The Killer App For Wireless? Still Voice
The more things change, the more they stay the same. People have been saying for ages that the killer app for mobile phones was voice, and every time data services are slow to catch on, a new study comes out saying it again. The latest set of studies says that voice is still the primary money maker, and there isn't much evidence that data is going to bring in much revenue going forward. The only place where 3G systems have really caught on for data use is in Korea. Meanwhile, people buying phones say they still just want a smaller phone that works well for voice calls - suggesting that the world might not be ready for "smartphones" just yet. I think it's still early in the market, and people haven't really figured out what data is good for on a mobile phone. Most services still just insist on offering what you can get elsewhere and moving it to a mobile phone - which is not particularly compelling.Thank you for reading this Techdirt post. With so many things competing for everyone’s attention these days, we really appreciate you giving us your time. We work hard every day to put quality content out there for our community.
Techdirt is one of the few remaining truly independent media outlets. We do not have a giant corporation behind us, and we rely heavily on our community to support us, in an age when advertisers are increasingly uninterested in sponsoring small, independent sites — especially a site like ours that is unwilling to pull punches in its reporting and analysis.
While other websites have resorted to paywalls, registration requirements, and increasingly annoying/intrusive advertising, we have always kept Techdirt open and available to anyone. But in order to continue doing so, we need your support. We offer a variety of ways for our readers to support us, from direct donations to special subscriptions and cool merchandise — and every little bit helps. Thank you.
–The Techdirt Team