Apple iPhone's Ease of Use Encouraging Mobile Internet Usage
At the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, members of the mobile phone industry met for a three day conference. The iPhone appears to have already had a large effect on the mobile phone industry, with many showing off iPhone clones.
EETimes notes that in one conference entitled "It's the User Experience, Stupid", a blue-ribbon panel of human behavior and technology experts agreed that the iPhone represents a model for mobile operators to follow. They agreed that the existing user interfaces on mobile phones were poor compared to the iPhone and suggested that the iPhone's simply structured internet plans may also serve to encourage mobile internet usage. One ongoing hurdle to mobile internet usage has been the presence of confusing data service plans for consumers, resulting in cautious use, due to consumer fear of accumulating large service charges.
Indeed, it appears that iPhone owners are using the internet many times more than their non-iPhone counterparts. Google revealed that there are 50 times more searches originating from the iPhone than any other mobile handset. The discrepancy was so great that Google initially thought it was a mistake. This finding has also been reported by O2 who found that 60% of U.K. iPhone users are sending or receiving more than 25 MB of data a month.
Mobile internet usage remains a growing and potentially profitable market, but has been largely untapped with existing mobile phones.
Apple was able to make a phone that paid equal attention to the software and the hardware. And the rest of the industry was following suit here.
EETimes notes that in one conference entitled "It's the User Experience, Stupid", a blue-ribbon panel of human behavior and technology experts agreed that the iPhone represents a model for mobile operators to follow. They agreed that the existing user interfaces on mobile phones were poor compared to the iPhone and suggested that the iPhone's simply structured internet plans may also serve to encourage mobile internet usage. One ongoing hurdle to mobile internet usage has been the presence of confusing data service plans for consumers, resulting in cautious use, due to consumer fear of accumulating large service charges.
Indeed, it appears that iPhone owners are using the internet many times more than their non-iPhone counterparts. Google revealed that there are 50 times more searches originating from the iPhone than any other mobile handset. The discrepancy was so great that Google initially thought it was a mistake. This finding has also been reported by O2 who found that 60% of U.K. iPhone users are sending or receiving more than 25 MB of data a month.
Mobile internet usage remains a growing and potentially profitable market, but has been largely untapped with existing mobile phones.
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52 months ago
I am more likely to send an email than an SMS since the former is unlimited and the latter is not. So, yeah, its the unlimited Internet part of the plan, stupid.
52 months ago
It really shows that carriers just need to get out of the way.
"It's the User Experience, Stupid"
http://blogs.computerworld.com/eetimes_iphone_success_its_the_user_experience_stupid
The message that the telecommunications companies must take away from the success of the iPhone is that they should stay out of the user experience as much as possible. At the end of the day, the core competency of the wireless carriers is to deliver data (and voice) communications, efficiently, reliably and hopefully simply.
Everything else is just interference.
"It's the User Experience, Stupid"
http://blogs.computerworld.com/eetimes_iphone_success_its_the_user_experience_stupid
The message that the telecommunications companies must take away from the success of the iPhone is that they should stay out of the user experience as much as possible. At the end of the day, the core competency of the wireless carriers is to deliver data (and voice) communications, efficiently, reliably and hopefully simply.
Everything else is just interference.
52 months ago
I google at least 20 times a day on my iPhone. It is a big help whenever I need more information for class, or even how to spell words correctly. This is no suprise to me!
52 months ago
...The message that the telecommunications companies must take away from the success of the iPhone is that they should stay out of the user experience as much as possible. At the end of the day, the core competency of the wireless carriers is to deliver data (and voice) communications, efficiently, reliably and hopefully simply.
Everything else is just interference.
Exactly. Can you imagine if they telco's managed the content of the internet, not just the portal? Oh wait, they did. Back in the days when the internet sucked. (Apologies for being subjectively judgemental.)
52 months ago
Mobile internet usage remains a growing and potentially profitable market, but has been largely untapped with existing mobile phones.
Potentially profitable???? It's the future!
Apple needs to start offering 3G networking (or something similar) built in to every laptop. Then cut a deal with AT&T to sell internet plans for $14.95 a month through iTunes that you can use with any of your mobile devices.
52 months ago
Google revealed that there are 50 times more searches originating from the iPhone than any other mobile handset.
Can Google distinguish between an iPhone and an iPod Touch?
52 months ago
Oh, Canada.
How I long for the remote Google experience.
When Rogers stops holding back the industry ( being the only GSM provider, although Telus are reportly very interested in starting its own GSM network ) and slash its data rates.
52 months ago
I watch my friends with iPhones use them to access the internet all the time. While I sit there with my blackberry curve sitting in my pocket. The internet is so slow and gimped on that thing that I never use it.
This goes back to something that I've said for a while. For the average user, having an apple product over other products just means you will do more with technology. To a certain extent, apple users are just living a more technologically advanced life than the non-users. iPhone users are just able to do more things than non-iPhone users. The same goes with Mac users. Take video conferencing. It is a given for Mac users now, but for PC users, including in the office, it is a rarity. Imagine everyone had Macs at our desk, we could all video conference at the drop of a hat. But since we have PCs, we are very limited and restricted in what we can do.
So a power user can do the same thing on their phones or computers, but they often don't because even for them it is a pain. Or the power user gets to watch the layperson do the same things with their apple products thereby making said power user not look so powerful.
And to think that we may only be half a year from 3G connections for the iPhone. Think how much the difference is going to be when those users have much more speed at their disposal.
This goes back to something that I've said for a while. For the average user, having an apple product over other products just means you will do more with technology. To a certain extent, apple users are just living a more technologically advanced life than the non-users. iPhone users are just able to do more things than non-iPhone users. The same goes with Mac users. Take video conferencing. It is a given for Mac users now, but for PC users, including in the office, it is a rarity. Imagine everyone had Macs at our desk, we could all video conference at the drop of a hat. But since we have PCs, we are very limited and restricted in what we can do.
So a power user can do the same thing on their phones or computers, but they often don't because even for them it is a pain. Or the power user gets to watch the layperson do the same things with their apple products thereby making said power user not look so powerful.
And to think that we may only be half a year from 3G connections for the iPhone. Think how much the difference is going to be when those users have much more speed at their disposal.
52 months ago
Google revealed that there are 50 times more searches originating from the iPhone than any other mobile handset.
Can Google distinguish between an iPhone and an iPod Touch?
yes. The iPod touch doesn't use the edge network.
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