Yes Apps are big now, but will it be the turn of HD video next?
It may sound kinda silly, but actually there are a lots of developments and rumour within the Mobile Industry right now, that could lead to this happening. Let’s examine a couple of pieces of evidence:
(1) Samsung i8910 Omnia HD – the much-touted bad boy in terms of it’s media-handling, this beast can both record and output 720p HD video – no mean feat in a device that does a ton of other stuff too. You can also expect tens of GB of storage on-board or via mem card, so suddenly you have a connected smartphone, with media capabilities that wouldn’t look out of place in a living room. If the GFX chip is even half-decent, this device could be a game changer…
(2) Apple next-gen iPhone [rumour] – wowzer, there isn’t much that ISN’T rumoured to be in Apples next device – the fact there will be one (eventually) isn’t really in dispute – but what will be in it is. The most recent rumour I read was that the device will in fact be a tablet-style device, touting some form of HD (I’d bet we could even see 1080i/1080p), and heavy-duty connectivity. Kinda like what Samsung is coming with in the previous example, but possibly another tier up again!
At any rate, if either or both of these devices hit even 60% of their target audience(s), then we already have two devices that can plug (via wire, or wirelessly) to elements in the home (router, TV, etc), and act as a media hub of sorts. It’s even suggested in some circles that the Apple device could be a replacement for the Apple TV i.e. their next Mobile device and their home media hub become one…. imagine that!
One thing is for sure – this is merely the start of a trend that is going to accelerate rapidly. The touchpaper is lit ready for a fireworks display of devices that are going to do a lot of things very well – like invading your home and claiming the media playback duties!