Google’s Nexus One:
Why the ‘Superphone’ failed*

*Ok, ok, failed may be a tad harsh, but if you call anything ’super’, you can expect a backlash when it doesn’t live up to expectations!

In a time when Android continues to go from strength to strength, what was supposed to be the landmark handset to earmark the operating system’s dramatic introduction to the market, the Nexus One seems to be slipping into the mire of Google’s ‘could have beens’.

Tipped to be the ‘superphone’ that would challenge and revolutionise the smartphone market, it has now be dropped by two major MNOs in the states, and has had absolutely no impact on the continual rise of Android. There are people who stand by the handset, continuing to herald it as the best handset they have ever owned, but unfortunately it seems that the majority have lost faith.

Only 20,000 handsets were sold in its first week, and other Android handsets such as Motorola’s Droid heavily outsold Google’s HTC manufactured offering. Goldman Sachs originally predicted that there would be 3.5 million Nexus One sales this year. Not long ago that number has been slashed to just one million. (read more…)

Isolate your Voters using Mobile – by the Conservatives

In marketing today, it is becoming commonplace for any which brand to build an iPhone app just to tick a box. To say ‘we have an iPhone app’ is deemed to be ‘cutting edge’.

Have brand managers and marketers completely forgotten the reasoning behind communicating with their audience, and the fundamentals of marketing?

I get furious when I see pointless applications hit the market from short sighted brands, with no consideration for market segmentation or consumer base, and the latest is no exception.

The Conservative party has just launched its iPhone application which will supposedly “help both existing supporters and floating voters learn more about their policies, connect with them on social networks and share political news with their friends.” (read more…)

My Handset History: 2000-2009

So what quantifies me as being mobsessed?

I do not think there is a straight answer to that question, but having over 15 phones in 9 years certainly goes great lengths to contributing towards it. Below you will see a rather lovely visual representation of my mobile handset history. These are the phones that stick out for me one way or another (plus there are some I cannot remember!) however the bigger impact they had on me as a mobile user, the bigger they are represented on the diagram. (read more…)

Welcome to Mobsessed!

To those of you arriving from the Mobile Advertising Matters domain, don’t be confused! This is simply the new blog of Carl Martin! If you are after some of my old material, you can still find it all at the old site!

In the mean time, please enjoy the new blog!