Top highlights from Mobile World Congress 2009

 

47,000 of us from 189 countries (down over 15% over last year) gathered in Barcelona last week for the 2009 version of the Mobile World Congress, formerly 3GSM. The tone, as many have stated, was muted relative to past years and there was certainly a different kind of buzz this year. Then again maybe it's just me being cynical after so many of these shows.

Looking back at the event I wanted to summarize my perception of the "Top 10" from Barcelona. in no specific order:

1. Nokia Ovi store 
   Yes, Nokia launched a store... no surprise there. Promise of personalization and cross selling makes it a bit more interesting than the other 1/2 dozen app stores launched in the last months
   
   
2. Skype – Nokia deal 
   Skype has been talking about mobile in a big way as of late, and made some noise at CES launching an Android app. The Nokia deal gives them the potential of large distribution but how Nokia and Skype's incentives align, and the role of the operator in all of this is still TBD.
   
   
3. Palm Pre GSM
   Despite expectations, Palm did not announce a GSM version of the device, but leaked videos did show a Pre running on a Vodafone SIM. 
   
   
4. Palm Pre supports HTML 5 (Google Maps demo)
   My personal (very biased) favorite was Vic Gundotra showing off Google Maps running directly off the Palm Pre browser on full AJAX with panning, two-pinch zooming and all of that... without a single line of on-device code. Again: The browser is the platfom.
   
   
5. Android for Vodafone (HTC Magic)
   A lot of expectations about the "G2" were finally realized when Vodafone and HTC announced the HTC Magic, the second device running Android. The key here is the marked difference between the G1 and the Magic as far as design and the ability to innovate quickly on the platform to incorporate new usage profiles (touch-pad keyboard rather than physical one). 
   
   
6. Nokia ad layoffs
   Not announced at MWC but it did hit the news last week and I found it particularly important...as Nokia spoke at MWC about the importance of services, it also sent a clear message that it was regrouping and refocusing on what it does well (shipping millions of phones) and stepping away from an over-crowded mobile display ads space.  
   
   
7. INQ1 wins GSMA handset award
   Impressive that a relatively unknown "ODM" would win the GSMA award for best handset but a testament to the success that a simple consumer value proposition ("skype phone") can have in driving sales and adoption.
   
   
8. Microsoft myphone 
   Badly leaked prior to the show, Ballmer did announce MyPhone and promised the integration of services along with OSs (see below)
   
   
9. Windows Mobile 6.5
   No comments on my former colleagues. 6.5 was announced and will be seen live "in the near future." Unfortunately, still the same old browser.
   
   
10. Sol Trujillo vs Google and Skype
    Sol seems to have something against services and hasn't been Google's biggest ally in the past. His quips and discussion with Josh Silverman from Skype was particularly sharp (and amusing?

Android rules...because of the apps

I have been meaning to write my thoughts on my 2 months with the G1 but today's post in Gizmodo helps to summarize my thoughts.

Android is an amazing platform in its first try (as compared to some of the hiccups with Windows Mobile in its first and second iteration) but it still has some issues (not least of which is the ability to only associate it with one Google account).

I do love the ability to customize my "desktop" and make the experience my own and I do love the openess of the platform.

There are, however, a few things I dislike ...

• Battery life: can't make it through 1/2 day with WiFi, email sync, MyLocation turned on. Miss the battery life of my BB.
• Contacts: I live by my contact database. I have 1700+ contacts. I have finally let go of Outlook and posted all of them to the Google cloud to enable sync with the G1. When I start the Contact application it takes 10 SECONDS for my contacts to load, then I have to open the keyboard, then it takes another 10 seconds, then I can finally search for a contact.
• There are a series of actions (lets say 5) that I do multiple times a day (call wife, sms wife, look up contact, turn off/on wifi, call boss). I don't want to click 3 times to do them.

The beauty of Android and its open platform is that each of my complaints below has been adressed by an independent developer and the application published to the Android Market.

• The battery life issue is still an issue but Locale lets me make rules such as (if not at office turn off wifi) and Power Manager help me take control.

• The contacts issue needs some serious fixing. I still think Windows Mobile is the best platform for a large contact database (Palm a close second) but in the meantime SpellDial allows me to quickly search for a contact without having to flip open the keyboard

• The repetitive action issue is addressed by AnyCut with which I create one click shortcuts for each of my actions and place them on my destop.

This is the power of an open platform.... to foster innovation by making it open source, and thus making the user happy rather than (as closed platforms like RIM and Apple) hoping/praying that their developers will get around to it someday.

Loving Android...because of the Apps!

My life in gadgets 1995-2004

As a way to get the year started right I figured I would do a recap of the last 14 years of my life ... in (memorable)mobile gadgets. Lets start with a some of the ones that come to mind between 1995 and 2004.

1996 Motorola Star Tac (TDMA) (courtesy of Mom)




1997 Palm Pilot (courtesy of 3COM/US Robotics)




1999 Neopoint (with WML 1.1 broswer!!) (before the company went under)



2000 Palm VIIx (with GPRS support... and ASK search preloaded)



2002 Compaq iPAQ with WiFi (Notice "Microsoft Mobile" branding)



2002 the first PocketPC with a mobile radio (called the 2020 by Orange in Europe)





2003 Motorola MPx200 (first Motorola Smartphone)



2004 MPx (never launched... the marketing campaign was going to be "Swings both ways").



2004 TMobile SDA Music the first "consumer-centric" Windows Mobile device (identical to the other HTC Smartphones launched...except for...wait for this... music control buttons! It was the first Smartphone I ever had that made it through a full day on a battery with heavy email use).



(need to go through my gadget box at home tonight to come up with some more...)

iPhone surpasses Windows Mobile

Endgadget reports that iPhone has surpassed Windows Mobile sales.

Back in May, 2007 Ballmer stated "the future of the mobile handset business will primarily depend on software influence rather than hardware."

Android, RIM, Nokia open sourcing Symbian...I am not sure the world of dollars-a-pop mobile OSs supports Ballmers assessment.

Related articles by Zemanta

• iPhone shows 327 percent market share gain in Q3
• iPhone Conquers 16.6 Percent of World Smartphone Market [Apple]

Mobile browser test

If you have heard anything from Google on mobile over the past year, it has probably centered on the importance of the browser (and unlimited data plans) in driving true mobile internet adoption.

Gizmodo just did a great test on the major Smartphone browsers side by side. In summary, the iPhone gets a not-undexpected A- with the Android G1 coming in second with a B+. Nokia rounds out the Webkit browsers with a B-. I was surprised by his B-/C+ for the BB Bold (no way!) but highly supportive of the big fat F for pocket Internet Explorer.

Hands on with the TMobile G1

I finally got to play with the final UI of the TMobile G1 Android device over the last few days and I must admit I was impressed. Understand that my comment carries some Google bias, but more importantly strong skepticism having launched v1 mobile OSs before (ahem Motorola MPx200) and my recent frustration with the iPhone.

Here are some of the things I like the most:

Search: A lot of the features that we have implemented on the web including suggest and history make typing queries A LOT easier (the keyboard also helps. Video of the search features below:





The Android Market: Easy to browse, easy to find cool apps based on feedback, and a large number of FREE apps!

CUT AND PASTE!!! (enough said)