Just Ask a Teenager

I was on a panel at a telecom tradeshow a few years ago. I was surrounded by top executives from the largest handset companies, a few global carriers, and a couple technologists. The host asked a basic question: "What's the killer app for the mobile marketplace going to be?" My peers on the panel had a range of fanciful responses, from the future of mobile payments, to downloadable music, to interactive video services, to presence and location. Just to be a contrarian (and because it represented my reality), I said... "I think it'll be making a phone call." After a lot of gnashing by the panelists, the audience ended up saying, "yup, that sounds right. A mobile phone that can't place a call isn't worth owning." After all, a need to make voice calls is why most (not all) people buy a phone. And I'd argue the most successful wireless carriers are the ones that have focused on voice service and coverage. At least where I live. But I was in a European airport a few weeks ago, waiting in a lounge with about 100 other people - when I had to revise my world view. Most people had mobile handsets - we all would've predicted that. But no one was talking on their phone. They were all looking at them, and either browsing or text'ing or playing a game - but no one was making a voice call. Now draw a chart of your own personal usage over the past few years, and I would imagine the line representing "number of minutes per da...

Date: September, 22 2006
Url: http://blogs.sun.com/jonathan/entry/killer_app_on_a_mobile

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