Getting the better handset
Apologies for the break in transmission over the past few weeks, sometimes life gets in the way. During my absence I have acquired a new imac G5 and want to express my pleasure at the way the inbuilt bluetooth communicates so nicely with my phone. It makes transferring files and installing software on the phone a breeze.
After plugging the merits of smart phones and a better web experience on 3G for the past two years I am finally getting requests for help from friends wanting to upgrade their phones. A couple of them have purchased the Nokia N and E series and have been over the moon about how easy it is to connect to their home and work wireless network and surf the web. This makes sense given the inflated data charges that still remain in Australia. It also suggests that the phone is useful as a portable and personal web browser that is not just for consumption of content on the go (between work and home) and this is backed up by research that shows a large percentage of mobile content is consumed in the home. This extention of the web experience from the computer to the phone is good as the synchronization of the experience needs to become easier and easier in order for the notion of the “4th screen” to take hold.
I am eager to up-grade my phone from the Nokia 6680 which groans whenever I load a new app onto it, so I went to the 3 store in the city and found there are waiting lists all around town for the Nokia N91. This is a very strong indication that people are so eager to have their mp3 player and phone in one device and should cause alarm to the Apple folks who are so comfortable in their domination of the mp3 player market. It’s particularly surprising given the brick like shape of the N91 phone, it is not the most elegant device around. I also had a friend show me his collection of art works he is selling, flicking through them on this phone. I asked if he had a photo or video ipod and he said yes, but it’s in the glove box of his car, “Why carry two devices”, he said.
Will there be an Apple mobile phone that is feature rich yet maintains the simplicity and style Apple is famous for? Who knows, but one thing is for sure, I will be at the front of the queue to get one if there is. Mind you, having seen the spunky Helio, I’m wondering when this cool gadget might become available in Australia.
Update: Tomi Ahonen talks about this extensively on his Communities Dominate Brands blog.
Also, here is a review of the Nokia Web Browser S60 that is featured on Symbian 9 handsets, according to reports it out performs the Opera Mobile browser, which I use and have blogged about in the past.