Pocket Power

The technology industry is constantly promising us the world. Not a day goes by that I don't hear about some revolutionary new hardware, software or concept that will change the way in which we live our lives. Unfortunately though, more often than not, these promises either amount to nothing, or take an absolute age to come to fruition.

Take the concept of convergence as an example. For the best part of a decade I'd heard IT and consumer electronics companies talking about the convergence of the two industries, thus creating products that borrowed from both areas in order to create a new platform for consumers. Of course that convergence is now common place in pretty much every home, in the shape of HDTVs, gaming consoles, and any number of wireless devices. And yes, our lives probably are that bit better as a result of the concept of convergence becoming a reality, but it doesn't change the fact that it took an awful long time to actually arrive.

Something else that the technology industry has been promising us for many years is the concept of a fully featured and connected mobile computer in our pocket, and I think that this concept is also pretty close to reality. Right now we're seeing a new age of mobile devices hitting the market, devices that are so feature rich, that they would have been the reserve of science fiction only a few years ago. The sheer power and usability of the latest generation of smartphones is staggering, even for someone as entrenched in the technology industry as myself.

To give credit where it's due, RIM is probably the company that really changed the perception of mobile devices when it introduced the first BlackBerry handset. Before the BlackBerry came on the scene, the idea of having your email delivered to your pocket was sheer fantasy. OK, so there were ways to access your email using devices like the Psion Series 5, or the Palm Pilot, but having email sent directly to your pocket, simply and easily came with the BlackBerry. In fact, we should really thank the fragmented mobile phone industry in the US at the time for this breakthrough. With differing standards and incompatible networks, the ubiquitous SMS communication that had swept through Europe simply didn't work in the States, so the concept of mobile email seemed to be the obvious answer.

Despite the fact that I still believe that there are relatively few people that need access to their email anytime and anywhere, it didn't stop the BlackBerry becoming a scarily addictive accessory for millions of us. Over time push email and BlackBerry handsets moved out of the corporate world, with consumers deciding that they too wanted email anywhere. Meanwhile other platforms started to offer push email services too, desperately trying to break the BlackBerry stranglehold.

By contrast, I think that Windows Mobile actually held things back rather than enhanced the situation. Microsoft's insistence that its mobile OS should look, feel and act the same as its desktop operating system just resulted in a poor user experience. OK, so for business users Windows Mobile isn't a bad solution, and it does pretty much everything you need it to, but for consumers it's hardly the most user friendly interface. The problem with Windows Mobile is epitomised by the fact that even now, there is no scalable browser bundled with the OS, leaving users to download and install Opera Mini if they plan on mobile browsing.

Credit where it's due though - if it wasn't for Windows Mobile, we wouldn't have seen as many advancements in mobile hardware. HTC for instance, is one of the most innovative mobile hardware manufacturers in the world, and if it wasn't for Windows Mobile, we probably wouldn't have seen half the smartphones that populate the market today. I guess it's fair to say that Windows Mobile was a necessary evil. And of course, there's always the chance that Windows Mobile 7 will be a streamlined, user friendly, stylus free affair - but then again, probably not.

Right now though, we’re seeing some of the best mobile devices to ever hit the market. As with all Apple products, there’s a massive amount of hype surrounding the iPhone, but for the most part, the device itself lives up to all the marketing and fan evangelism. When the original iPhone launched last year it really did change the face of mobile user interfaces, proving that you didn’t need a mechanical keyboard, or a stylus to operate a fully featured smartphone. More recently, the iPhone 3G has addressed many of the shortcomings of the original handset, while sporting a surprisingly affordable price tag.

But by the look of it Apple isn’t going to have everything its own way. The recently launched BlackBerry Bold is a superb smartphone, with a screen that’s every bit as captivating as the iPhone’s. However, while most corporate users will have trouble convincing their IT departments to support an iPhone, the Bold will slip seamlessly into any corporate exchange setup. Data rates on the Bold are lightning fast, while the integrated GPS is one of the best I’ve seen in a phone. And let’s not forget that the even newer BlackBerry Storm has just broken cover, which offers a full touchscreen interface, just like the iPhone - could this be the handset that bridges the gap between corporate and consumer smartphones?

Even an old stalwart like Nokia has made some pretty major leaps in recent months. The excellent E71 for example took the battle directly to BlackBerry when it came to corporate email devices, and even now, after the launch of the Bold, the E71 still looks like a very attractive alternative to the ubiquitous BlackBerry. Meanwhile, the N96 is continuing Nokia’s push into the mobile entertainment market, after the significant success of the N95 8GB. I doubt that too many O2 customers will be choosing one over an iPhone 3G though.

As if all this development in mobile technology wasn’t enough, we’re just about to see another major player enter the market and push the envelope even further. With T-Mobile getting set to launch its G1 handset, we’re just weeks, or perhaps days, from seeing Google’s much anticipated Android mobile interface hit the retail market. I’ve spent some time with the G1 already and so far I’m very impressed with what Google has brought to the table. Much like Apple with its iPhone interface, Google’s Android is a simple, fast and ultimately user friendly mobile operating system, that should win many friends.

It’s also worth noting that the G1 itself is a pretty decent handset, although it was inevitable that the hardware on which Android launched would play second fiddle to the OS itself. That said, it comes as no surprise to see that HTC is the launch partner, and I sincerely hope that we’ll be seeing as many Android based HTC devices as we see Windows Mobile handsets over the coming year.

With Android being open source from the outset, it also has the potential of evolving faster than any other mobile operating system, while also winning over hobbyist developers. We’ll have to wait and see how many hardware manufacturers adopt Google’s mobile interface, but judging by what I’ve seen so far, I can’t imagine that many would choose not to. One thing’s for sure though, like the original BlackBerry, or the iPhone, the launch of Android will move the game on, and push every player to make better hardware and software. And with that in mind, maybe the mobile industry is about to make good on its promise of fully featured, connected, mobile computers in all our pockets.