Another week, another stack of stories to whet your appetite for all things mobile. Rumours are circulating that Apple may be developing a 4-inch smartphone for release next year, and it’s been revealed that smartphones, mobile operating systems, apps and services generate a huge £73 billion in revenue across the UK, Germany, Italy, France and Spain each year. News reports have also revealed that mobile search is expected to overtake desktop search as soon as next year.
Here are my top three mobility stories from the past week:
A new report by Ofcom has warned that while good progress is being made across the UK in rolling out digital communications services, more needs to be done to improve broadband access across rural areas and decrease urban black spots. The independent regulator is planning to introduce an obligation for 4G coverage to reach 98% of the UK, but is yet to reveal a timeframe.
Retailers looking to attract mobile spend this festive season should take heed of new research by Dynatrace, which reveals that 36% of UK smartphone users would abandon a purchase if the website failed to load in less than three seconds. It also highlighted that 44% of people will shop mostly online and via mobile this Christmas, while 31% will opt for a combination of mobile, online and in-store shopping.
Vodafone has revealed plans to boost speed and capacity across its 3G and 4G networks through a deal with advertising giant JCDecaux. They’ll use small-cell technology hosted on billboards and bus stops. Vodafone will handle the deployment of technology while JCDecaux will manage how the equipment is housed.
I’d love to hear your thoughts on these stories – does a slow mobile shopping experience put you off? Can small-cells really solve the coverage problem? Let me know by tweeting @GrahamFranklin or @CiscoUKI
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