When I attend conference sessions with a mobile bent, people inevitably
debate what the killer app or Web service will be for smart phones.
Will it be search? Will it be mashup-laden, location-based services that
fuel commerce?
We speculate, but we don't know. Now that Google's Android mobile operating stack is about to become a player in
the market thanks to the T-Mobile G1, the speculation is growing.
The Android Guys
reported Oct. 14 that Motorola is looking to hire a senior staff interaction
designer to shepherd user interfaces for an "Android social networking smart
phone" Motorola is creating.
For video of the T-Mobile G1 launch, click here.
When I first heard this, I thought it was a ludicrous concept. Remember the
dreadful MVNO (mobile virtual network operator) fad?
Companies such as ESPN would offer mobile phones tailored for their Web
services and content. This failed miserably in the United
States, with many—ESPN included—abandoning
these services.
Then I thought: But this is Motorola, a capable, albeit much maligned phone
maker, designing a device that marries the speedy Web services of Android with
the undeniable stickiness of social networking. Why, that would be the Reese's
Peanut Butter Cup of smart phones!
A smart phone optimized to let users easily navigate Facebook, MySpace, or any
social network and Web service could be a valuable toy, particularly for the
tweens, teens and twenty-somethings who live on those sites.
Facebook and MySpace alone have more than 220 million users, so the footprint
is huge. Moreover, ABI Research recently
found that 46 percent of Facebook and MySpace members access their social
network of choice from a mobile phone.
What do these users do on their social networks from their mobile phones? ABI
found that half of the users check for comments and messages from their
friends, while the other half post status updates.
"We believe this centralization of a consumer's digital lifestyle through
social networks will only increase adoption of mobile social networking in
coming years," wrote ABI Research
analyst Michael Wolf in a research summary.
For pictures of the G1, click here.
Android, meanwhile, is optimized for speedy search and comes with a
WebKit-based browser that is designed to run Web apps more efficiently than
Symbian, Windows Mobile or BlackBerry devices. Imagine the speed of the Chrome
Web browser you've tested, but on a handheld gadget.
Now imagine walking down the street anywhere in your neighborhood and being
able to connect with those friends via comments and status updates with a few
clicks on an Android phone.
Combine Android and social networks with location and presence services, and it
could be a home run. I'm sure young adults and twenty-somethings would buy it
very much the way young adults were the first to snatch up generic MP3 players
and then Apple's iPods.
Then expect Apple to enter the fray and create an iPhone for social networks.
You'd have a marketing war on your hands, but it would create some interesting
choices for consumers.
There is no doubt social networks are the next killer Web service phenomenon
for smart phones.
Enterprise Mobility News & Reviews 
