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Thursday, December 15, 2011

Look to the future now: mobile industry predictions for 2012

Mark Bridge writes:

As 2011 draws to a close, many of us start looking towards 2012 and wondering what’ll be happening in the mobile phone industry. Here at The Fonecast we’ve invited a handful of industry experts and business leaders to offer us their thoughts about the coming year.

Today’s podcast contains analysis and insight from Hans Eriksson, Steve Litchfield, Dr Windsor Holden, Dr Mark Smith and Jack Wraith MBE. You can listen to the full programme on our website, via iTunes, on our Facebook page and on the Stitcher mobile app.

I started by talking to Hans Ericsson, Executive Chairman of Bambuser, who explained how the Bambuser video streaming service had been adopted this year by human rights activists. As well as predicting that 2012 would see a growth in the use of live-streaming mobile video services - thanks in part to infrastructure improvements - he also anticipated continuing growth in smartphone sales.

Next was technology journalist Steve Litchfield, who thought Android’s market share might drop next year (along with BlackBerry and Symbian figures). He also thinks the iPhone 5 could struggle slightly when it’s launched, although Apple’s overall market share is unlikely to fall.

Dr Windsor Holden, research director for Juniper Research, started by warning that the recession is likely to affect premium-priced tablet sales but could benefit lower-priced tablet devices. Mobile coupons could also be helped by the economic climate, with consumers using their phones to obtain discounts. In addition, he noted that the London 2012 Olympics were expected to boost mobile advertising, m-gambling and mobile NFC payments.

Dr Mark Smith, CEO and founder of ipadio, covered a wide range of topics from network infrastructure to podcasting. He forecasts more global innovation around 2G technology... and anticipates an increase in the popularity of podcasting within businesses. (Hooray!)

Jack Wraith MBE, chief executive of the Telecommunications UK Fraud Forum, said 2012 could well see more action against cross-border telecoms fraud; definitely good news for consumers. He predicted growth in NFC mobile payments (along with its associated security concerns) and an increase in the trend towards free WiFi, which could challenge mobile networks’ revenue.

Many thanks to all our guests for taking the time to talk to us; listen to the full podcast to hear their forecasts in their own words.

There’s no doubt that 2012 will be a challenging year for much of the mobile phone industry... but if there’s one uniting message from our five podcast guests, it’s that 2012 also promises to be an exciting year as well.

Next week Iain, James and I will be offering our own predictions for 2012 (and looking back at the predictions we made 12 months ago). Download the podcast - and all our programmes as soon as they’re broadcast - by subscribing to our RSS podcast feed or listening via iTunes.
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Opinion Articles

Last week at The Fonecast: 11th February 2013

WiFi goes on the attack

Mark Bridge writes:

Mobile networks aren’t what they used to be. As last week’s interview with Vince Russell of The Cloud demonstrated, more and more customers are relying on WiFi to augment their mobile data service.

Truphone is now planning to do exactly the same with voice calls and text messages by linking its mobile network with WiFi for even wider coverage.

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Last week at The Fonecast: 4th February 2013

Goodbye RIM, hello BlackBerry

Mark Bridge writes:

Apple launches a new product and BlackBerry pushes it out of the headlines. Who’d have thought it, eh?

Yes, Apple’s new $799 128GB iPad didn’t get much of a mention in the mobile press last week - thanks to the new BlackBerry 10 platform and two new smartphones. Memories of Stephen Bates’s awkward BBC interviews were soon forgotten as the touchscreen Z10 appeared and quickly hit the shelves of UK retailers.

Author: The Fonecast
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HTC smartphones are too good

HTC smartphones are too good

Causing HTC a serious headache

James Rosewell writes:

During December 2012 in the United States the HTC Evo 4G contributed 20% of web traffic from HTC devices. What is remarkable about this figure is that the HTC Evo 4G was first released in June 2010 and is almost three years old.

The HTC One series of devices were released during 2012 and contributed less than 10% of HTC’s web traffic in the same month.

Are HTC devices released pre-2012 too good at browsing the web?

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Future smart devices will extend our senses

Faiza Elmasry of voanews.com writes:

Imagine shopping for clothes online and being able to run your hand across the screen on your computer or smartphone to feel the fabrics. That kind of simulation technology could be available within the next five years.

Author: The Fonecast
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Discover the secrets of mobile innovation at The Mobile Academy in London

Mark Bridge writes:

Developing a successful mobile product or service isn’t just a question of having a great idea. There are all sorts of challenges, from the technical aspects of application development to the wider issues of branding and funding.

That’s where The Mobile Academy steps in. It’s a London-based mobile masterclass designed to give you a helping hand with innovation, whether you’re an entrepreneur, a business owner, a developer or a designer.

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Recent Podcasts

Reviewing our 2015 mobile industry predictions... and looking forward to 2016

Podcast - 15th January 2016

Iain Graham, James Rosewell and Mark Bridge return to review their mobile industry predictions from last year. Which mergers, partnerships and developments did they forecast correctly... and which didn’t work out as planned?

Later in the programme, the team anticipates some of the topics that will be hitting the headlines during 2016.

Author: The Fonecast
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Podcast from Mobile World Congress 2015

Podcast - 6th March 2015

Mark Bridge learns about the mobile technology trends at Mobile World Congress 2015 by chatting to James Rosewell of 51Degrees, Dr Kevin Curran from the IEEE and Chris Millington of Doro.

They talk about wearable devices, wireless charging, mobile operating systems and much more... including some of their favourite products from the exhibition.

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Looking back at February: from security scares to multiple MVNOs

Podcast - 27th February 2015

We're taking a look back at the biggest mobile industry news stories from February 2015, including allegations that the UK's security service tried to breach SIM card security by hacking into one of the world's biggest SIM producers.

We also talk about the planned BT and EE merger, the creation of two new UK virtual networks, some acquisitions in the mobile payment arena and a new Ubuntu smartphone.

Author: The Fonecast
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Interview with Chris Millington of Doro about mobile retailing, wearables and technology for older consumers

Podcast - 24th February 2015

In today's programme Mark Bridge talks to Chris Millington, who's Managing Director for Doro UK and Ireland.

They discuss the state of mobile retailing in the UK, the future of wearable devices and - as you might expect - smartphones for seniors.

Author: The Fonecast
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A month of mobile: O2 counts on 3, Microsoft counts to 10 and Apple counts its profits

Podcast - 30th January 2015

We're back with a month of mobile industry news, including takeover talks and takeover rumours. O2 and Three are said to be discussing a merger... but is there any truth in the suggestions that BlackBerry could be up for grabs?

We also discuss Apple's record-breaking quarterly figures, the highlights of CES and the launch of Microsoft Windows 10, as well as saying farewell to the current version of Google Glass.

Author: The Fonecast
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