So, my wrap up after Nokia World here in Barcelona, Spain?
Steve Jobs doesn’t have anything to worry about.
Apple still has the best mobile OS out there with the best developer support.
Nokia customers should, however, thank Steve Jobs because their OS is seeing pretty dramatic improvements thanks to the pressure from Apple and Google’s Android OS.
It’s interesting. Yesterday I went to the Barcelona Zoo. Lots of fun, but I was keeping track of what the kids were using. I did not see a single iPhone. Nokia owns the Spanish marketplace. Nokia’s challenge was to get close enough to the iPhone to keep from losing those kids. I think they’ve done it and not because of the N97, either. Their cheaper 5800 phone has a far better music service for kids than the iPhone has. Why? It includes a subscription. You pay flat rate price and your kids get all the music they want.
But, why is Steve Jobs sleeping like a baby? Because Nokia’s N97, which does push the market ahead on several fronts, is six months away and Nokia still hasn’t shown off a good set of developer features.
It’s so strange for me to say that Apple is way ahead in developer support. That will really be the mobile story of 2009 going into 2010. The device with the coolest apps will win. So far that looks like iPhone, big time. If Nokia changes that in any way, it will be the story of 2009.
Anyway, Nokia did show off some really great stuff. Here’s a few videos of my favorites:
1. Messaging. Joins email and chat and Lotus support. The chat supports XMPP so FriendFeed’s new live feed can be shoved in here. That’s cool. Here’s a demo during yesterday’s keynote of Messaging.
2. Maps. Nokia’s maps are ahead of Google’s in some ways. See a demo of why.
3. R&D, Point and Find. We all know that eventually you’ll be able to point your camera at things on the street and get data back. Here’s Nokia’s answer to how you’ll do that, named Point and Find. Still very early, but inspiring demo.
Bonus video from Nokia World? I filmed the designer, Eguchi Shunjiro, of the N97 during a press conference. He told us all about how they designed the N97 and the thought that went into various details like the hinge.
Anyway, all said and done I want one of those Nokia N97’s just for the 16:9 video capabilities, especially now that YouTube has turned on 16:9 widescreen videos, this is going to be a killer device for recording my life.
Even if that doesn’t keep Steve Jobs awake at night it’s damn cool.
Next up, London for family time and meeting some cool entrepreneurs.
Scobleizer 
I think the iPhone sales model will have had as much impact on those Spanish teenagers than anything else. Until the release of the 3G iPhone, it was simply too expensive for teenagers. The vast majority of teenagers I see don’t have an iPhone even here in the UK, but they do have an iPod, because that’s more affordable. I see a heap of 20s-60s using iPhones though – about equal numbers with those using BlackBerry’s, maybe slightly fewer iPhones.
Now that the 3G is out and the phone cost is subsidized teenagers are more likely to be able to afford it, but the change over will happen over a two year period, not immediately. Prepaid folk will change over first (when a prepaid iPhone is available, which it isn’t in all countries yet), but anyone on a contract will have to wait for their current contract to expire. Hence a delay of up to 2 years.
BTW, if you have time while you’re in London it’d be great to catch up and have a beer. I can bring you back to the reality of enterprise after all this flitting around with entrepreneurs. 🙂
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I think the iPhone sales model will have had as much impact on those Spanish teenagers than anything else. Until the release of the 3G iPhone, it was simply too expensive for teenagers. The vast majority of teenagers I see don’t have an iPhone even here in the UK, but they do have an iPod, because that’s more affordable. I see a heap of 20s-60s using iPhones though – about equal numbers with those using BlackBerry’s, maybe slightly fewer iPhones.
Now that the 3G is out and the phone cost is subsidized teenagers are more likely to be able to afford it, but the change over will happen over a two year period, not immediately. Prepaid folk will change over first (when a prepaid iPhone is available, which it isn’t in all countries yet), but anyone on a contract will have to wait for their current contract to expire. Hence a delay of up to 2 years.
BTW, if you have time while you’re in London it’d be great to catch up and have a beer. I can bring you back to the reality of enterprise after all this flitting around with entrepreneurs. 🙂
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The impactful American branding that Apple has succeeded with is quite inpressive.
They have extended their deacades-old successful, strategic branding from The Mac to the IPod to the IPhone.
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The impactful American branding that Apple has succeeded with is quite inpressive.
They have extended their deacades-old successful, strategic branding from The Mac to the IPod to the IPhone.
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I think you hit the nail on the head there Robert. Out of anyone talking about the N97 vs iPhone, I respect your comments most because you’re the first person I’ve read who’s actually used both!
Your points about OS and developer support are right in my opinion as it makes the iPhone a solid platform, and encourages all the value that third party apps will add to the product.
Nokia makes great phones, there’s no doubt about that, but they’re a bit behind on the idea that it’s the software, not the hardware that’s more important right now.
As it stands, the head start Apple have means it’s going to take time for anyone to touch them, only Android looks like a real challenger at the moment.
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I think you hit the nail on the head there Robert. Out of anyone talking about the N97 vs iPhone, I respect your comments most because you’re the first person I’ve read who’s actually used both!
Your points about OS and developer support are right in my opinion as it makes the iPhone a solid platform, and encourages all the value that third party apps will add to the product.
Nokia makes great phones, there’s no doubt about that, but they’re a bit behind on the idea that it’s the software, not the hardware that’s more important right now.
As it stands, the head start Apple have means it’s going to take time for anyone to touch them, only Android looks like a real challenger at the moment.
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The iPhone is a typical US product with a typical US business model. Unless Apple decides to loose the lockin contracts, it won’t fly here in Europe.
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The iPhone is a typical US product with a typical US business model. Unless Apple decides to loose the lockin contracts, it won’t fly here in Europe.
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Until the iPhone is available as PAYG then it’s never going to make an impact on the kids market. It’s just too expensive – even for most adults!
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Until the iPhone is available as PAYG then it’s never going to make an impact on the kids market. It’s just too expensive – even for most adults!
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The truly odd thing is that Steve Jobs said that third party apps were not part of the plan when the iPod was first introduced. I remember his presentation and he was very emphatic on that point.
Steve (and Apple) changed his mind on that score and to Apple’s great advantage. The App Store is now the great differentiator for the iPhone. I’m truly amazed at the apps i’m finding there. The iPhone truly has become a game changing device and developer support is a very big part of it.
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The truly odd thing is that Steve Jobs said that third party apps were not part of the plan when the iPod was first introduced. I remember his presentation and he was very emphatic on that point.
Steve (and Apple) changed his mind on that score and to Apple’s great advantage. The App Store is now the great differentiator for the iPhone. I’m truly amazed at the apps i’m finding there. The iPhone truly has become a game changing device and developer support is a very big part of it.
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What do you call “developer features” exactly?
How many of those cool iphone apps are EU friendly?
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Correction:
The truly odd thing is that Steve Jobs said that third party apps were not part of the plan when the iPhone was first introduced. I remember his presentation and he was very emphatic on that point.
Steve (and Apple) changed his mind on that score and to Apple’s great advantage. The App Store is now the great differentiator for the iPhone. I’m truly amazed at the apps i’m finding there. The iPhone truly has become a game changing device and developer support is a very big part of it.
LikeLike
What do you call “developer features” exactly?
How many of those cool iphone apps are EU friendly?
LikeLike
Correction:
The truly odd thing is that Steve Jobs said that third party apps were not part of the plan when the iPhone was first introduced. I remember his presentation and he was very emphatic on that point.
Steve (and Apple) changed his mind on that score and to Apple’s great advantage. The App Store is now the great differentiator for the iPhone. I’m truly amazed at the apps i’m finding there. The iPhone truly has become a game changing device and developer support is a very big part of it.
LikeLike
Your blog has lot its mojo. You have nothing interesting to talk about. it’s like watching a boring golf game. time to move on and do something else…
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Your blog has lot its mojo. You have nothing interesting to talk about. it’s like watching a boring golf game. time to move on and do something else…
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“It’s so strange for me to say that Apple is way ahead in developer support. ”
Eh… remember that guy Guy Kawasaki? Apple basically invented good developer support….
iTunes has been key to everything Apple did well over the last years – music, video, podcasting and now apps – all driven through iTMS. I don’t see anyone catching up in the next two years.
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“It’s so strange for me to say that Apple is way ahead in developer support. ”
Eh… remember that guy Guy Kawasaki? Apple basically invented good developer support….
iTunes has been key to everything Apple did well over the last years – music, video, podcasting and now apps – all driven through iTMS. I don’t see anyone catching up in the next two years.
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@Scobleizer: good that you travel, then you know what’s outside Silicon Valley (the world is bigger)
@Andrian Sutton: Prepaid will be too expensive for 3G/Internet people.
@Bob Beela – Completely agree.
Nokia and Samsung are present in the retail shops worldwide.
iPhone is a US product for the US market with a US business model.
I think the main threat for Nokia is Samsung – not Apple iPhone.
Samsung has the complete food chain: form chip manufacturing to phones to retail distribution into almost all the shops of the world.
Of course Nokia is eager to have a succes like “iTunes” too.
But Nokia is Microsoft for mobiles: Microsoft are always the second and then they take the market. Nokia was late on certain types, but they still are number one.
@Scobleizer: start looking and investigating what Samsung is developing and bringing to the market. Is Korea becoming the new Silicon Valley?
Touchless LCD http://bit.ly/Dwgi
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@Scobleizer: good that you travel, then you know what’s outside Silicon Valley (the world is bigger)
@Andrian Sutton: Prepaid will be too expensive for 3G/Internet people.
@Bob Beela – Completely agree.
Nokia and Samsung are present in the retail shops worldwide.
iPhone is a US product for the US market with a US business model.
I think the main threat for Nokia is Samsung – not Apple iPhone.
Samsung has the complete food chain: form chip manufacturing to phones to retail distribution into almost all the shops of the world.
Of course Nokia is eager to have a succes like “iTunes” too.
But Nokia is Microsoft for mobiles: Microsoft are always the second and then they take the market. Nokia was late on certain types, but they still are number one.
@Scobleizer: start looking and investigating what Samsung is developing and bringing to the market. Is Korea becoming the new Silicon Valley?
Touchless LCD http://bit.ly/Dwgi
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Nanny To You is a free nanny jobs search service
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