Carriers are struggling to address the gap between mobile data usage and revenues even as their networks approach capacity. But those willing to embrace new business models and innovative services still have a chance to thrive in the era of the superphone. Read More »
The tablet market is booming as a host of new gadgets come to market, but 3G-enabled devices are gathering dust due to pricey data plans and requirements for two-year contracts. So prepaid data services could help carriers grab a slice of the pie. Read More »
Zynga is ramping up its mobile efforts as it prepares for its IPO. Here are a few key strategies the social gaming company should pursue as it prepares to take on established developers in the fast-moving world of mobile gaming. Read More »
Residential femtocell sales continue to lag due to overpriced hardware and the widespread adoption of Wi-Fi in the home. But opportunities still exist for femtocells in the enterprise and as a crucial component of carriers’ overall mobile networks. Read More »
LinkedIn is enjoying a banner year, but unlike Twitter and Facebook the social network doesn’t enjoy much mobile traffic. It has a chance to be a major player in the booming mobile industry, though, if it pursues a few ambitious goals. Read More »
The market for enterprise tablets shows enormous promise as end users take their own devices to work and IT departments begin to deploy the new gadgets. But a small army of manufacturers is vying for a slice of the market, and competition will be fierce. Read More »
Groupon and LivingSocial dominate the burgeoning market for email daily deals, but the landscape could change quickly as those models expand to the much more complex world of mobile. Here’s what coupon distributors need to keep in mind as they target mobile users. Read More »
This week Apple unveiled iMessage, a feature that enables iOS users to exchange text messages and images without incurring carrier messaging charges. Despite headlines to the contrary, though, iMessage is not going to kill the cash cow that is SMS, for at least three reasons. Read More »
Voice recognition has long failed to gain much traction in mobile thanks to technology that was overhyped and underwhelming. But Apple could once again change the way we interact with our phones by integrating the technology with its upcoming iOS 5. Read More »
The debate over whether the future of mobile data lies in native applications vs. Web-based offerings is often depicted as a Darwinian contest where only one will survive. But the truth is much more complex than some pundits would have you believe. Read More »
Recent reports have Microsoft set to enter talks to acquire Nokia’s mobile business outright for a price tag that could be in the range of $30 billion. It’as a risky move, but here’s why a takeover of the world’s largest handset maker could pay off. Read More »
T-Mobile’s latest quarterly earnings aren’t pretty, and there’s a chance its acquisition by AT&T won’t survive the federal scrutiny that begins this week with congressional hearings. So what should the nation’s fourth-largest carrier do if the deal is scuttled? Here are a few ideas. Read More »
Sprint has quietly hiked its text messaging rates for businesses that send text alerts over its cellular network. But ESPN, The Weather Channel and MSNBC have all opted to cease sending free messages to Sprint users altogether rather than pay the new fee. Read More »
Despite a series of promising announcements at this week’s BlackBerry World, Research In Motion’s share of the smartphone market continues to erode, and no QNX handsets are yet on the horizon. Apple, meanwhile, could be poised to take RIM’s crown as king of the mobile enterprise. Read More »
From AT&T’s controversial proposed deal with T-Mobile to the ever-changing tablet landscape and the rise of near field communications, there were many stories to report from the first quarter of 2011. Here’s a look back at some of the key trends in the mobile technology space. Read More »
Although Apple’s iPad has everyone’s attention, the tablet wars won’t be fought and won this year alone. A number of contenders are on the way and this disparity in platforms and form factors will help increase tablet sales 54 percent per year through 2015. Read More »
The mobile TV hype machine is up and running again thanks to the Open Mobile Video Coalition’s efforts surrounding mobile DTV. If a greater number of consumers are finally going to start watching video on their phones, though, at least three key challenges must be overcome. Read More »
Google is hoping its new, tablet-friendly version of Android can help it become a major player in the mobile enterprise. For that to happen, though, it will need to continue to move to fix its fragmentation problems. Read More »
The pressure is mounting on Research In Motion ahead of the launch of its PlayBook, which will debut April 19. But RIM’s success over the next few years will hinge on its QNX operating system, not on a piece of hardware. Read More »
Carriers no longer dominate the mobile world thanks to the emergence of Apple, Google and the rise of third-party app stores. But they can retain — or even increase — their relevance by leveraging a few important things. Read More »
Some of the groundwork is finally being laid for mobile payments, but the industry still has to find ways to convince users to pay for stuff with their phones. For the mobile wallet to catch on, apps will have to do much more than execute transactions. Read More »
Mobile marketing is an emerging industry with tremendous opportunity, but it also is a space teeming with potential pitfalls. Here are some of the key mistakes to avoid for advertisers attempting to target users on their phones. Read More »
Mobile malware has become a very real threat thanks largely to Google’s lack of oversight in Android Market. The company’s refusal to play app cop will increasingly take a toll on its app distribution business — and maybe on Android as a whole. Read More »
If your image of a video gamer is a 30-something chugging Red Bull and playing first-person shooters all night, think again. Mobile social gaming — which includes everything from Electronic Arts’ Pogo lineup to Zynga’s FarmVille — is changing the video game space in a very … Read More »
NFC will arrive in handsets in a big way in the coming months, but other components of a viable “mobile wallet” scenario aren’t in place yet. Here are some possibilities for the technology beyond using it to pay for goods at the retail counter. Read More »
The hype surrounding mobile music continues despite the lack of evidence that the space will ever generate much in the way of revenues. But carriers still have a chance to use music to attract new consumers and keep the ones they have. Read More »
In-app purchases represent a huge opportunity for developers to generate revenues and for consumers to enhance the user experience. But the market will only reach its potential if it can avoid the public relation problems that plagued the ringtone market a few years ago. Read More »
Google, Facebook and others are investing in hyperlocal ads that deliver marketing pitches to users within small, well-defined areas. But before the concept can truly take hold in the mainstream markets, several challenges await businesses looking to bring their advertising strategies to the table. Read More »
Facebook recently joined other high-profile brands in releasing a new app for feature phones. The move suggests a wealth of expanded opportunity for distributing products and extending their reach, but should developers target feature phones in addition to smartphones running newer, more powerful platforms? Maybe. Read More »
The mobile industry saw several key trends during the final months of 2010: Smartphone sales soared again, use of the high-powered devices fueled increases in data consumption and the epic battle of Apple vs. Google escalated thanks to Android’s remarkable traction. Read More »
Microsoft last week declared Windows Phone 7 its mobile platform for games. But the company will need to offer superior gaming hardware if it is to differentiate its platform from Android and Apple’s iOS. Right now, that isn’t happening. Read More »
Amazon last week launched a developer program in advance of its opening of a store for Android apps. The move underscores the opportunities for third parties looking to distribute apps to users of Google’s mobile operating system. But first they must meet a few key challenges. Read More »
Should employees be allowed to bring so-called “rogue devices” into the corporate world or should IT deploy the handsets and tablets? As the mobile-app phenomenon accelerates at a ludicrous speed, here are points IT departments should consider when making that decision. (GigaOM Pro subscription required). Read More »
Mobile barcodes have finally become a viable tool for mobile marketing, giving brands an easy way to engage with consumers through their phones. Here are a few tips for getting the most of any 2-D barcode campaign. Read More »
Research In Motion’s pick-up of The Astonishing Tribe should bring polish to the aging BlackBerry OS and improve the upcoming QNX platform. But RIM’s challenge will be losing as little ground — not to mention, money — as possible as it moves from one OS to … Read More »
Mobile will play a bigger role than ever during the U.S. holiday season, according to IDC. It’s crucial then, that retailers tackle a few key challenges — from building a mobile site to understanding location-based services and rewards — to effectively target consumers on their phones. Read More »
Samsung’s Bada is only a few months old, but already the operating system is accruing substantial market share. If the Korean manufacturer can overcome several key challenges, Bada could become a major worldwide mobile platform to compete with iOS and the increasingly fragmented Android offerings. Read More »
Network operators are once again pushing the idea of a “mobile wallet” in an effort to grab a slice of purchases for virtual and physical goods. But they would be wise to view themselves as potential extensions of existing payment systems — not replacements of them. Read More »
Research In Motion, Samsung and Viewsonic are a few of the manufacturers looking to make a splash with seven-inch tablets. Apple has, in the past, eschewed the idea of a smaller version of its iPad, but here’s why the Cupertino gang should consider making one. Read More »
Sony is said to be working on a “PlayStation phone” that would bring a more immersive, sophisticated gaming experience to the mobile gaming community and beyond. While the market is ripe for such a device, Sony must deliver on a few key challenges to succeed. Read More »
A few months ago, it seemed there still was plenty of room in the tablet market despite the runaway success of the iPad. But no real threat has yet come to market, and potential competitors are stumbling with delays, less attractive offerings, and sky-high price tags. Read More »
The third quarter saw the continuation of important trends in mobile, from the astounding growth of Android to soaring sales of Apple’s iPad. Perhaps the biggest trend, though, is the march towards 4G, which will have a tremendous impact on the industry in the coming months. Read More »
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