|
Tuesday, June 13, 2006
Limpag: Demand for convergence
By Max Limpag
Celltalk
NOKIA STUDY. Hot on the heels of a research that showed many people just want a cellphone that “can call” without the fancy, multimedia add-ons, Nokia has released a study that indicated many consumers demand digital convergence in their devices.
Nokia commissioned a research in 11 countries and found that nearly half of the people now use their cellphones as their main camera. The study also indicated that over two-thirds see music mobiles as replacement for their stand-alone MP2 player.
The Nokia study also showed that “72 percent now don’t use a separate alarm clock and 73 percent use their mobile as their main watch.”
The mobile phone giant’s research also showed that close top half of the respondents want their PC, stereo, TV and other household appliances interconnected with their mobile phones.
ONE DEVICE. Most people see the convenience of a converged device. It’s not fun to be lugging around a phone, MP3 player, digital camera, USB drives and a PDA.
As I wrote before, the quality of photographs taken by recent camera phones makes it feasible to serve as standalone point and shoot cameras. Camera phones released since last year now have at least a two-megapixel resolution, which is enough for point and shoot photography.
Increasingly, people will start using their cellphones as primary MP3 players or even multi-media devices. The digital music and video playback quality of the new crop of multimedia phones are increasing that pretty soon, many people won’t see the need of getting another device, such as an iPod.
ADDING IT UP. If you add it up, it is cheaper to get a high-end multimedia phone and gigabytes of phone memory than buying a cheap phone and separate stand-alone devices, such as a digital camera for your photo needs, and an MP3 player for music and portable file storage.
Sure, the iPod is cool but can it call? Apple is working on an iPod mobile because it knows that if it stays as a stand-alone music player, it will be swept aside by multi-media mobile phones.
For P20,000, you can get a good multi-media phone that takes photos, good enough for your family album (do you still have one, or do you store everything in your computer?), plays songs and movies, and serves as a portable hard drive.
Give it a few years and your multi-media phone will also be serving as your home’s command center, serving as the universal remote control of your TV, home entertainment center and other appliances. There are ways to do it now but you need to hack it a bit, it won’t work out of a box. Pretty soon, it will.
For Bisaya stories from Cebu. Click here. (June 13, 2006 issue)
Write letter to the editor.Click here.
Join the Sun.Star message board.Click here. |
|
[return to top]
[home]
[network page]
|
LOCAL NEWS
BUSINESS
OPINION
SPORTS
LIFESTYLE
FEATURE
SUPERBALITA
WEEKEND
|
