Was 2010 a crazy year for mobility or what? We start with ‘There’s an app for that’ as the new ‘Got milk?’ catch-phrase. Android devices are being activated at a rate of 300,000 a day. Apple changed the game again with the iPad. RIM and Microsoft showed some life with their launches of BlackBerry 6 OS, the PlayBook, and Windows Phone 7. And we end with Angry Birds is the new Pac Man!
So as we head into 2011 what can we expect? Here are my gourmet predictions for the mobile world, and of course some food related prognostications.
- Microsoft will buy Nokia. Why? Sheer volume. Windows Phone 7 will not help them catch up to iPhone and Android so as a result they will buy Nokia for its vast market penetration and device OS which is popular outside the North American market.
- Richard Blais will win Bravo TV’ Top Chef All-Stars. He was clearly the best of the season and he is on a mission to win it with his avant-garde southern style cooking – as long as he doesn’t freeze off his fingers with all that liquid nitrogen.
- The RIM PlayBook will revitalize RIM in the enterprise and PlayBooks will outnumber iPads 2:1 in airport terminals. IT will embrace it and frequent travelers will demand it over their laptops.
- By end of the year, developers will favor building HTML5 apps for mobile and desktop Web over building native mobile apps. HTML5 apps are easier to build, are cross platform and provide just enough functionality for good everyday apps.
- Korean is the new Japanese. No, Kim Jong Il and his son won’t take over the world, but Korean food is sure making an impact here in the States. On the west coast you have the Kogi truck with their Korea-Mexican fusion fanatics and on the east coast you have David Chang and his army of followers. The Korean foodie forces are moving inland–bibimbaps will be in Kansas in no time!
- There will be at least one major mobile virus or malware attack. It’s just too tempting for hackers. Smartphones and tablets are everywhere and users are less security-minded when using their mobile apps and devices than they are with their desktops and laptops. This will be a wake-up call to the industry.
- The Angry Birds series of apps will be the first billion dollar mobile app franchise, but I still won’t buy it.
- The Next Iron Chef America on the Food Network will be David Chang. Hey, I’m following through on my Korean theme.
- NFC (near field communications) will be the new GPS. Every app maker will try to make use of it in their apps.
- HP’s webOS devices show up late to the party and can’t get any attention. This may be the final go for the Palm legacy. We salute you for your contributions to modern mobility.
∞
Tags: 2011 Trends, Angry Birds, HTML5, Jason Wong, Microsoft, Mobile Gourmet, Nokia, PlayBook, WebOS
Those are some mighty bold and spicy predictions there Chef Wong!
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Bold and spicy is how I roll!
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Some good predictions Jason. (Go bold or go home right?)
A few people are predicting Microsoft buying Symbian next year. Not many folks think Microsoft ‘get’ mobile but how would that change if they bought a company like Symbian who have their own problems in the mobile space? You can always buy market share but Symbian’s is declining rather quickly – would that change if MS bought them? I don’t know..(this sounds a lot like the proposed AOL and Yahoo deal).
As for the PlayBook revitalizing RIM in the enterprise – I think it will definitely help them but I think their biggest issue still lies with their BlackBerry smartphones. I would have much rather seen RIM come out with a kick-ass BlackBerry than a tablet. Yes, overall the PlayBook looks amazing…but what about the tens of millions of people that want to upgrade their old BlackBerry to a smartphone that at least competes with iPhone and Android devices? I am worried that a lot of BB users will jump ship because their patience has run out. Here’s a good example of what I’m talking about http://engt.co/dRIEUG
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Once QNX finds its way to the BlackBerries (but not until Fall 2011 is my guess) then they’ll have those kickass phones. its a long time to wait is the problem…there are still a lot of BlackBerry users out there (55 million) who will wait a bit, but not a long bit.
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If mobile is a priority and growth area for MSFT they have to think big and bold. Buying a software company like Adobe would raise anti-trust questions, but buying a hardware company like Nokia would probably go over well with the regulators. Nokia and Symbian are still large market share leaders so there is an install base to work from, rather than trying to start from scratch. I haven’t read other opinions on this prediction so I’ll check out what reasons others cite. It may be tying 2 sinking ships together, but deperate times call for desperate measures.
As for RIM, I think because the PlayBook works through BB devices and the BES that it will help ease the pace of defection–especially if subsidized by IT. I totally agree with the benefits of BB, but do see the advantages of iOS and Android in terms of UI and UX. I can’t imagine RIM not getting the device right by 2H 2011 and the PlayBook will bridge them over.
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These are good food for thought Jason – it is going to be an exciting year with some tectonic shifts I’m sure! (I also think Blais will win Top Chef by the way)
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check this out: http://blogs.forbes.com/parmyolson/2010/12/20/nokia-staying-mum-on-windows-phone-7-rumor/
Nokia and MSFT working on WP7 phones? To be a serious player, MSFT will need to get into the hardware game themselves. Android has already won the hearts of Samsung, LG, HTC, etc.
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Check this out: http://www.mobilemasterscommunity.com/blog/mobile-observatory/the-convention-of-usual-suspects-partner-or-perish/
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[...] in December I made a series of predictions for 2011. Let’s look at two in particular, numbers 2 and 3–predictions for Top Chef [...]