Is the Smartphone Your Next Computer?
InformationWeek recently published a very interesting article titled, “Is the Smartphone Your Next Computer?”
Jennifer Chappell over at TreoCentral.com posted a great synopsis of the piece too with good commentary.
The article discusses (mostly from the software and use case sides of the equation) how realistic it is today for some members of the mobile workforce to give up their laptops and use only a smartphone. Smartphone software is certainly getting more robust (especially in the business world) and evidenced by Salesforce, Sybase, Oracle, SAP, Citrix etc. all moving to offer mobile apps and/or open up their backends to the mobile workforce in some fashion.
Will you be running Photoshop or editing movies on your smartphone anytime soon? No. But, today’s smartphones are getting fast enough for CRM, web apps, remote access etc.
The article didn’t talk much about the hardware or OS side. As CPU speeds pick up and mobile operating systems fully mature (as they are starting to do now), the notion of your smartphone becoming your only computer will start to make more sense not just for the mobile workforce, but for many consumers too. At that point in the near future, all of this will get really exciting. We, of course, are intensely interested in the movement and can’t wait to see how our future software and hardware iterations make each new wave of smartphones even more useful.
REDFLY is all about enabling users to take full advantage of the upcoming shift to the smartphone as a platform. One of the smartphone-s best features (its small size) is also one of its worst features during those times at home, in the office, or on the road when you need a larger screen and keyboard to get work done. That-s the problem we-re solving - both through our hardware and software.
The InformationWeek article quotes a RIM VP who spot-on declares, “The challenge that most CRM systems have is getting the people who need to use it to actually want to use it.”
That statement is true both from a hardware and software perspective. Mobile workers will fight using an app or piece of hardware that’s not easy and productive. For example, even if you give a field sales rep a mobile device and access to a web-based CRM app, odds are he or she will wait until back at the hotel or office to log visits and update information on their laptop or PC because it’s easier just to wait and do it later. If you put a 3G-enabled smartphone, a REDFLY, and a well-designed mobile app in users’ hands, they start to see how easy it is to log info during or directly after a sales call.
October 18th, 2008 at 3:40 am
Hi
we need a Redfly 2. The next version can be slimmer and have key that light-up in the dark. The current version feels a like quality product but you could plastics like in the ASUS EEE range perhaps to reduce costs.Also you should consider larger keys by making use of more function option (less keys overall but lager keys). Also I noticed that the Redfly is really WM-cenric in its design, I assume you may need a different model for say Symbian (three soft keys) and RIM.
October 21st, 2008 at 5:33 pm
I realise you probably cannot answer this, but I’m going to ask anyway ‘:-)
First a little lead-in:
I’ve been telling folk for the last couple of years that I’m sure our mobile phones will one day replace PCs. That level of processing power in a pocket-sized device is still a long way off, but Redfly, Microvision (www.microvision.com) and more are rushing us along to the day when we don’t need to carry our laptops on business trips - even developers like me!
So my question - what’s on the horizon for RedFly? Build in laser projector from MicroVision? Built-in graphics processor to enable video? Support for S60, iPhone and more? Wifi? Something else?
I love the compact simplicity of RedFly, but you know power users will always ask for a little more …
October 21st, 2008 at 5:38 pm
Oh - and I meant to include this link
http://www.crunchgear.com/2008/10/12/olos-iphone-powered-computer-a-redfly-for-apple/
The screenshot is believed to be a fake, since it shows OSX, but the principle is awesome.
October 31st, 2008 at 5:31 pm
Jah and Steve,
We have concepts currently in the works and many ideas for the future, but we are also the type of company that listens to customer feedback and will provide features in future products if the demand is there.
October 31st, 2008 at 5:40 pm
Yeah, the OLO site states that its just a concept for now and not a real product. Interesting concept for certain, but OLO will run into the same development challenges that we have.
May 16th, 2009 at 1:51 pm
I found your blog on google and read a few of your other posts. I just added you to my Google News Reader. Keep up the good work. Look forward to reading more from you in the future.