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10 HOT TOPICS TO EMERGE FROM THE MOBILE WORLD CONGRESS
1. TABLETS ARE PART OF THE MOBILE WORLD, NOT THE PC WORLD
From Google revealing its next Android OS will run on both tablets and smartphones to the array of vendors who chose the Mobile World Congress to unveil their new tablets, one thing is clear: the mobile industry views tablets as part of its business. And this is why smartphone vendors from Apple to Samsung to Motorola to HTC currently look better positioned to take advantage of the anticipated tablet boom, than PC powerhouses such as Dell.
2. NOKIA-MICROSOFT DEAL WILL TAKE TIME TO DIGEST…
The tie-up between two tech titans may have occurred days before the event, but it still dominated debate and discussion among delegates. Devices are due later than immediate reaction predicted, with the Nokia chairman saying they won’t be out until 2012. As excited as some analysts are by the partnership and the Nokia CEO is about the cost savings, there is clearly some tension within the companies that needs easing.
3….AND GOOGLE DOESN’T LIKE THE DEAL
Google CEO Eric Schmidt was continually vocal at the conference – perhaps he’s keen to get everything off his chest before he vacates his position as CEO on April 4. Pretty much everything he said was interesting, but it was his comments about Nokia having made the wrong decision in partnering with Microsoft that indicate that the alliance may actually have Google moderately worried.
4. FACEBOOK PHONES ARE HERE
Smartphones and social networks were always likely to become more closely integrated and HTC and INQ are leading the trend with new phones featuring deep integration with Facebook.
5. SMARTPHONES HAVE PASSED A SEMINAL MILESTONE
Many people have made similar observations, but when Intel CEO Paul Otellini says on stage that Q4 2010 was "seminal" due to the fact that smartphones overtook PC shipments for the first time, a broader cross section of people sit up and take notice. Smartphones powered by Intel chips will launch later this year.
6. GOOGLE IS NOT ABOUT TO BUY TWITTER
Someone is predicted to buy Twitter pretty much every week – that’s when it’s not being tipped to file for an IPO. But the rumours about Google looking to buy the microblogging network were growing stronger before Twitter CEO took the time out to dismiss the rumours. So that’s cleared that up. Well, for this week anyway.
7. MOBILE PAYMENTS GAIN MORE MOMENTUM
Smartphones featuring near field communications technology (NFC) are seen by many as the catalyst for m-commerce to finally take off this year. RIM CEO Jim Balsillie says that, "many if not most BlackBerry devices will have NFC in them", while Google CEO Eric Schmidt is predicting huge growth in mobile payments thanks to NFC.
8. MOBILE OPERATORS BOARDING THE APP BANDWAGON TOO LATE
To date, mobile operators' app stores have proved disappointing to put it politely. A global wholesale app store from the Wholesale Applications Community (WAC), which features eight of the world’s biggest mobile carriers, is a great idea…if it was conceived and commercially launched two years ago. Unfortunately it’s now playing catch up.
9. GOOGLE MUSIC SERVICE MAY BE ON ITS WAY
Motorola CEO Sanjay Jha’s comments about how the Xoom tablet will compete more closely with the iPad thanks to an Android upgrade that "adds video services and music services" suggests Google’s answer to iTunes may launch in the next couple of months.
10. IPHONE IS STILL THE DEVICE OTHERS ASPIRE TO
Despite adhering to its annual snub and not bothering to attend the MWC, Apple still walked away from the conference with the plaudits. The iPhone 4 won the best device at the show, illustrating that when it comes down to which device execs want in their pocket, the industry isn’t much different to these cartoon characters.
