It was an absolutely huge week in the mobile technology sector, with new products emerging, new paradigms breaking, and a whole bunch of new possibilities and new trends to keep track of. As ever, we've got our Week in Review ready for you to help keep the whole thing a bit more manageable, and run down some of the week's biggest news.
First off, new details leaked out about Samsung's upcoming Galaxy Note 2, the follow-up to the surprisingly--for some--popular phone / tablet hybrid. Called a "phablet" by some, the leaked information suggests that the next Galaxy Note 2 will double its RAM count, update the quad core processor, boost the rearward camera to eight megapixels and even include a slot for the S Pen, which provides a significant boost to performance indeed.
Next came reports about Apple's earnings report, which were disappointing on some fronts, yet at the same time made perfect sense in light of upcoming events. Basically, Apple didn't release much this quarter, which reflected in its earnings. This in turn may have cost Apple some sales to Samsung's release of the Galaxy S III, but also allowed Apple to focus on development and wait for the right time--namely, the holiday shopping frenzy--to bring out some new products and put up some terrific promotion.
Then we received a report that was both exciting and chilling at the same time, once all the implications were considered. Specifically, the report detailed worldwide mobile data traffic, and how, by 2017, it would actually end up clearing 107 exabytes total. This represents eight times the traffic expected for all of 2012, yet at the same time, growth is expected to somewhat taper off, with 2015 representing the last time that traffic grows by more than 50 percent year-over-year.
Next came a somewhat contradictory report, as Visa was found saying that mobile payments won't be a mainstream function for another two or three years. But at the same time, Google Now and Apple's Siri may well be well on their way toward beating Visa's own projection. Visa's projection made sense in that there were comparatively few phones with NFC--Near Field Communications--capability and even fewer checkout points at stores to make it truly big. But developments may be moving along more rapidly--the next iPhone is expected to include NFC capability--than Visa projects.
Finally, a report emerged that made perfect sense, as a recent study emerged quantifying what many had suspected all along: mobile users with limited data plans are less satisfied than mobile users with unlimited data plans. While mobile data use itself was an important factor in the difference in satisfaction, another, larger difference came from the fact that tiered data plans were more complex overall, and thus required a lot more contact with customer service to figure out how they work.
Mobile technology is a market that's constantly changing, and as such, our global online community is constantly bringing back news about mobile tech. While keeping up with the news is important, and a good reason to come back here every week, having that executive summary is every bit as helpful, so be sure to join us back here next week for our Week in Review!
Want to learn more about today’s powerful mobile Internet ecosystem? Then be sure to attend the Mobility Tech Conference & Expo, collocated with ITEXPO West 2012 taking place Oct. 2-5 2012, in Austin, TX. Co-sponsored by TMC Partner Crossfire Media the Mobility Tech Conference & Expo provides unmatched networking opportunities and a robust conference program representing the mobile ecosystem. The conference not only brings together the best and brightest in the wireless industry, it actually spans the communications and technology industry. For more information on registering for the Mobility Tech Conference & Expo click here.
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