has a great article today, citing new numbers from the team over at Opera. regarding the usage of their mobile browser and how that number consistently skyrockets over the previous months number. They’re currently reporting over 35.6 million people used Opera Mini last month, serving approximately 500 million page views PER DAY. That’s a pretty staggering number. But what we find additionally a little staggering is how stunned people are by these reports.
What are the first two things that come to mind when you think of big changes over the last 10, say even 15 years. I know the first things I think of are 1. the unveiling of the world wide web (yes, yes, yes… I know someone out there is going to go off about how the whole internet thing was invented by Al Gore… I mean, originally conceived way way back when our parents were young, but I’m talking about the days of Yahoo!, Webcrawler, Mosaic, Prodigy, 50 Free AOL hours on CD and even the birth of Netscape) and 2. the real commercialization of the mobile/handheld device (hether that’s the cell phone or the PDA is somewhat irrelevant, as they were both heading to the same place anyway). So it was only a matter of time before those two things crossed paths and really got it right. We’re there right now. Today, almost every device to hit the market is utilizing some sort of real time web browser with actual modern day capabilities, and with the unprecedented growth of devices like the iPhone and the Android operating system, does it really come as a surprise to anyone that people prefer to get online from the comfort of their own palm? Its pretty straight forward. Who wouldn’t want to take something out of the den or the home office and just have it with them as they roam the mall? The entire world has come to our fingertips and that’s a pretty universal phenomenon. People of all generations are on board (yes, even my parents are popping open their little touch screen phones and pulling up Google Maps to find a restaurant on the other side of an unfamiliar town, or uploading photos to Facebook of their kids’ activities… no matter how old their kids are these days).
So why all the surprise and ’shocking reports of increased mobile usage?’ I think it has to do with how FAST it all happened. We all know how fast things move these days, but lets really look at how its changed. 2004 we had roughly the equivalent of text based browsing on tiny screens. By 2005ish we were using IE on Windows mobile to view some slightly enhanced pages. The beginning of 2007 the entire game changed and the real web (not just tiny mobile optimized text versions) were browsable via the iPhone. By the first quarter of 2009 we now had hundreds of different devices from iPhone to Nokia to HTC to Palm to Blackberry, etc etc, running modern browsers and accessing the web over 3G networks on virtually every carrier worldwide. We went from cell phone with text GPRS browsing to highspeed computer in your pocket in around 3 years. That’s some pretty impressing movement.
So yes, look at the numbers, mobile web usage is skyrocketing month after month. But does that really surprise anyone? Not here anyway.
So we all still hear souch about the iPhone these days. The hype of the first big Android releases came and went as three phones (G1, myTouch & Hero) hit the US market over the last 12 months. So where does that leave the device everyone seems quick to call both a ‘flop’ and ‘just another iPhone wannabe’? Well, while everyone has been caught up in the bad PR the iPhone has been getting lately, primarily because of the exclusive carrier they’re locked into, the Android platform has been secretly multiplying like a Gremlin you accidentally dropped in the fointain at the mall. T-Mobile was the first of the new announcements, adding a third device to their line, the Motorola Cliq, expected in time for the holidays. Verizon was right on their heels with their new device they’re trying to play secretive with their DroidDoes.com commercials, making them the third US carrier to the playing field. Up next is every other major carrier and device maker, as AndroPhones.com breaks down the next 10 devices expected by January 2010 and the anticipated 40+ to hit the global market by next holiday season.
That’s some pretty impressive stuff, and we all know Google’s no slouch. They may not be the ‘Hare’ in this tale, but we all know how that turned out. With their open development platform, reskinnable GUI and the ability for any device maker to utilize their OS, it’s going to make for one interesting mobile future, something we here are excited to see play itself out. Afterall, unique competition will only create genious innovation.
