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Smartphones in 2009

While the technology continues to evolve, it will take relevant services to deepen smartphone penetration. By Vinita Gupta

Convergence is the buzzword of today, with people seeking devices that bundle mobility, connectivity, entertainment and seamless Internet browsing. Location based services and GPS, with point-to-point navigation on the road are gaining in popularity.

Designed specially for the mobile phone, browsers are also getting much more user friendly, allowing pages to be viewed exactly in the same manner as on a desktop. Mobile browsers of today even include features like auto rotation, zooming and panning of Web pages.

Latest hardware components

Touch sensitive screens in smart phones have come a long way with features like gesture recognition, one handed operation, accelerometers, etc. In addition, gravity sensors, FM radio and GPS enhancements are major additions in the new age smart phones.

Suneet Tuli, CEO, DataWind revealed that there has been a greater adoption of touchscreens, but the resulting elimination of keyboards is considered a significant deficiency. The correct solution is to provide a full keyboard and a touch-pad (similar to that on a laptop) for mouse-navigation.

“Single chipset that contains the cellular processor, applications processor, GPS, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, graphics processor, touchscreen processor are some of the recent developments in smart phone hardware components,” mentioned Rajiv Kumar, CEO, RockeTalk.

GPS, 3G and Linux

Navigation devices can be used effectively for various purposes and can be utilized for a host of operator dependent services ranging from maps, traffic updates, and location-based services to monitoring weather conditions, tracking vehicular traffic, etc. GPS technology is also widely gaining popularity in transportation industry and delivery services for fleet and cargo tracking. India presents a lot of scope for navigation devices and there is an increased demand for GPS-enabled mobile devices.

On the consumer front, it is the desire to instantly perform local searches based on current location and then, in turn, obtain directions and maps to the destination. On the advertiser and brands front, the lure of localized information like coupons, promotions and discounts being sent out based on the user’s current location and the search conducted.

HTC has launched a device in US, the T-Mobile G1 which runs on the Android platform. Ajay Sharma, Country Head, HTC India, said, “Android is different from Linux, but it runs on the Linux kernel. There are certain new enhancements and interface changes made available on Android devices, giving flexibility to developers.”

Sharma further added that HTC is currently using Qualcomm chipsets for its 3G devices. WiMAX being a relatively lesser-known technology is not so popular among masses but will certainly gain ground in the coming times.

According to Tuli, the success of GPS-enabled devices is the quality of maps and related services and their ease of use. The ability to get accurate directions and find nearby businesses are key requirements for basic consumer adoption. Cost of such services is a key deterrent against adoption. Operators and service providers need to propagate, free-usage business models, as offered on the PocketSurfer to help broader consumer acceptance. He added, “Because of cost and flexibility, Linux will become the dominant OS on handheld devices in the next few years.”

Mobile browser and operator

The major trend in the mobile browser market is that of delivering a desktop-like Web experience. As consumers reject WAP and re-formatted Web pages on small handheld screens, operators and manufacturers have realized that the delivery of existing Web-based content without new learning curves is the key to mass-market adoption of the mobile Internet. This is the primary reason for the success of products like high-end smart phones and netbooks.

As operators move to more expensive next-generation networks that require again a new change in device for the consumer, the operators will be forced to be more involved with mobile devices and create subsidies to move users on to such new networks.

Kumar believed that the concept of App Store would get more popular across most handset vendors.  Applications will be easier to discover and download when done via the App Store. Browsers like Opera enable users to get a good user experience for small screen devices.

“Usability is a key trend that will get lots of mindshare from everyone in the mobile ecosystem. Touch-screen popularity has been brought to the forefront by the Apple iPhone.  Several others like the RIM Storm, the Android G1 and the Palm Pre are now available.  Every phone vendor will be bringing out touch-screen capable phones,” said Kumar.

In developed markets, operator handled mobile devices is still the norm since the operator wants to control the user experience and thereby control their own revenue flows. In emerging markets, operator handled mobile devices are the exception since users are already used to purchasing service separate from the purchase of the mobile devices.

Increased adoption

The availability of applications, satisfying user demand for certain key areas like social networking, instant messaging and managing the overall user experience, are the keys to making the adoption successful. 

Users will use devices when they see compelling applications that are useful to them in their day-to-day life.  For example, if they want to share a video clip of where they are at the mall and describe the discount of the day to their friends, and an application delivers that entire experience, they will definitely use it.

Location-based awareness will drive several applications for the mobile user.  In the social networking area, friends want to find out who in their network is available within that general proximity to say, go for a movie together or share a meal.

Tuli stated that the key is to improve the user experience (i.e. performance):

• So that Web pages and other applications are delivered in the same format that users are already accustomed-to.
• Such content is delivered at speeds that the user will accept in a mobile environment.
• Additionally, both the cost of the device and usage needs to be driven down further.

Sharma said, “The Indian consumer has traditionally always been extremely price conscious, when it comes to choosing a product. Price reductions in the smartphone segment will definitely lead to a surge in demand, as it will bring the price within reach for more people. Also, smartphone technology has to keep evolving and continue to incorporate newer features such as better user interface, mobile Internet experience, etc.”

In many places around the world, the virtual world has already become an integral part of the real world. For it to happen in India, the increase in the number of Internet subscribers needs to expand substantially beyond the 12 million current levels—as with the mobile-phone, hundreds of millions of Indians need personal direct Internet access.

vinita.gupta@expressindia.com