2007 will see mass consumer adoption of smart phones (i.e. More than 5M units sold). These are cheap blackberry clones - phones with mini keyboards.

In the US, this trend will be the thing that puts mobile apps on the map.

Why has it taken so long? The main barriers have been cost, screen resolutions and 3G networks. All those are now solved.

These trend-creating devices cost about $200, and will enable mass adoption of texting, mobile email and creative mobile applications. Examples of these phones include:

• Samsung Blackjack
• Motorola Q
• Nokia E62
• Blackberry Pearl
• Treo 680

Paul Kedrosky recently posted some stats that 2M BlackBerrys out of 7M total sold are in the hands of consumers, rather than business people.

This is my most obvious and sure-fire prediction for 2007, and it will have a huge impact on the way the whole internet is used over the next 3 years.

You are hereby behooved to get one of these phones or risk missing out on the next big phase of consumer web, social networking and search development.

Labels: 2007, mobile, predictions

¶ 12/22/2006