Changing Memory Storage and World Mobile Markets

Changing Memory Storage and World Mobile Markets

In the chaos of uncertainty created by an even more uncertain global economic climate mobile phones are still pulling their weight. There is a huge range of reported stats available and two recent surveys pursue a similar statement, that is smartphones are out performing PCs.

The rise and fall of the personal computers identifies, in chart terms, current and historic trends regarding the supply of PCs. There is some debate about brand-name data not included in this survey, but despite that, at the top of the chart both Android and Iphone supply throws a new dimension regarding wireless devices being the product of choice for future personal communications and computing (PC&C).    

http://www.asymco.com/2012/01/17/the-rise-and-fall-of-personal-computing/

The Asymco findings lend support to the notion that smartphones compete with PC. But in what way might that be? Another survey results presented by Ad Age using material provided exclusively to them by Google is that Smartphones are outstripping fetaure phones based upon internet connection. That is due to smartphones more and more using the internet; ergo, smartphone are out performing PCs is one underlying trend. 

http://adage.com/article/adagestat/mobile-phones-overtake-number-pcs-key-global-markets/232304/

As interesting as this is, and I am sure it is welcome news and adds components for inclusion into creating a market trends barometer, it still remains silent that mobile phones in their various guises are equally being used for data storage. We learn this from the memory size of the memory cards providing the additional data storage. It is the latter point where I think a shift in the dimensions of future smartphones will occur. With improved integrated-scaled processsing all personal data and apps would be better loaded directly to mini smart cards found in today's smartphones. Research has shown these mini smart cards of 1Gb and above are easily adapable as mass storage device inserted into mobile (smart) phone - the SonyEricsson Xperia is a good example of storage to memory card. Issues such as PIM and confidentially are transferrable commodities and, let's face it, can be aggregated in mini smart cards. Research tends to supports this. Migration of text, other data, images, audio etc etc do not present that much of a problem. Indeed, offloading user content is more probably a boon for handset manufacturers than a detriment, where the focus on design enables greater emphasis on scaling improved RF chipsets to cope with the changing radio environment, enhance power (battery) usage and skew the user interface for adaption to users exposure to touch and enriched multimedia are just three areas of many that are improved by offloading resource greedy PIM, confidentiality and user content to mini smart cards. Significantly, the benefits of transferred content etc to any smartphone would reduce 'user discontentment' with the 'hassle' of coping/migrating content etc when moving from one make/model mobile OS to another. This customer-friendly move could mean handset manufacturers avoiding the finickity indulgences of pre-installed apps or games that rarely or never get used by the the broad demographic range of users and keep user apps like calendar etc on the handset to draw from the handset clock. Users can then download what they need post issuance of the handset into the marketplace. I wrote about user's profiling their own content back in 2006 and, generally speaking, there is some merit in my suggestion how smartphones are migrating in that direction, and by the huge range of selection and choice of apps that can be downloaded:
 
http://trewmte.blogspot.com/2006/11/vodafone-move-to-standardise-handset.html
http://trewmte.blogspot.com/2011/07/windows-phone-apps-reach-new-market.html