All these different devices are the same

While smartphone competition is heating up, many analysts have asked when Nokia will start using Android in its devices, instead of Symbian. Most of the answers to this question have been the same, how Nokia would then differentiate itself from all the other manufacturers who use Android? In general, how could a manufacturer differentiate from all the other competitors using the same platform? Here are two ways to do it, both of them I would highly appreciate as a customer.

Superior hardware quality

Thinking about Nokia, their hardware quality is still unbeatable. Take an E-series device and hold it in your hand, it feels rock solid and durable. Then repeat the test with - let's say - HTC Hero and you feel the difference. You might not want to do this, but drop both devices to concrete floor - which one is still working?

OK, I have had HTC Hero and touchscreen has now broken three times in a year and device is again getting repaired. That's why HTC Hero is used as an example here. And yes, I haven't dropped it to the floor.

How do you differentiate from competitors if all are using the same platform?

Make sure your device has better and more durable hardware!

Give an unbeatable support statement

No matter which platform the device is running, there will be new platform versions and sooner or later the device becomes outdated. New applications will benefit from new platform services and you are missing all those. When will your device get an update - or will it ever? Has the manufacturer forgotten its old customers? Here is again a good way for manufacturers to differentiate: make a bold promise to customers that they will not be forgotten and they receive new platform versions in a timely and expectable way. What this would mean? Here is a sentence that you are free to use: "If you buy this device, we will provide you new platform software within three months after the release or give you an immediate information if such an upgdare cannot be made because of a major hardware incompatibility."

How do you differentiate from competitors if all are using the same platform?

Make a statement that your device will be kept up-to-date, also in the future!

//Harri

Smartphone is like a car

When you buy a car, you are not only bying the actual vehicle, but also taking for granted you are able and allowed to access the whole travelling ecosystem with roads, gas stations, repair shops and so on. The car is your key to these services and if car for any reason is not able to access the ecosystem, it is not fulfilling it's purpose. Imagine a beutiful car that is not able to use normal road network; some enthusiasts won't care but for rest of us it doesn't sound like a good deal. At least it doesn't solve the problem of transportation.

When you buy a smartphone, you are not only buying the actual device, but also taking for granted you have access to networks, application stores, interesting media content, easy payment services and so on. Smartphone is the key to these services and smartphone without these services is like a car without the road. Some enthusiasts would love a great smartphone even if it is unable to communicate with the ecosystem, but that doesn't make a business case.

The magic equation is in this sense is:

hardware quality * software quality * services * price = terminal success

Nokia's recent problems have been in software and services, Apple's problem is the price and my recent Android experiences show that their problem is in hardware quality.

//Harri

Marketing with Ovi Store error page

Although Nokia during latest quarter sold more smartphones than before, they are loosing faithful Symbian customers to other platforms. Time to do something?

Some days ago I received from Ovi Store an SMS that promoted a local application

Well, I wasn't using anymore the S60 device, but HTC Hero instead. When I clicked the link from the message, it opened the browser and displayed a message

I'm not a marketing guy, but wouldn't this be a great place for trying to get a customer back? After all, this page is displayed to somebody who has previously owned and actively used a Nokia device but who has swithched to other manufacturer's phone. Opportunity to tell about latest news and improvements and make an offer for new Nokia phone?

//Harri

Wishlist to Mr. Sports Tracker

Dear Mr. Sports Tracker, I’ve used your application many years already; this is what I’d like to get for next Xmas.

Fix the constant application crash. Checked statistics for my latest 10 exercises and only one of the recordings has finished successfully. For the other 9 recording Sports Tracker has restarted the phone and thus stopped recording; I have a couple of times observed how phone suddenly restarts when Sports Tracker is running. It was quite easy to reproduce before I disabled the automatic phone lock after 30 minutes. When locking after 30 minutes was enabled, Sports Tracker sessions used to stop exactly at 30:02 or 1:00:04.

Add a “power guard” feature. Sports Tracker is very battery hungry application and even though I unplug my phone from charger just before I start Sports Tracker, battery will drain before I return home. I’d like to enable setting that closes Sports Tracker before battery has dried completely - that is also a security feature that would keep my phone usable if something nasty happens while I’m out.

Add reminders. For long and concentrated training sessions I’d like to get reminders that alert according to my wishes. For example on a hot summer day I’d like to get a small alert every 15 minutes that reminds me it is time to get some drink and an hourly alert that reminds to get some carbohydrate.

Allow preplanned routes. Allow users to plan their routes (with Sports Tracker website, Google Maps, whatever) and upload the route to application. During exercise Sports Tracker application can give to user simple routing instructions or warn if he is no longer following the route.

Add weather information. For every outdoor exercise I’d like to get automatically current weather information stored.

Get training accessories to your online store. First thing I’d like to buy is a reliable bike mount that would allow me to use my heart rate belt with Sports Tracker application. Using HR belt while cycling doesn’t work if phone is in jersey’s rear pocket; I guess bluetooth signal is just too weak to go through my body.

Final wish: get the new website running.

Just in case you didn’t notice: I didn’t write these features should be free. I’d happily pay a small monthly fee for the new SportsTracker application.

FYI: I use Sports Tracker (version 3.05) with N96 (firmware 30.033).

//Harri

I hope mobile identity won’t fail in Finland

Later this year - maybe - there will be mobile identity infrastructure setup to Finland, operators are ready to issue certificates to users and service providers are starting to offer the benefits of this ecosystem to the end users.

This all sounds similar to the situation that was in Finland at late 90’s when PKI (Public Key Infrastructure) was setup with high hopes. Later this system has been documented as a failure. I hope mobile identity project will not become yet another failed technology driven infrastructure project in Finland, but I can see some dark clouds.

User expectations will not be met

During last six months I’ve heard a handful of presentations about the new mobile identification system and all have included an idea that users will love the system because they no longer must remember tens of passwords to access their accounts in numerous systems. Passwords will be replaced by “secure and easy” mobile login. Unfortunately I’m afraid that it will not happen and users will be disappointed. Reason for my doubt is that MobileID transactions will cost for service providers and they can’t see the reason why they should pay for operators for every single login event. Instead of password replacement, MobileID will be used during registration to ensure user’s identity and after registration user will be authenticated with username and password, just like before. Also for special cases like password recovery MobileID can be used, but user who has hoped that passwords will not be required anymore, will feel fooled.

About user expectations: does somebody really think that most of the services will start using MobileID and developers for example in Silicon Valley are just waiting to get their hands-on experiences about MobileID? No, MobileID is a domestic system that will (or will not) be used by domestic solutions. Don’t expect to get rid of passwords anytime soon!

No exact information available

The system should be available next fall, but technical and economical information is not yet available. Operators cowardly refuse to say anything about the cost of joining and using the system, they only agree that using the solution will of course cost something. In Finland the price will most probably compare to Tupas-pricing, that is approx. 0.20€ per request.

Only for individual users with good income

In presentation slides the certificate issuing process looks nice, but that is only the case if you are a person who has signed a direct contract with the operator. If you are a business user and contract is made by your employer, what will happen? Nobody seems to know.

What if you are using a prepaid account and don’t have an agreement with the operator? Nobody seems to know.

Future proof until...?

When personal identification number was launched in Finland nobody was paying much attention to how it was used and stored - after all it’s just your birthday and some additional bytes. That was the case until it was understood that personal identification number identifies person in almost every system and that information can be abused.

Now with MobileID we are no longer talking about personal identification code but about FINUID (Finnish Unique Identifier) that is “just a piece of data that identifies the user, so nothing very confidential and it can be stored in systems everywhere to identify the user” (and also mapped to personal ID). Someday the same happens as with personal identification and the use of FINUID will be strictly governed and hence the use of MobileID authentication will require careful reasoning and so on... So please, don’t come saying that this infrastructure manages “only” FINUIDs that are stored to multiple transactions logs during the identification process.

My humble request for MobileID providers is: please, don’t create a WAP-like expectation gap between the hype and reality, publish pricing information ASAP, make system available for business and prepaid users and be more exact right from the beginning about allowed FINUID handling.

//Harri