blog+post+analysis+-+lenz

TO: Proximity Mobile team FROM: Ryan Lenz SUBJECT: “Not-so-Smart Phones” DATE: January 5, 2010

We were asked to examine a blog post or news item to develop questions for our survey. You can find my summary of an IHT World Business article addressing the revived use of non-smart phones, aka “feature phones”, rather than smart phones. We need to be able to include questions concerning why this trend is happening on our survey.


 * What are feature phones?**

Feature phones are mobile phones that offer many of the features found on smart phones at a lower price. Companies like Samsung, LG and Motorola are examples of companies offering certain applications and technological advances that feature phones have lacked before. Bigger, wider screens, megapixel cameras, increased memory, web browsing, GPS, games, instant messaging and restaurant locators are just a few of these applications made available by those companies. GetJar is also contributing to this by distributing over 60,000 applications for more than 2,000 mobile devices online on their website. Those familiar with the mobile industry have concluded that the increased versatility feature phones now have is the reason why 82% of the U.S. population are using them.


 * Why are feature phones important?**

IHT World Business discussed three reasons why feature phones are now more relevant than ever:


 * 1) The evolution of feature phones and availability of applications means that more is being offered to the consumer with the consumer paying less.
 * 2) They are perfect for those who desire applications, but do not want to spend as much money as they would have to if they bought a smart phone.
 * 3) They serve as a major competitor to smart phones in the mobile business world.


 * Questions to confront with TU mobile users?**

Not only do we need to find out which mobile devices TU students are using, but we also need to know what factored into their decision upon purchasing that particular device. The mobile section of our survey should include the following questions:


 * What kind of phone do you have? Why?
 * What other application would you want to be available to you?
 * What factors do you take into consideration upon purchasing a phone?

It is vital that Proximity clients answer these questions to understand the importance and potential benefits that they could obtain via feature phone businesses.


 * __Reference__** :

Wortham, J. (2010, 4 January). Not-so-smart phones offer applications too. New York Times. Retrieved January 5, 2010, from [].