CTIA Brings U.S. Mobile Video Into Focus
Virgin Mobile USA’s Lurie described the mobile content landscape as "between eras" as ringtones sell quite well but mobile video and over-the-air downloads are, in Lurie's opinion, still lagging in mass-market adoption. This is an opinion shared, somewhat by the smartphone manufacturers.
"Right now, we're moving from phones to multi-dimensional pocket computers," said Juergen Stark, Corporate VP of Productivity Devices with Motorola. "Someday all phones will be smartphones."
While Motorola has chosen to split off its handset devices into a separate company, other smartphone companies like Palm are seeking to resurrect a once-booming business.
"Palm OS will be replaced by our next-gen OS, that’s something that we’re working really hard on," said Rob Katcher, Senior Product Manager of Smartphones for Palm. "I don’t think that ‘smartphone’ matters anymore. . . . I don’t think that these people think of themselves as buying a ‘smartphone,' especially in the consumer space."
One handset manufacturer not present but on everyone's mind was Apple, with its iPhone.
In Glaser's speech, he sought to downplay the iPhone's market potential by pointing to other companies that will sell in what Glaser says will be higher quantities than the iPhone.
"There will be devices from Nokia, Motorola, Samsung, and LG where the mass volume will be driven through the carrier," Glaser said. "As exciting as the iPhone is, and the innovation around it, and I think it will be an important beacon, but the revenues will be in the broader market," noting that the iPhone may find itself in a high-end niche somewhat akin to luxury automobile manufacturers.
A Nokia representative took it one step further, throwing out a challenge that Apple has only recently begun to address.
"We believe that there is not a one-size-fits-all approach to this market," said Justin Denison, with Nokia North America. "IT managers are more concerned with what’s on the phone, than on the phone itself."
CTIA continues through Thursday, April 3 in Las Vegas and includes keynotes from Dan Hesse, newly appointed president & CEO of Sprint Nextel Corporation and Lowell McAdam, CTIA chairman and president & CEO of Verizon Wireless.
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