In our last installment on mobile handsets, we looked at the past and how we rapidly went from toaster-sized handsets that required a wheelbarrow to tote around, to the world of 2G, miniature communication devices, and the lightning-fast adoption of SMS and other interactions we now think of as second nature.
In today’s world our handsets have in many cases, become our lifeline – with smart phones providing us with our daily calendar, our social network news, traffic, weather, news, music, video, entertainment, games, directions, flashlights, stop watches, cameras, video cameras, home entertainment controllers, contacts, reminders and communication via voice, text, IM and video chat - thee list goes on as illustrated by the hundreds of thousands of apps out there.
Let’s face it, these devices are in fact computers, with processing power and storage capabilities that rival desktop machines from just a decade ago – all in the palm of your hand. Recent survey data from comScore is in, noting that smartphone penetration increased significantly, now at 35.1% of overall mobile audience with 82.2 million users. The weekly new user rate was about 863k/wk during July or about 586k/wk average over the last three months. This space is on fire.
The rate of technological change is exponential – and nowhere is this more evident to the average consumer than in the world of mobile. But are there costs? What are the tradeoffs? What does the future look like? What does it mean for human culture and communication?
In our next installment, we’ll explore and postulate where it might be going – and what it might mean to you. Til then…there’s a call for you on line one.
Guy Borgford
Vice President Strategy FGI Seattle
FGI Seattle - interactive strategy, web redesign, digital marketing, interactive advertising, startup strategy, website design, Seattle interactive design, mobile optimized websites
