Today Google announced its acquisition of Grand Central Commincations. This past weekend, Apple launched its all in one phone. Is this really the trend of the future?
Over the past few days, everyone, and it does feel like everyone, had posted on how much or how little the iPhone will revolutionize and take over the wireless industry. Oddly, today Universal Music came out and said that it would seek to tinker its existing agreement with Apple over iTunes, suggesting that maybe, before the iPhone takes off, it could be grounded to some extent.
But as I was reading a lot of bloggers mention how “they loved the device they would still use an alternate device for work.” Michael Parekh came out and asked if his wife would love him with two devices around his belt. I thought that was pretty funny, and true.
In a later post, when he was talking about Google’s acquisition of Grand Central Communications, he wrote: “[People I call are] always asking which number of mine they should keep a track of, from the dozen or so different land-lines, VOIP lines, and cell phone numbers I use every day.”
That sounds funnier, and it might only be true for a slight percentage of consumers, but I think the iPhone is going to expand the wireless market in the sense that even if it adds a keyboard and does indeed go on to part the seas, I can see some people using an iPhone as a iPod + web browser/access point and have a separate phone for regular calls.
I know it sounds counter intuitive, but people, until we have a limitless battery life, I am not sure I ever want to run out of battery juice because I was listening to Lily Allen’s song for the 20th time in a row… or watching a WatchMojo.com video…
As I see it, a phone remains an essential wireless communication tool, an iPod is an entertainment wireless device whose battery can die and I won’t cry… and a wireless web browser device is a combination of both a work and hobby tool.
The point is, in 1, 3, 5, 10 years, clearly wireless is the way of the future, but until we can have limitless power, I am not sure if complete and utter synergy will materialize. After all, by the year 2000, even though cars had the technology to fly, it just didn’t make sense for them to do so, did it?
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