January 7, 2003

News Factor: Why the Smartphone Is Not Catching On

My spin: Smartphone's SOUND real nice and fancy but in reality these devices are JUNK - in my opinion.

I was looking at some fancy phone from Motorola (I think, but it could have been from any vendor) - web browser, GPS, email - the works. First of all the screen is SO small - do you think I'd want to type more than 1 second on that phone or could even view anything useful. Maybe I'm missing something, but a phone is best for talking on. Sure use voice mail, even send me a short alert about something - "will be late"; "flight delayed AA201" or something - but more than that...I'd rather use a notebook or PDA.

Though there has been a lot of carefully constructed industry excitement over smartphones -- devices that combine calling capabilities with functions like calendar management and Web browsing -- this new wireless category has not taken off like other mobile-equipment niches. And it is not likely to soar anytime in the near future.

Smartphones seem to be stuck in limbo -- a middle ground that users just have no interest in traversing, according to Deloitte Consulting partner Mark Peacock. For his colleagues, as well as the executives he works with in a consulting capacity, there are no compelling business reasons to convert to smartphones, he told NewsFactor. Nor is there any motivation to do the sometimes-complex data transfer necessary to load numerous contacts and appointments onto their phones.

"The incremental benefit is just not worth the effort," Peacock said.

(full story)

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