Don’t call it a comeback
This has been a big week for some of the device manufacturers who have suffered as Apple and the Android first division (Samsung, HTC & Moto) have grown over the past couple of years
Nokia have launched the Lumia – the first fruit of their partnership with Microsoft and initial reaction is that they have made a good job of combining Windows Mobile OS with their hardware skills. There is an in-depth look here.
Coupled with good results last week – largely due to the continued success of Nokia featurephones in some emerging markets – Nokia are now back in the game. But they have a lot to do.
The other people back in the game are Sony; as predicted a couple of weeks back they have bought out their partner Ericisson and will now produce devices under the Sony brand. Can they get their mojo back? – there was a time when Sony was just as influential in design as Apple is now. And with products like the WalkMan, PlayStation and the PSP they have disrupted before. But their past success has been hardware based, whereas the smartphone sector is all about software – though we should remember they do get content much better than any of GAFA.
TV disrupted by tech
One area where Sony should have some advantages is connecting TV with mobile – and one benefit of the deal is that Sony now have access to patents that help here.
In the US, Simon Cowell has now seen the light on Twitter and US viewers can now vote on XFactor using Twitter. With new UK data suggesting that 75% of TV viewers watch whilst multi tasking this sort of partnership is going to become more comment as screens fight the war for attention. And when Ofcom tell us that amongst 12-15 year olds the mobile is now the tech they would most miss – 28% versus 25% for the internet and only 18% saying they would miss TV most. Of course this is due to the programming now being available on mobile and the internet. And once we have apps on the TV imagine how that will change behaviours.
Facebook Mobile
“A Few Years From Now, Most Every Single Person At Facebook Is Going To Be Working On Mobile”
In more interviews the Facebook CTO stresses just how central Mobile is to Facebook. And at the London f8 developers conference this week Facebook Head of Partnerships Christian Hernandez talked of mobile being key for all web companies.
And we’re now seeing Facebook trial the use of Facebook credits as a payment mechanism for websites outside of Facebook. As the only currency permitted within Facebook, they have a strong chance of becoming a major player here
Quick Reads
- Search firm Latitude say that 1 in 7 searches are now mobile – up from 1 in 15 a year ago.
- eBay are the latest to copy the Tesco QR wall in Korea – with an inspiration store in New York
- Cool US start up Twilio – who enable voice and SMS within web services have opened for business in the UK. No SMS over here – yet – but a good API for building voice services.
- We’ve been neglecting the infographics recently (didn’t they used to be called charts?) but this one showing the impact of tablets in the workplace is worth sharing.
- The co-founder and CEO of the brains behind Siri, has left Apple.
- Google to buy Yahoo?
- Ever since they launched the Golf GTI with an iPhone game, it’s been worth watching VW marketing. The site for the new Beetle is a great example of what can be done with HTML5. And their new poster ads use Augmented Reality in a fun way.
- Not optimised for mobile? If it’s Tuesday, You Must Be Closed For Business
- Some good new stuff from McKinsey;
- A look at the future of retail
- Your wireless wallet
- What European consumers want from mobile banking
Finally – our smart friend Glyn Britton from Albion has been channeling Jamie Reid and produced a cool logo for GAFA – which we intend to use lots. All these planners are just frustrated creatives really.
