What would you give up instead of your favourite mobile apps? Chocolate, TV, pogo stick…well according to a study conducted by Apigee 85% of people across Europe would prefer to give up water rather than their beloved apps…

Yet another fun fact indicating how dependant people have become on their mobile device and this addiction is increasing…somewhat worryingly.

And this piece of info. leads nicely into the event occurring across the channel with the MWC bringing announcements that will shape the future. One of the more interesting reveals is the partnership between Visa and Samsung concerning mobile payments, this partnership has the potential to really boost mobile payments as an option at point of sale.

On this note Samsung has been for a while the talk of mobile as everyone discusses their meteoric rise in the smartphone market to become the first real threat to Apple’s dominance. With astronomical statistics around their shipment levels as well as general brand perception in the space they are cutting swathes through the Android competition with their Galaxy range. This has not gone unnoticed as many including their close partner, Android, seem to be getting a few jitters concerning this position of power.

Samsung’s brand association with smartphones has become so intrinsic that it is almost hard to remember that their product ranges run across a gamut of industries. This is not only a demonstration of their brilliantly designed smartphones but also reflects their marketing efforts where they’ve been clever at telling a story around their product while poking fun at market leader Apple. No doubt Apple will have noted these efforts while watching their share price drop…and surely prepared something in response when the time is right.

Moving away from the battle of the big it is worth remembering that there is still a considerable market for feature phones that represent the next battlefront. We shall surely see the battle move to these developing countries where operating systems and hardware partners will need to work together to offer low-cost, long battery life, functional handsets. It will be brilliant to see how these markets benefit and evolve the space via the application of services that would seem of minor importance to some of us; remote healthcare anyone?

Finally North Korea has a 3G network! Still not very accessible to most but major news and hopefully a step in the right direction. On that positive note please peruse some of the articles below to read more and have a great weekend.

85% of Smartphone Users Would Rather Give up Water Than Mobile Apps

Date, 26th February 2013

How addicted have you become to your mobile apps? Do you use one to wake you up in the morning — map your route to work or plan your day? Worse, do you think you wouldn't be able to do these things without using an app? Remember, there still are old-fashioned computers that help with some of these tasks.

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MWC 2013 in pictures

Date, 27th February 2013

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“Brands have a lot to gain by embracing geolocation based mobile strategies — and you don't have to be a big box retailer to benefit from doing so.”

Using mobile to find customers when they are ready to buy is important but it remains easier said than done. Nowadays, one of the biggest challenges for many businesses is to be and keep being relevant when it comes to targeting a customer at a local level.

What does that mean? Whether you’re a big retailer like Tesco or a smaller local one, the aim will be to make sure that all the offers your business is promoting on your customers’ mobile device are relevant to them.

Location has always been a big part of search but with technology improvements and a growing smartphone penetration, businesses cannot ignore location anymore and have to be clever in that space.

Moreover, it becomes even more relevant when studies are showing that the geo-searching customer needs immediate answers, especially when they are looking for a physical location. It means your customer wants to be there, hence why your local strategy has to be well established.

If you’re an Apple fan, you’ll probably find the article from Mobile Marketer (below in the update) quite interesting. Even though Apple is still doing well in the mobile market, the article is questioning the “showmanship” of Tim Cook, Apple’s new CEO and Steve Jobs’ predecessor. Many people in this industry have qualified Mr. Jobs as irreplaceable, and even if Mr.Cook is a talented CEO, will he have the same innovative and visionary streak Steve Jobs had when it came to launching revolutionary products in the market (first iPod, first iPad, first iPhone, etc.)? And will exclusivity of its products remain the priority for Apple going forward?

Additional mobile news made its appearance yesterday in the UK when Ofcom announced the winners of the UK mobile spectrum regarding the new 4G offerings. The results of the 4G bid have hefty implications for the future of mobile advertising. In the long term, they are all positive as users gain access to greater data transfer speeds on their mobile devices.

This addresses one of the primary barriers to mobile browsing usage by encouraging a greater audience to consume more mobile content as it allows for a more seamless experience. It has to be mentioned that in the short-term while this may not necessarily inhibit advertisers, benefits will be slow to arrive. This is due to the fact that mobile networks will have to find a viable way to provide unlimited data at a reasonable cost or risk a lack of 4G data plan uptake. This is something that has already been observed as EE struggle to attract users to its 4G service due to high costs and a lack of an unlimited data plan.

How to Make the Most of Mobile Local Search

Date 20th February, 2013

Brands have a lot to gain by embracing geolocation based mobile strategies — and you don't have to be a big box retailer to benefit from doing so. Companies are still trying to figure out how to best approach mobile local search by connecting online consumers to nearby businesses and boosting traffic to the physical store. Geolocation is nothing new, but as mobile wallet and payment options hit the mainstream, business will try to gain recognition in local searches more than ever before.

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Australia leads the way in tablet and smartphone ad share

Date 19th February, 2013

Australia is leading the way globally when it comes to share of ad clicks from tablets and smartphones, according to recent research from Marin Software. The Mobile Search Advertising Around The Globe report found that Australia has the highest penetration of click share from tablet devices (9.3%) and the third highest penetration of click share from smartphones (11.7%).

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Credit Card company American Express has recently been very innovative and ultimately pro-active in the mobile space. They launched a service that lets customers buy things using Twitter.

The new service would let people who link their cards to their Twitter accounts buy products simply by tweeting in response to special offers made over the service.

"You can turn a hashtag into more than just a conversation - you can turn it into a trigger that actually can spark commerce," says Joel Lunenfeld, VP of global brand strategy at Twitter.

On another note, Google and Apple, enemies forever, may find an expensive common ground. Google are willing to pay a potential one billion dollars to remain iOS’s default search engine. Maybe after the Apple map fiasco, they would be more inclined to take this.

Finally, the MWC (Mobile World Congress) will take place in Barcelona from the 25th February until the 28th and we will surely keep an eye on it. However, will this event end up being a little less interesting than in the past, like what happened at the CES? Because CES generated few mobile announcements, the question remains: will MWC fill that gap?

The cab conductor: reading Hailo's success story

Date 11th February, 2013

If you've ever tried to hail a taxi in a big city, you'll probably be familiar with the system of hopeful kerbside gesticulation -- and its typically low success rate. It's this urban problem that attracted Jay Bregman: "I have always been obsessed with eradicating inefficiency," says the CEO of Hailo, whose taxi app is now up and running in nine cities around the world.

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Google Could Pay Apple $1 Billion Next Year To Remain Default Search Engine On iOS, Report Says

Date 12th February, 2013

Apple and Google are enemies and partners at the same time due to asymmetric competition. According to a report from Morgan Stanley, Google could pay more than $1 billion in 2014 to remain the default search engine on iOS. In 2009, Google paid only $82 million for the privilege. Analyst Scott Devitt believes that it is a per-device deal growing every year.

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The difference between a PC and a touchscreen tablet has finally been toned down thanks to the new Microsoft Surface Pro. The Windows 8 device is among the best work Microsoft has ever done. It steps up where a classic tablet falls short, especially when it comes to using working software like the Office Suite.

As it stands, it is exciting to see a powerful machine finally stand alongside the likes of the iPad. Unfortunately, many experts are questioning its utility. Who is this tablet for?

“Even a well-executed Surface still doesn't work for me, and I'd bet it doesn't work for most other people either. It's really tough to use on anything but a desk, and the wide, 16:9 aspect ratio pretty severely limits its usefulness as a tablet anyway.” – The Verge.

At the same time, Amazon is going further than just device and operating system improvements and recently launched its own virtual currency! Kindle Fire users will now be able to make app, game, and in-app purchases later this year and use this virtual currency in the same way as purchases made with a credit card. It will launch for U.S. customers in May, and Amazon will distribute free virtual currency once the system begins. According to Amazon's rules, virtual currency cannot be used as currency exchanges between customers or for content that is available outside of apps and games.

Mark Zuckerberg previously acknowledged the mobile market as a key part of Facebook's business strategy as he wants capitalise on its mobile users. Facebook launched its Graph Search product last month as a mean of making search "more social". No one can say for sure how the monetisation of Graph Search will work, not even Marko himself. You may see Sponsored Results as part of the search suggestions but we’ll also see how it is going to fit with a mobile usage, perhaps local searches?

Last but not least, the Canadian company RIM – whoops, BlackBerry from now on – has finally launched their long-awaited new devices running on the BB10 operating system. “I think we’re off to a good start,” Mr. Heins (BlackBerry’s CEO) said in an interview with the Financial Post. The new BB10 phones will compete with Apple's iPhone and devices using Google's Android technology. The BlackBerry Z10 touchscreen device will be the first to hit the market, with a country-by-country roll-out that starts on Thursday in the UK. An interesting beginning of 2013 in Mobile.

Tablet Shipments Soar to Record Levels During Strong Holiday Quarter, According to IDC

Date 31st January, 2013

FRAMINGHAM, Mass., January 31, 2013 – Worldwide tablet shipments outpaced predictions reaching a record total of 52.5 million units worldwide in the fourth quarter of 2012 (4Q12), according to preliminary data from the International Data Corporation (IDC) Worldwide Quarterly Tablet Tracker.

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Microsoft's new Surface Pro: Windows on a new world

Date 06th February, 2013

Microsoft's Surface Windows 8 Pro – a fascinating combination of tablet and laptop – is the company's most innovative product in years. But I'm not ready to buy one, yet. After trying out a new Surface Pro, which has just gone on sale and usesMicrosoft's latest operating system, Windows 8, I'm putting it in the category of a fine Version 1 product.

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Considering the timing of this update I’m fairly sure everyone will know what is to be discussed…those that said CES 2013 are Correct! As Mike referenced in his previous update the community is abuzz with predictions around what awaits us in 2013, so we’d like to share a few fun predictions, courtesy of econsultancy, over the last one hundred years that missed the target completely.

-In 1948 Thomas John Watson, CEO and Chairman of IBM, suggested: “I think there is a world market for maybe five computers”.

-Moving ahead 25 years to 1966, futurologists at Time Magazine, said that remote shopping would “…flop – because women like to get out of the house, like to handle the merchandise, like to be able to change their minds”.

-Let’s skip to 1977 when Ken Olsen, the President and Founder of Digital Equipment Corp, said: “…There is no reason anyone would want a computer in their home...”

-And last year, the Global Head of Marketing at Dell more or less insinuated the iPad would fail. The media creatively translated his words to say in most headlines: “Dell executive says iPad will fail”.

Fun prediction failures aside something we have seen develop are phablets, the great name given to those devices that sit in-between smaller smartphones and larger tablets. Having been largely pioneered by Samsung’s Galaxy Note we have quickly seen user adoption of bigger smartphones and smaller tablets to the point that everyone else seems to want a piece of this pie. Along with the crazy tablet focus that now dominates tech chatter there seems to be a slight focus on creating mobile devices that can withstand extreme conditions. This includes Sony’s new flagship Xperia Z and a few ultra-sturdy tablets courtesy of Panasonic.

However there have been questions around the continued relevance of CES as we consistently move to a world where software and services become more important than the hardware. On the eve of the convention Wired even went as far as to say "As software matters more and more, CES matters less and less. The internet is already the world's largest trade show. Gadget blogs are the new conventions.” I still love CES but I do find myself agreeing with this statement.

But for now please peruse the CES goodness below and I’ll leave you with one of my future predictions (I intentionally don’t date it so I can never be proven wrong…) Say goodbye to mainstream cameras and dedicated handheld gaming devices as smartphones devour these spaces ;)

CES 2013: as big as ever, but is it out of date?

Date 9th January, 2013

The world's biggest consumer technology expo opened on Tuesday to a familiar scene: thousands of gadget buffs streaming down Paradise Road to the cavernous Las Vegas convention centre, eager to glimpse the devices and trends of the future.

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Will 2013 be the year of the phablet as phone screens grow bigger?

Date 8th January, 2013

Call it phablet, phonelet, tweener or super smartphone, but the clunky mobile phone - closer in size to a tablet than the smartphone of a couple of years back - is here to stay.

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2013 has come with its predicted trends and is obviously hiding a few surprises for us. As if it wasn’t enough over the past few years, 2013 has been announced (again) as the year of mobile. But we won’t waste our breath hammering you about how deeply the grand-grand-grandson of the original iPhone is currently changing the way you use your mobile device and therefore making 2013 the year of mobile.

Instead, we’ll focus on what companies should think of if they want to master a media channel which is now the main Internet access for the Indian population. In 2013, we’ll try to understand why the United States and Europe cannot fail with Mobile as a large part of their population is constantly connected, whether it’s via multi-screening, social media or simply via SMS.

More than just another year of mobile, 2013 will revolve around the use of data. Therefore, why not try to understand why and how your customers will interact with even more content? How will faster mobile internet connections influence behaviour around the world? Considering that, a brand will need to get involved in mobile marketing beyond just a mobile optimised website nowadays but must develop a proper cross-platform strategy (desktop, smartphones, tablets, in-store, etc.). How to understand and measure the impact of your TV ads that may be drivers of mobile searches or even in-store searches via free Wi-Fi?

Without a doubt, it would be rude and stupid to confine 2013 as another classic year of mobile when we are seeing big brands introducing consistent site navigation across platform, when the best designers are now bringing dynamic interface design into mobile web and apps, when checkouts process are being simplified not just on mobile but from wherever you are attempting to buy, and when the world is from now on lead, not by mobile, but by mobility.

Happy New Year.

Big data's 2013 challenge: making it small

Date 03rd January, 2013

Numerous trends are discernible in the predictions made for 2013. One of the most apparent: the continued rise of big data. What big data is, the roles it is creating and data management best practices came into focus for many businesses in 2012, but putting big data to use will likely be one of the biggest challenges facing companies in 2013. In a guest post on Econsultancy yesterday, Cognitive Match vice president Jacob Ajwani observed that "most marketers struggle with translating heaps of data into actionable to-dos".

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Poke: should you have more than one mobile app?

Date 03rd January, 2013

For many companies, a native mobile app is one of the most important parts of a mobile strategy. Unfortunately, although the costs of building native mobile apps are in many cases decreasing, building a successful mobile app is increasingly difficult. There are many reasons companies struggle to gain traction with their mobile apps. One of the biggest: trying to do too much.

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So the year comes to an end and as the dust settles Samsung claims the top position in the global handset market from Nokia. This is pretty immense as Samsung establishes firmly its position in the mobile market going head to head with Apple many times over the year. We saw patent lawsuits go wild, strategic acquisitions of major firms in order to shore up strategic IP, and great growth in the mobile advertising space as well as Android growing by leaps and bounds as evidenced by the ridiculous stats shown below.

"Click here to see the infographic"

It’s now all about predicting where we will be going in 2013. It’s not only about new things but very much about improving and refining what is already present. We’re going to see Facebook push more aggressively in this space, location become even more accurate and m-commerce further develop. But let’s leave the predictions for our first 2013 update and provide a few nice articles for the end of the year.

Samsung to displace Nokia from handset top spot

Date 19th December, 2012

Samsung is set to grab the number one position in the global handset market for the full year 2012, according to research firm IHS iSuppli.

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Samsung drops Apple sales injunction bid in Europe

Date 19th December, 2012

Samsung said it will no longer seek sales injunctions on Apple devices in Europe, against a backdrop of pressure from EU and US antitrust regulators for the smartphone industry to scale back its patent disputes.

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CNET Australia reports that Samsung’s marketing team posted a new display on Sydney’s George Street featuring a mud-soaked SUV surrounded by several pieces of ragged camping equipment. Next to the vehicle is a sign that reads, “Oops, should have got a Samsung Galaxy S III. Get navigation you can trust.”

Moreover, lots of people seemed to enjoy laughing at the Apple (AAPL) fans who camp outside of Apple Stores and wait in long lines on the day of product launches.

But jokes aside, even though this war seems to carry on, the mobile industry is now ready to handle a potential big shift for m-commerce. As Mobile advertising is taken more and more seriously we are seeing a market where handsets prices are expected to decrease in the coming years, with a more extended range of smartphones than ever as well as a tablet market getting ever more diverse. CNET reported that by 2017, affordable smartphones, or those priced below $150 with no contract, will account for a majority of sales.

The shift in the mobile industry isn’t good news for smartphone manufacturers, which are expected to see smaller profit margins as prices continue to drop. The market of the future is expected to become increasingly split between high-end smartphones that continue to be heavily subsidies by wireless carriers, and cheaper prepaid devices.

Let’s see how it goes in 2013…

52% of US smartphone-related searches happen before launch

Date 10th December, 2012

"Product upgrades, and having the latest and greatest devices are top reasons consumers purchase new smartphones. Google has been following smartphone launch trends since 2010. We found that search predicts smartphone sales, with over 90% accuracy. In this 2012 Smartphone Launch Predictor study, we uncovered several tips to forecast product success.

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Tapjoy Cruises Past One Billion Device Threshold

Date 11th December, 2012

Tapjoy has one billion reasons to jump for joy. Following September’s high honor of receiving the 2012 Mobi Award for Best Mobile Ad Network from Digiday, Tapjoy has achieved another milestone before 2012 winds to a close.

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Mobile: An Effective -- Yet Unloved -- Marketing Medium

Date 27th November, 2012

The promise of mobile marketing is staggering. And for good reason: Despite an overwhelming lack of enthusiasm for it, audiences respond to it. According to the latest AdReaction report out today from Millward Brown and its Dynamic Logic and Firefly Millward Brown units, one-third of mobile users report taking action in response to mobile advertising. Almost half report interacting with a brand on their mobile device following recommendations from friends or family members.

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Why the critics are wrong about mobile advertising

Date 2nd December, 2012

There’s no disputing we’re hurtling towards a true multi-screen society, and mobile is invariably cited as a problem child in this channel family. The standard argument goes that advertisers won’t invest as heavily in mobile as they do online because mobile ads are simply not as effective. After all, people don’t see mobile ads, or click them accidentally, and just overall don’t work anyway, right?

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What if Mobile Ads Don’t Catch Up?

Date 04th December, 2012

The mobile Web is booming. But the mobile ad market is pretty small. Short-term, that means ads that run on phones are much cheaper than ads that run on PCs — often by as much as 80 percent. That’s a well-documented challenge for the likes of Facebook and Zynga and even Google; the problem is just as real, if less-publicized, for other Web publishers.

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Texting SMS pioneer Matti Makkonen 20 years on

Date 03rd December, 2012

In a world first, on 3 December 1992, an engineer sent the message "Merry Christmas" from a PC to a mobile device using Vodafone's UK network.

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BT to battle UK mobile players for 4G spectrum

Date 12th December, 2012

Five UK operators have signed-up to take part in the country’s upcoming 4G auctions, reports theFinancial Times. The four UK mobile networks – EE, O2, Vodafone and 3 – plus fixed-line incumbent BT are said to have lodged their applications with regulator Ofcom ahead of a deadline yesterday, along with an initial £100,000 deposit.

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Why Smartphone-Obsessed Generation Y Can't Put Down Their Phones

Date 12th December, 2012

Date 12th December, 2012 The smartphone: man's new best friend -- at least for Generation Y. Wireless devices have changed the way we communicate, work and entertain ourselves. For many people in Gen Y, the last thing we do before we go to bed is check our smartphones, and it's often the first thing we reach for in the morning. It's basically an extension of ourselves. Cisco's third annual global Connected World Technology Report (CCWTR) focuses on whyGeneration Y, in particular, can't part from their smartphone devices.

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