|
Mobile web apps haven't gone main stream yet in the Middle East, the most popular mobile apps are SMS based or work offline. As more operators sign deals with Apple and RIM, I expect to see more a lot more users coming online on their phone. Do you think we are up for a big boom in the mobile web apps space in the Middle East ? Btw this is a recent article that talks about Blackberry vs iPhone in the Middle East http://www.itp.net/579109-blackberry-trumps-iphone-in-mobile-web-use |
|
I've always felt that mobile value added services in the Middle East have always been light years ahead of the US, and a few years behind Europe both in terms of technology as well as adoption. It's the one area where leapfrog often, and well. Granted, the iPhone was a game-changer in the US market and hence why 2010 is the year of the mobile web app. Also, as wifi becomes more of a standard feature on handsets the operator choke-hold is finally loosening and we can all be more creative with 'online' apps without giving 60% of our margins away and without the user running scared of mobile data charges. Nokia and RIM are pretty active in the region and are both working with local developers to promote development for their platforms, and I'm seeing a lot of creative apps being developed and we'll probably see a lot more in the coming months. Good examples were all the winning entries in the Bil3arabi content competition which Nokia ran a couple of months ago (shameless plug!): http://bil3arabi.callingallinnovators.com/bil3arabi/english/ Totally agree that region has been a heavy user of mobile phones much more then any other regions, but mobile web apps have been coming a bit slower ... Maybe it's because of the payment systems or maybe of the steep charges on data plans, or maybe lack of localized content ... Not sure which if any but it definitely didn't pick up as fast as I would have personally hoped, don't you agree ? Let's say I don't disagree! :) I think the key reason was the operator connection: data charges are half of the equation, but scare tactics against content providers were far worse. Either give up 50-75% of revenue to them or they block your IPs and terminate any other business you have with them. WLAN on handsets is the game changer. Now to monetize it - payment is a great point you bring up. Without the operator, how do you charge? |
Article makes complete sense given the great data plans operators are offering for Blackberry service - also proves that Apple's strategy of locking into single carrier per territory doesn't work in Middle East - our user won't switch carrier to get the iPhone, they're more likely to go get grey market illegally unlocked iPhone instead!