RIM’s BlackBerry product and service is well known amongst business professionals all over the world. The limited growth potential for app development is what has been holding the BlackBerry app development from gaining significant impetus in comparison to the unbridled growth in the iPhone and Android platforms. Resultantly, BlackBerry has realized the growth potential of both these platforms will overshadow their own platform. In response to the looming threat of the iPhone and Android platforms, BlackBerry is hosting a developer’s conference in November in an effort to generate interest in the platform.
The primary areas of focus for BlackBerry will be to provide a unified cohesive development experience. They are pushing for various developers – ranging from .Net to Java – to attend the conference in November and encouraging app development firms to actively participate in the conference. Considering the massive potential growth of Android, the iPhone’s current success along with Palm’s webOS also beginning to show signs of life, BlackBerry seems to have realized that they need to generate interest in their platform to ensure sustainable competiveness amongst other platforms.
One of the many things that BlackBerry plans on releasing to the developers is improved support for BlackBerry Widgets that will be HTML and CSS enabled. This allows developers to create improved social media networking tools along with business productivity apps to help users fully utilize their BlackBerry devices. The improved access to the BlackBerry OS along with deeper access to device functionality will help developers improve the overall app integration for users.
In addition to this, the conference also plans on focusing on the BlackBerry Storm 2 release – a device touted as being a potential iPhone challenger – and its related development. The BlackBerry Storm 2 addresses issues that were present in the original device through improved support and software functionality. With serious app development beginning on the BlackBerry OS, the Storm 2’s improved Wi-Fi connectivity is what will drive improved app development. However, the key focus will remain on the BlackBerry OS and providing a more integrated and user-friendly experience for developers.
iPhone exclusivity may come to an end – AT&T executives
AT&T Mobility CEO Ralph de la Vega released a rather controversial yet understandable statement regarding the exclusivity of the iPhone to AT&T’s network. He mentioned that the portfolio of phones and services extend beyond Apple’s iPhone. Surprisingly, it makes sense. Apple is still a very new entrant into the cellphone market in comparison to industry giants such as Nokia, Samsung, LG, Sony-Ericsson, and other Taiwanese competitors. Apple’s cult-like following and design elements are what have been the primary success factors for the phone itself.
Ralph’s statements are not necessarily shocking when placed in light of the new phones that have been developed to compete with the iPhone. The Palm Pre and HTC’s offerings alone offer technologies that are similar to the iPhone at price points that are extremely competitive. Apple has yet to develop a product that will overshadow the success of the iPhone. Firmware upgrades and improved wireless connectivity will only go so far in dealing with the competition that the iPhone faces. In addition to this, the exclusivity of the iPhone can only extend till the network supports the technology requirements of the existing AT&T network. With networks moving towards 5G capabilities, AT&T clearly needs to diversify to support the new phones that are being offered by competitors. As open technology standards move towards a standardized set of features on phones, Apple needs to remain ahead of the curve through it research and development.
Apple’s fortunes have been primarily focused on a cult-like fan following along with a matchless integration of the App Store and iTunes. Google’s recent capital expenditure on specialized technology firms which include SEO and social marketing specialists is indicative of revamping the Android Marketplace. With such firms onboard to revamp and develop new technologies, it seems that the Android Marketplace will soon be able to compete more efficiently and effectively in comparison to the App Store. This is a serious factor for AT&T to consider when the iPhone begins to saturate the smartphone market. By remaining excessively exclusive to Apple, AT&T may narrow its market unnecessarily missing out on opportunities to challenge other service providers in the United States. Resultantly, AT&T should begin revamping its product lines to address customers that require needs that are unable to be fulfilled by the iPhone.
Android 2.0 released; more features and improvements for developers
Google launched the newest version of the Android 2.0 SDK today to the public for development purposes. The new release offers a significant amount of tools for developers to help with app development along with increased support for the various phones that are being released in anticipation of the holiday season.
For users there are plenty of new features that will be used in their new high-end phones from HTC, Samsung, and Motorola. As a result, the attraction for Android phones will most likely sky-rocket and developers can create more sophisticated and detailed apps.
Below is a list of new features for users:
Contacts and accounts
· Multiple accounts can be added to a device for email and contact synchronization, including Exchange accounts. (Handset manufacturers can choose whether to include Exchange support in their devices.)
· Developers can create sync adapters that provide synchronization with additional data sources.
· Quick Contact for Android provides instant access to a contact’s information and communication modes. For example, a user can tap a contact photo and select to call, SMS, or email the person. Other applications such as Email, Messaging, and Calendar can also reveal the Quick Contact widget when you touch a contact photo or status icon.
Email
· Exchange support.
· Combined inbox to browse email from multiple accounts in one page.
Messaging
· Search functionality for all saved SMS and MMS messages.
· Auto-delete the oldest messages in a conversation when a defined limit is reached.
All of these new features are important considering that many of the phones are now the equivalent of personal media devices that plays multimedia files, surfs the Internet, doubles as Personal Digital Assistants and function as phones as well.
The Exchange support is vital for business users who often need to sync with secure company email servers to access their email. In addition, the improved support will help developers with business productivity apps to increase their customer base since companies will most likely require apps that secure connections and provide customized email support. The improved synchronization support helps cement the concept of phones being personal digital assistants and small netbooks that are capable of handling the demands of business professionals.
Improved phone contacts are necessary when most individuals have close to more than a hundred or so detailed contacts in their phones. Especially those that are in the business world often have detailed business cards dedicated to their contacts.
Camera
· Built-in flash support
· Digital zoom
· Scene mode
· White balance
· Color effect
· Macro focus
Camera support is important considering that many of the new Android phones have powerful cameras which require improved support as the phone cameras are slowly becoming acceptable means of capturing photos. Considering that the iPhone received camera support very late, it is good to note that Android has strongly started committing support to the camera features on its phones.
Palm’s Pre has been touted as one of a series of rival phones that has the potential to remove the iPhone from the top spot in smart phones. However, the Pre has had a painful birth into the smart phone era with lawsuits from Apple along with launch issues ranging from availability to pricing problems. Nonetheless, this has not stopped the Pre team from steaming ahead at full speed to help with the development of apps for its webOS.
Initially, Palm felt to ensure build quality of its apps, it would be handing over its SDK, Mojo, to a few select developers that Palm selected. A smart move considering that a majority of the quality developers are working for the iPhone platform or moving towards Google’s Android platform. By releasing to selected developers, Palm provides them with a strong first mover advantage which may help in retaining key long-term developers that would eventually help Palm establish a credible developer base.
Looking over at the website, http://www.palm.com/us/products/software/mobile-applications.html, the overall feel is similar to the Android Marketplace along with clear well-defined categories. Screenshots are available for each of the apps listed. Interestingly enough, most apps have been produced by strong content or service providers which are a good way of ensuring the build quality of the apps. An example being the Fandango app which mirrors the real life service for movie fanatics; such apps help build the base for other apps to be developed with equal quality since a high standard has been established.
The overall range of apps is impressive while the depth of apps is lacking when compared to the number of apps developed for the iPhone and Android-compatible phones. However, these initial offering shows how Palm plans on maintaining a strong quality focus on its apps and enticing customers with apps developed professionally. It also signals other professional developers of the importance that Palm is giving to its initial developers.
Palm is holding a conference in December 2009 to help boost the app development process and lure developers to its platform. Previously, Palm thought SDK release exclusivity to certain developers and the concept of being a serious competitor to the iPhone would be enough to generate a large developer base. Unfortunately, the impetus that Google’s Android platform has been garnering is now growing evermore popular and receiving significant financial and marketing support. Palm was left out in the dry in terms of the anticipated enthusiasm and consumer attention it needed.
Android platform gets new phone; start of many new phones?
Building on the impetus of the upcoming holiday sales, the Android platform received a new phone to help boost its image amongst customers. The yet-unconfirmed phone is from HTC and has strong links to the new HTC Dream 2 hardware and design, aptly codenamed Dragon. The emphasis again lies on the impressive touch screen that plans on utilizing the new Android 1.6 update with improved support for touch screen phones. The design elements of the phone are also reminiscent of simplistic yet sleek trends in current phones.
The spy shots of this phone will help boost the appeal of the Android platform along with sales figures for service providers who are competing against the ever-strong iPhone on AT&T’s network. However, hardware release alone is not going be a sufficient enough basis for attracting customers. There is massive potential for Android applications; however, the boom seems to be lagging in comparison to the phenomenal growth that the Apple App Store receives.
Regardless of the hardware capabilities of the current phones being released – faster processors, increased RAM, larger storage space – will be underperforming media devices without the necessary software to create an interest in the platform itself.
A quick read of the Engadget comments section shows the number of customers that are not satisfied with the performance of their iPhones’ on AT&T’s network. Although AT&T provides reliable Internet connectivity for their phones, the problem is that the voice service itself is extremely unreliable. Customers have frequently complained about the poor service and AT&T has not been able to resolve said issues. AT&T needs to realize that the iPhone is still primarily a cellphone and a secondary multimedia device for users. With the focus on the new iPhone 3GS touting Wi-Fi capabilities, AT&T has forgotten that customers still make calls on their cell phones. This lesson is not just applicable to AT&T but rather all service providers who are upgrading their networks to cope with the new trends of smartphones and Internet usage.
