cellular

When I read Joe Weinmans prediction for 2011, I felt troubled. I seems to take too much of the cellular companies claims at face value. Om Malik, one the other hand, take a more critical view at the same claims.

While on the whole, a more frugal approach to cellular connected devices operating systems, applications and content delivery is a good idea, the same holds true for the wired connection. I would seem that as the Google and Verizon so called net neutrality initiative failed, the carrier in the US have failed back to capacity limitations argument.

It's a harsh world in the smartphone land. Nam Yong of LG followed in the footsteps of Olli-Pekka Kallasvuo of Nokia. Both lost their positions due to low profits of their companies high end smartphone. Low, that is, when compered those of Apple and Android in general (for Nokia) and Samsung (for LG).

The US tech journalists seems to be happy to bash Nokia with anything from calling them the McDonald's of phones to putting the blame on putting too much emphasis on hardware design, and, of course, believing only a gringo can save the poor Finns. One has to cross the pond to get some more balanced views, even from non Nokia fanboys.

Two excellent articles in All About Symbian:

• Ewan Spence questions whether whether Symbian needs a new user interface
• Steve Litchfield goes against the trend that puts the touch screen as the best phone interface.

To this, let me add my two cents worth.

I like my N900 for what seems like the wrong reasons:

• Resistive screen. Possibly because of the I am a Palm veteran, I find I like having a stylus handy, mainly for sketching, but also allowing for higher density applications or checklists.
• Hardware keyboard. Maybe Fat fingers; maybe a history with Psion and the E61; maybe the need to actually see whats on screen without the virtual keyboard hogging all the space.

Apple and Android developers would benefit from those articles. Nokia should pay more attention to them as well. If I understand it correctly, Nokia would benefit from having both MeeGo and Symbian with distinctive hardware and interface.

This year will be the year in which all consumer electronics will be judged in the shadow of Apple.

• Everyone seems to need an app shop. The shops will be judged by the numbers of applications available, and not by the quality of software provided.
• Any new tablet device will be judged by the Apple tablet. If Apple neglects to bring one out, it will be judged by how Apple would have made it... And, of course, by it's application shop...
• The new iPhone will most defiantly be an iPhone killer. 

All of this will be both good and bad for Apple. It will strengthen it's position as a market leader but will also create end-to-end user experiences (device to service) in which apple might not have a hold, or even a share. This will not be a terrible plow to Apple, as it's availability on more US carriers will, at least in the short run, compensate for that.