Just got an informative article from Informationweek.com, which shortlisted 10 most important improvements in mobile world.
I am giving the list here,
1. Turnaround by Motorola in Smartphone Business - MOTO was considered as the weakest player in the market till 2008. This year Motorola returned with a bang, providing Android powered smartphones, the cliq started the revolution and DROID is going to be the opening door for future MOTOs. Expecting Linux powered handsets in 2010.
2. Blackberry is for everyone - Blackberry offered total-touch enabled Storm, Storm 2. Claiming the position in the GAP of Blackberry and Touch-enabled Smartphones. Lightly priced Blackberry Curve also catered the enthusiast segment of intermediate range of smartphone, converting the image of BLACKBERRY from corporates to non-enterprise users.
3. Revamped iphone 3GS - After facing serious criticism about lack of basic functionalities, revamped iPhone 3GS was a total bundle of surprises. This initially considered "evolutionary upgrade" turned into "revolutionary improvement" for Apple. Improved encryption, ActiveSync support and GPS, made it a grade device. Coming year is bringing challenge to its exclusive availability as deal with AT&T will get over in 2010.
4. Android - rise and Conquest - 2009 was more known for mobile software front than the hardware. Google's open source ANDROID OS claimed the clearcut upper-hand in mobile OS segment, putting some more nails on WinMobile's coffin. Largely awaited version 2.0 of Android is reportedly supporting Flash mobile 10.1 and many more lucrative features. For Google, growing Android community, gathering the support for Google philosophy of open and neutralized internet.
5. Mobile Apps Store -This year also rocked by a claim from Apple about availability of 10,000 applications in iPhone Store. The usability and popularity of few applications in the store is a question, still apple touched the magical number of 10k. Android, the highest grown OS in the year also sports 13,000 applications. The concept of Application store is spreading the roots in 2009.
6. WinMobile on slow track - In all this happening market, MS looks to have lost the way in between. Winmobile 6.5 was claimed to be revolutionary, but hardly kept its word. This OS update added increased support for touchscreen interfaces, a refined user interface, and multiple features, but felt short on the technical front. Microsoft expects more than 30 devices to have shipped by the end of the year from manufacturers like HTC, Samsung, LG Electronics, Toshiba, and others. Windows Mobile 6.5 also puts the platform on par with its competitors by adding Windows Marketplace for Mobile, which provides end users with an over-the-air way to buy, download, and install apps.
7. Palm webOS - Palm left the hand from PocketPC OS, developing their own WebOS, which is a real promising move from this smartphone makers. PalmPre was the great offering in upper end. Palm Pixi offered the budget level things to the market, which is an entry in middle and lower level mobile users. Now Palm is for everyone.
8. iDont give GoogleVOICE - Google submitted it application GoogleVOICE to iPhone store in June, but it never appeared on the store, instead a third party application with similar functionality offered by Apple iStore. Many suspected about AT&T to be hidden force behind this, as this could cause loss of revenue for them.
"Apple's representatives informed Google that the Google Voice application was rejected because Apple believed the application duplicated the core dialer functionality of the iPhone," Google said in a letter to the FCC. "The Apple representatives indicated that the company did not want applications that could potentially replace such functionality."
This might not be a major blockage for iPhone users, but this is not a great practice to continue in 2010. Hope so.
9. Opensource Symbian - A bit neglected within the glorious warriors, Symbian still powers majority of smartphones. The Symbian Foundation was created as an independent entity to turn the OS open source, and it has spent the last year looking to address some of the platform's perceived weaknesses. This OS after purchased by Nokia, walking on the Open-Source road, and getting the success in powering Nokia's latest touchscreen. Some developers have also complained that it's too difficult to create apps for Symbian, particularly compared to Android or the iPhone. Symbian foundation has launched a developer program called Symbian Horizon that aims to lower the barrier of entry and help content creators get their apps in as many virtual stores as possible.
10. Computer makers into Mobile smartphone - After HP IPAQ, now ACER is offering a plunge into smartphone market, offering fastest smartphone with 1GHz processor, reportedly DELL is also revamping their once upon wrapped down smartphones.
Now ocean is turning red.
Refer the main article here
