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Article By:
Andrew Sirianni

Tech Review - Mobile Devices

Tuesday, 18 December 2007

For some time, I have been asked by pharmacists as to the use of "these Blackberry devices". This is shortly followed by the phrase; "should I get one?". So I thought I would take this opportunity to discuss some developments in the mobile industry, including some information on the gadgets coming to market in the coming months. Make sure you read this before buying any Christmas presents!

I make no effort to disguise that I am a fan of Nokia and their products. However, other manufacturers that have created some buzz in recent months include Apple and Research In Motion (RIM). The focus of these two devices has been the introduction of multimedia and advanced messaging solutions to mobile devices; thus creating two new directions for the mobile market.

This article is not intended as a specific review of any mobile device. Nor am I intending to promote a particular device or service offering. As you read this article, I hope to inform you about what is available and instigate some thought of your own requirements, the requirements of your business and then let you decide what mobile solutions will meet your needs.

Seeing as their launch was the most recent, I will begin Apple and the iPhone. No one can argue against the attractiveness of the iPhone. It is truly a great looking product, leveraging off the consistent product design concepts of the entire Apple range, with particular influence coming from the ever popular iPod. It's media functionality, with rotating display, touch screen and widely acclaimed interface is a major selling point of the device. But as a phone, it does not make the standard.

Here are just a few things conspicuously missing from the iPhone: 3G (Note: 3G and 2G are references to connectivity speeds of mobile devices. 3G is equivalent to broadband speeds while 2G is equivalent to dial-up speeds) capability, a removable/replaceable battery, GPS (Satellite Navigation), expandable storage, a real keyboard, instant-messaging clients, and browser Flash support. The iPhone's camera is a 2 megapixel model with no flash and there's no built-in SIP client for VoIP calls.

I also take exception to the fact that Apple is SIM-locking these very expensive phones. This is not a free phone whose true cost price needs to be recouped by tying the customer to the offering carrier's network, so there's really no acceptable excuse for locking people into a single carrier like this. Thinking consumers like choice and Apple is all about taking that away.

Another point to note, is that Apple's touch screen was eclipsed to market by LG who produced a similar looking/functioning interface some several months before Apple's launch.

In addition to these pitfalls, one would have to be cautious of a phone in which the sale price was dropped by US$200 two months after launch. The main reason behind this was that the sales targets set by Apple and AT&T were not met in the initial launch - despite the hype on the product.

Another device of much hype is the Blackberry device produced by Canadian manufacturer RIM. I must admit that I have not had extensive experience with using the Blackberry device. However, I have spoken to many users of Blackberry devices, (both avid fans and disappointed users), and had sufficient use of a range of different devices to make some comments of the product.

My biggest concern with the Blackberry devices is that they were born out of an environment in which network connectivity was not fully functional or integrated. In North America, mobile networks, (until more recent times), have not been interoperable across different regions. This meant that mobile users on the east coast of the US could not access networks on the west coast of the US due to compatibility issues and a lack of roaming connectivity across the networks. While the problem is being alleviated, the issue created a need for communication when travelling away from your normal network connectivity - hence the Blackberry network was created. Under the Blackberry network, a phone/device has two connections, the mobile connection and the Blackberry connection. This means that if the mobile connection is incompatible or unavailable, the Blackberry connection will ensure continued channels of communication. However in every region outside the US, operators are interoperable.

In Australia, Asia and Europe mobile connectivity is miles ahead of the US and Canada where mobile connectivity has been significantly lagging. Hence, I do not see the need for creating two separate networks to manage functionalities that are better supported on 3GSM networks that exist in Australia.

While I disagree with the delivery of messages, the messaging solutions for a Blackberry are great. It is easy for a novice to activate email accounts for the Blackberry and messaging is seamlessly integrated into the phone. However, there is limited management of messaging features, (messages are automatically pushed to your phone), meaning that you can't escape the "umbilical chord" of work. I have also noted that Australian users of Blackberry phones have commented on a reduction in call quality when changing over from more conventional mobile devices. Additionally, I find that there is a significant learning curve in use of the device, often hampered by the tiny QWERTY keyboard.

As I stated from the outset, I am a Nokia fan. They seem to hit every nail on the head, and meet the demand of customers at a time when networks can support additional features. I have and still use a range of their devices on a regular basis ranging from lower end models to their most comprehensive suite of business tools. In my opinion, there is a reason why Nokia is the leader in sales of mobile devices (by far) because:

They provide what the market needs when the networks are capable of supporting the features; and
Their innovations are significant advancements across the board, not gimmicks that result in reduced phone functionality.

Table 1
Worldwide Mobile Terminal Sales to End-Users in 2Q07 (Thousands of Units)

Company	2Q07 Sales	2Q07 Market Share (%)	2Q06 Sales	2Q06 Market Share (%)
Nokia	99,958.6	36.9	77,748.1	33.7
Motorola	39,486.1	14.6	50,532.7	21.9
Samsung	36,191.8	13.4	25,757.5	11.2
Sony Ericsson	24,317.5	9.0	15,308.9	6.6
LG	18,433.4	6.8	14,639.6	6.3
Others	52,484.1	19.3	46,764.1	20.1
TOTAL	270,871.5	100.0	230,750.9	100.0

Note* This table includes integrated digital enhanced network (iDEN) terminals. It excludes original design manufacturers to original equipment manufacturer shipments and Code Division Multiple Access Wireless Local Loop (CDMA WLL)
Source: Gartner (August 2007)

I have just purchased a Nokia e90 communicator as the replacement for my Nokia 9500 communicator and must say I am very impressed. Within 20 minutes from my first power up, the entire settings, contacts, calendar and email items from my 9500 had been transferred to my new e90. Additionally, I had activated GPS, activated video calling and was browsing the web at 3.5G speeds.

The phone is bursting with functionality, which makes it quite a heavy unit (210 g) for its size, which is considerably smaller than the 9500. Apart from quad-band GSM, it also offers the much-vaunted 3G functionality, which means that it can be used on UMTS/HSDPA networks. In addition, there's a GPS with directory assistance and navigational directions, Bluetooth, (E)GPRS, 802.11b/g WLAN (Wireless), a SIP client for VoIP calls, voice-dialling, spoken menus, a 3.2 megapixel camera with flash and even an FM radio. In actual fact, there are two cameras; there's an extra one on the inside for making video calls.

The phone is actually smart enough to decipher emails and text messages and read them to you over it's speaker. It also has a functionality that allows it to automatically detect the existence of a wireless network. In the instance of a network availability, it will switch from the GSM to the wireless network and route phone calls over VoIP to save you costs!

Additionally, you can install one of two additional messaging solutions that blow the competition away. The first is the Blackberry component - allowing you to run Blackberry instant messaging and email from the Nokia device. The second is a Microsoft Exchange component that allows for Blackberry-like instant messaging, but with a Microsoft Exchange email system. In the latter component, calendar items and contacts are all automatically synchronised on-the-fly with the Exchange server.

The downside of all this functionality, is that the phone is a brick. It's a large, heavy device that takes some getting used to.

In my opinion, it is a category killer. In this day and age, unless a manufacturer comes out with something that evolves and advances technology, it should not be provided with the marketing hype that we are seeing as common place.

So where to next? I take you back to a previous article I wrote on Understanding IT. When considering IT, it is important to first understand the goals you are wishing to achieve both from a personal and professional aspect. The next step is to consider IT solutions that will best help you achieve these goals. These same considerations exist when considering a mobile device.

Ask yourself the following questions:

What features am I likely to use on a regular basis?
What connectivity solutions do I require?
What media am I likely to use my mobile device for?
What connectivity does my mobile phone plan allow for and what are the costs of this connectivity?
What is the cost/benefit of achieving these results?

To discuss further, please visit Medici Capital's Knowledge Base at http://experts.medici.com.au. We have established a technology section to allow for technology questions, articles and comments to be made by pharmacists.