Mobile Industry Insider's Opinon of the Smartphone and Mobile Platform Landscape

This opinion written by Abdi  Zadeh, former REGARD VP of Professional Services...and redistributed here with his permission.  So, these are not my opinions, however, Abdi is spot on for the most part here...
Steve Beauregard
For the past 6 weeks, I’ve gone through an array of smartphones and tablets. I thought I’d share my experience:


Smartphone Landscape:

BlackBerry Torch: This is the phone that RIM should had come out with 12 months earlier than they did. Nice display, form-factor, and great battery life. This device won’t win any non-BlackBerry user over, but provides a nice stop-gap for existing BlackBerry users.

iPhone 4: This is great phone. Easy to use, good battery life, and nice form-factor. In fact, the only flaw is the lack of Flash support, which is quickly becoming a non-issue with the adoption of HTML 5

HP Veer: This is a cute phone, but definitely not for power-users. The form-factor is weird and the screen is too small. This runs on WebOS 2.0, which lacks quantity of apps. I’d wait for next generation devices from HP supporting WebOS 3.0

Samsung Galaxy 2 – Epic 4G: I really liked this Android 2.2 phone. Very nice touch display and full qwerty keyboard is nice for those of us that can’t type on screen displays. Battery life is definitely an issue, especially when the 4G, Wi-fi, or or GPS toggles are active. Also – the qwerty keyboard is too wide, making text-entry difficult with 2 thumbs (even for my long fingers). The accelerometer, which monitors device orientation and directional-navigation, seems to have some quirks as well.

Samsung Droid Charge: This is my current phone and I LOVE it. Incredibly fast 4G LTE with surprisingly sufficient battery-life. The Charge runs on Android 2.2, has a large touch display, and is extremely light in weight. The front facing camera is pretty cool too. My only issues with this phone are that main nav keys are hard buttons as opposed to screen-displays, which makes it a weird experience going back/forth from screen to buttons. Also – there’s no toggle between 3G and 4G. You have to use 4G where available.

HTC Thunderbolt: Hate it! Horribly outdated form-factor. It feels like a clunky PDA from Palm-4 days (late 90s). Battery life sucked

Samsung Focus: LOVE IT! I can’t believe Microsoft finally delivered a solid Mobile Platform. Running Windows Mobile 7, which introduces some new interactions with the finger gestures, the Focus provides new intuitive ways of navigating through apps and content. The battery life is on par with iPhone. The only negative is the lack of apps. The question is… can Microsoft win over consumers after so many horrible mobile platforms in the last 10 years?

Tablet Landscape:
iPad: This is still the best tablet out in the market. Best display, weight, form-factor.

BlackBerry Playbook: In my opinion, Playbook is the only device that comes close to iPad. Great hardware and experience. There’s a slight learning curve for new users, but once you get over it – you realize its brilliant design. What I don’t like; at 7”, I wish it were bigger. I also wish they would have launched with Android App support, which is expected in early Q4.

Motorala Xoom: A ridiculously overpriced paper-weight! The display is visibly cheap. When you hold it up to your phone or other tablets, it’s visibly less bright and sharp. It’s extremely heavy in weight and the power button is hidden on the back of the device (stupid). The processor chokes on interactive content, such as AJAX features.

Mobile Platform Landscape:

Apple’s iOS: Still the best, but others are catching up quickly. I believed that lack of Flash support would be their downfall, but with the growing adoption of HTML 5, Apple may have killed Flash. The only negative - for PC users, it sucks to be forced into using iTunes to sync/transfer content.

RIM’s BlackBerry: As a longtime advocate of the BlackBerry platform, all I can say now is that RIM’s days are numbered. RIM is so infused into corporate culture that it will be a slow death (ala Novel). They are trying to retain users with a big push in Latin America and Asia, but are hemorrhaging U.S. market-share. The Torch and Playbook are OK, but too little, too late.

Google’s Android 2.2 and 2.3: I’m a big fan, but they need to figure out their battery-management issues. They have the advantage of having multiple Manufacturers building hardware and interfaces for this platform, creating competition - which is always better for consumers. The funny thing about this is… Google’s Android Apps (e.g., Gmail and Google Docs) are really poorly designed.

Microsoft's Mobile 7: They finally did it! They finally put out an platform that wasn't ridiculously bad. In fact, it's pretty good. They introduce some new gesture interactions that allow for both vertical and horizontal navigation of content. The biggest challenge for this platform is the bad reputation Microsoft has in this space.

HP’s WebOS: I’m a fan, but have never seen any strong push or implementation of this platform. Since HP acquired Palm over a year ago – they’ve gone into hibernation. In Q4 of this year – we can expect new HP phones and tablets using a new WebOS 3.0 (with improved gestures for touch-screens). I’m sure HP will have a marketing blitz for developers and consumers. This is a very enticing platform for developers, as all you need to know is Javascript (even the native device APIs).

Qualcomm’s BrewMP: Stick to your hardware, chipsets, and Snapdragon Qualcomm! Mobile o/s is not your game! For a long time, I have predicted that this platform will die soon. I have inside info that suggests the time has finally come. It looks like Android will be the sole platform for Snapdragon devices.

BlackBerry WES 2010 - The Inside Scoop!

REGARD had a great trip to Orlando for BlackBerry WES 2010 and we are excited to be back in Santa Monica armed with a whole slew of new tips, tricks and tools that we can't wait to implement for you...

RIM's executives shared a number of inspiring announcements with us regarding BlackBerry 6.0 OS, BlackBerry App World 2.0, new device models and the BlackBerry Super App Challenge.  REGARD is very excited about the myriad possibilities to construct "Super Apps" for the our consumer and enterprise customers!

SUPER APPS: THE CHALLENGE
REGARD always loves a good challenge so we were thrilled to learn about RIM's 2010 BlackBerry Super Apps Developer Challenge with over $1.5 million in prizing!

Super Apps must deliver an engaging experiences for BlackBerry users by offering a seamless, integrated, contextualized and efficient UI. For example, Super Apps are always-on running in the background and listening for specific events, waiting for inbound data and triggering notifications. Super Apps are always-connected and should be tightly integrated with native apps. Using BlackBerry's open API to deliver even more customizable options than before, Super Apps can add custom menu items and data to the message list (or inbox), address book and calendar that can be easily accessed with just one click.

RIM co-CEO Mike Lazaridis astutely explained that the future success of mobile platforms will rest on quality saying, "It's who has the best apps, not the most."

REGARD has always been committed to providing our customers with the best quality solutions. We are eager to apply our knowledge to construct ground-breaking Super Apps that are stickier and intuitive and make users more efficient, socially connected and overall better looking ;-)  Contact REGARD today to find out how you can be part of RIM's 2010 BlackBerry Super Apps Developer Challenge with a variety of prizes valued as high as $85,000.

BlackBerry 6.0 OS
RIM revealed a sneak peek of BlackBerry 6.0 and highlighted a variety of new features that will improve functionality, productivity and user experience. They've revamped the homescreen and enriched the UI with updated native apps, universal search features, pull down notifications and a new media and music organizer. Another key addition is RIM's WebKit rendering engine which speeds up web browsing and incorporates multi-touch, tabbed browsing and a new favorites system. Aesthetic changes like inertial scrolling and elastic menus throughout polish off RIM's menu of new offerings.

BlackBerry App World 2.0
RIM unveiled its plan for the rejuvenated BlackBerry App World 2.0 (BAW) storefront for buying and downloading software applications which promises to optimize its users' ability to purchase and experience BlackBerry apps. BAW 2.0 provides purchasing freedom with host of new payment options including microtransactions and subscription capabilities that enable developers to capitalize on flexible pricing strategies to maximize their revenue. RIM also promised that they are close to offering carrier and credit card billing options in addition to their current PayPal payment system. The more efficient BAW 2.0 will be Wi-Fi capable, adds account management, search improvements and allows for more enterprise apps in the catalog. Best of all, App World will soon come preloaded on the home screen of all BlackBerry models shipping with version 5.0 or above.

With new ways to monetize, promote and optimize your mobile campaign there has never been a better time to extend your business into the BlackBerry mobile space. Now is your chance to launch your mobile apps to build your mobile reputation before the market becomes flooded with your competition. Be sure you find a trusted BlackBerry Alliance Partner that has stood the test of time to create high-quality, profit-producing apps to improve productivity, save time and increase revenue. Rely on longstanding BlackBerry relationships to help you strategically promote your brand and make a huge impact in the mobile ecosystem.

NEW BLACKBERRY DEVICE MODELS
Slimmer,sleeker, updated and upgraded - the newest devices on the BlackBerry block promise more bells and whistles than ever while maintaining BlackBerry's commitment to superior quality and functionality.

RIM announced the launch of the Blackberry Bold 9650 and the Blackberry Pearl 9100 and 9105. The Bold takes the Tour's place and replaces the dated trackball with an optical pad to easily navigate the 2.4 inch, 480 x 360 resolution display. Additionally, the memory has been doubled from 256MB to 512MB, it supports 3G speeds, has WiFi capabilities and is the first BlackBerry to offer OpenGL support for 3D graphics. Wow!

Not to be outdone, both Pearl devices will get 3G and 802.11 N WiFi support, GPS capabilities, 256MB of flash memory and microSDHC support. They will both be powered by a 624MHz processor. The 9100 retains the slim SureType keypad while the 9105 gets a traditional keypad.

Be the first to launch high-quality, user-friendly, integrated apps for the hot new BlackBerry devices that utilize all their updated capabilities.Partner with a company like REGARD Venture Solutions and be among the first to develop Super Apps - completely integrated, seamless and efficient apps that take your brand to a whole new level. We know what it takes to WIN THE CHALLENGE!  REGARD can increase your brand exposure and set you apart from the competition!