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Smartphones used to be niche products. They were bulky and cost about $500, says tech analyst Ross Rubin at researcher NPD.
But now design and price "are becoming consumer-friendly," says Nokia spokesman Keith Nowak. Nokia’s new, slim E62 smartphone sells for as little as $100 with a service contract. That type of product should help the market grow, Rubin says.
The industry certainly hopes so. Carriers like smartphones because they encourage users to buy data services, which usually range from about $10 to $50 extra a month.
Handset makers like smartphones because they don’t always cut into sales of other products. Business smartphone users are three times as likely to have a second cellphone than are regular users, says wireless analyst Bill Hughes at In-Stat.
That helps explain the flood of recent smartphone announcements. Palm, Samsung, Motorola and Nokia are among companies that recently launched products. Motorola this month announced plans to acquire Good Technology, a company that makes wireless e-mail software for many smartphones. Nokia this year acquired its own e-mail company, Intellisync.
Source: USA Today
I’m ashamed to admit it but I too used to be one of those
individuals who thought smartphones were useless. They were slow, had horrible
battery life, and looked like bricks. Besides, my phone did text messaging and
calling, why would I want more? As the years rolled on and the technology got
better and more importantly cheaper, I began lusting after one. I picked up my
Nokia E61 for around $400 shipped, and it’s become an extension of my body in a
sense that yes I love my laptop, but I can’t take my laptop with me everywhere,
nor can I depend on it to last me more than 6 hours. Consider me converted
permanently. It’s a shame that the Nokia E62 looses wifi since I couldn’t
imagine what a world without that glorious 2.4 GHz spectrum built in to my mobile would be like.
About The Author
Stefan Constantinescu
Stefan Constantinescu (@WhatTheBit on Twitter) has loved technology since as far back as he can remember. It started with computers, but in the past few years his passion has turned to mobile devices. As a mobile phone enthusiast who lives and breathes devices that connect to the internet, he knows he is not alone with this radical fascination of all things wireless. He is strongly opinionated and enjoys a good debate so leave comments in his posts and he’ll get back to you! Stefan began blogging as a hobby in the fall of 2006 and joined IntoMobile in the summer of 2007. Later he got a job at Nokia in March 2008, but as of June 2009 he has rejoined the IntoMobile team. He is currently based out of Helsinki, Finland.
