Mobile Handset Makers, Carriers Pushing Social Nets Beyond Smartphones
Social networks are some of the most popular sites on the mobile web, and while its easy to access them with a smartphone, it gets a whole lot harder using a standard feature phone. According to comScore (NSDQ: SCOR) M:Metrics, 15 percent of the 25 million US smartphone users access social-networking Web sites “almost every day,” compared to a much smaller 3.6 percent of feature phone users. But given their popularity, both handset makers and carriers are trying to make it easier for consumers who can
Usage patterns show that people are fanatical about social networking on mobile phones, yes. But this is a broader trend about use of mobile services via the browser and applications. AdMob data shows similar growth in usage around Search, Weather, Maps and more.
As noted here, the most interesting part is that Operators are working to make these services more accessible. The explosion in usage that we have seen has been despite challenges finding and using mobile web services. The device revolution started by the iPhone (really by iSkoot for Skype) has spread and the mobile community now understands that this is a SERVICE and USER EXPERIENCE revolution.
We are finally seeing the preconditions in place for the mobile data usage that we have long expected.
Pre-loaded applications will make the U.S. carriers destined to become "dumber" than all previous expectations of being dumb pipes. A pre-loaded handsets cannot survive as the frenzy increases to download from app stores. An example is the mocoNews.net story on Skyhook Wireless licensing its location software to developers.