Mobile phones & tablets thread

Is it only me or does anyone else think this looks like a small laptop without a cover?

I've posted it before but it bears repeating. That now it's all about the apps. Ease of use and features are still important but mobile OS's just as with desktop ones now live and die by the available software.

i.e. The reason Windows dominates the desktop market is that it's got all the software written for it.

At the moment app developers are targeting iOS and Android, and a bit of WP7. Blackberry, not so much, it leads very quickly to a downward spiral. Less apps = less market share = less apps being made = less market share etc..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mark

I've posted it before but it bears repeating. That now it's all about the apps. Ease of use and features are still important but mobile OS's just as with desktop ones now live and die by the available software.

---

Is it though? I suspect a good portion of users will either never install apps, or will only use a few. Blackberry's mainly being for business use will probably have users who are not allowed to install Apps anyway. If you're aware of government standards for security, currently only blackberry meet those security standards for mobile devices.

Sure, there will be those like Blackberry users who have a specific task and that's it. And of course those who just want a phone and nothing else - but they don't form part of the smartphone market anyway.

Would you buy a smartphone if you didn't care about installing apps? I guess people do, but they are a bit odd if you ask me :p

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Mark

Sure, there will be those like Blackberry users who have a specific task and that's it. And of course those who just want a phone and nothing else - but they don't form part of the smartphone market anyway.

Would you buy a smartphone if you didn't care about installing apps? I guess people do, but they are a bit odd if you ask me :p

---

I think you're ignoring the fact that smartphones are inherently good for web access. 99% of the use of my phone is texting, making calls or web access. No apps required! You're blind if you think that everyone who buys a smartphone does so because of apps or needs apps.

http://www.engadget.com/2011/05/16/e...-to-buy-nokias

I somehow doubt this is true tbh, but it's interesting nonetheless.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by henners88

Of course it isn't the case for everyone with a smartphone. My wife's uncle who is in his late 60's has an iphone 4 which he bought because he heard it was a good phone. Has can just about get it to make a call and sends the odd text, so he hardly uses the phone to its full potential. With these people aside its still clear that the majority of people who purchase a smartphone also download apps as its become an integral part of phones over the past 4 years or so. I must admit there are several apps I use almost daily and I'm abit of a sucker when new ones come out. I tend to download loads of free ones and usually delete again within minutes, and buy the odd one.

The free messengers like PingChat and Liveprofile are something I use an awful lot when goofing around with friends when I probably should be working lol. Blackberry had BBM as their unique selling point until fairly recently, but with the apps market growing by the day, this sort of free service is no longer unique to them. Most messengers now also seem to cover the three main services iOS, Android, and Blackberry which is more appealing than a one system messenger.

---

BBM is free to use though, those messaging apps aren't if you're using them on 3g or am I wrong?

The other thing is BBM is an integrated part of the Blackberry OS, add on apps are never as good as something which is inbuilt.

Also as pointed out, Blackberry's are secure, hence why Obama has a Blackberry and not an iPhone, Android handset or a WP7 handset. It's the only sane choice for business.

Part of your 3G data package, non?

As for security, yes, the Blackberry is one of the most secure platforms available. But from another site:

Quote:

---

Moving onto security and remote management, big brother stuff and sweet encryption (except in the Middle East) that owning a Blackberry Enterprise Server affords your company’s IT department and management, that’s being chipped away dramatically by Apple, Microsoft and Google. Their recent phones and complementary back-ends of various forms now have impressive company-friendly security, noteworthy near-1984-level management, not quite at parity with a BES rig but for many companies, close enough.

Here’s what you can do with the latest Androids, iPhones, iPads and Microsoft phones (including Windows Mobile):

Encrypt data remotely. Password policy management including strength, password changing frequency, prompt a change on a whim etc. Lock down the device. Lock down the camera, no syncing when roaming, reset passwords and remotely wipe. Actually I believe you get that with an Exchange server too.

---

And this:

Quote:

---

Pending completion of the acquisition, Ubitexx’s ubi-Suite software for device management will be integrated with the management and security controls of BlackBerry Enterprise Server and BlackBerry Enterprise Server Express. This will support Android and iOS devices and tablets. This is in response to demand from enterprise customers for multi-platform support for BES.

---

And of course, the recent news that the U.S. Army chose the Android OS for its Joint Battle Command Platform, which will go in the hands of soldiers in the field.

Just from where I sit in the Peanut gallery, it looks like RIM is relying on past successes and customer loyalty to keep it moving. But customers aren't all that loyal to begin with, and even when they are, if your products are having problems matching the capabilities of other products, they'll leave you. Even in enterprise, that appears to be what's happening to RIM - especially as an increasing number of companies allow employees to choose which phone they WANT to use (not which ones they HAVE to use). And increasingly, those employees are choosing iPhones and Android powered phones.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Jag_Warrior

As for security, yes, the Blackberry is one of the most secure platforms available. But from another site:



And this:


And of course, the recent news that the U.S. Army chose the Android OS for its Joint Battle Command Platform, which will go in the hands of soldiers in the field.

Just from where I sit in the Peanut gallery, it looks like RIM is relying on past successes and customer loyalty to keep it moving. But customers aren't all that loyal to begin with, and even when they are, if your products are having problems matching the capabilities of other products, they'll leave you. Even in enterprise, that appears to be what's happening to RIM - especially as an increasing number of companies allow employees to choose which phone they WANT to use (not which ones they HAVE to use). And increasingly, those employees are choosing iPhones and Android powered phones.

---

But security is the sort of thing where people will always want the best. There's a reason why Obama has a Blackberry and not an iPhone or anything else. Honestly, I'm not a fan of blackberry's as I think they're very poorly built, but there's a reason they're so popular with businesses and whilst the competitors are better than before, they're still nowhere near being close.