User experience central to mobile applications’ success
If feedback from the streets of China is anything to go by then not as many of us use mobile applications as many people perceive. It is a similar picture globally. Despite the vast range available, comparatively few of us are avid mobile application users. Is this about to change?
In a random poll (see film above) conducted on the streets of China, we asked people which mobile applications they use. Despite its unscientific nature, the results may surprise many given that smartphone sales in China have increased rapidly – we estimate the country will have about 800 million smartphones by 2015.
Most respondents, regardless of age, didn’t use any apps at all, while those who did used common social media and music applications.
The story is not limited to markets like China. Mobile owners globally seem to be in a learning process when it comes to applications. Ericsson’s Tor Björn Minde, who works with the developer community and applications at Ericsson, says there is one common factor that has so far prevented applications from going truly worldwide.
"In developing markets, you have to look at the devices which people actually own," he says. "Not everybody has a smartphone or can access a modern network, and that means using the full range of applications can be difficult."
"In western markets, finding the right application amongst the millions available can be a problem. In both cases, it’s fundamentally a user-experience issue that is holding back uptake."
However, with decreasing smartphone costs, high-speed network rollouts and new search and recommendation technologies dramatically improving user experiences across the world, Minde says this is set to change fast.
Applications could also play a significant role in Ericsson’s vision of a world with more than 50 billion connected devices by 2020.
"It may seem surprising to some given the number of applications that already exist, but we are actually in the very early stages of the application era," Minde says. "For example, you can now put an electronic tag on just about anything. I think there will soon be trillions of tags and we will be able to interact with them through our mobile devices. The possibilities for tagged applications are endless."
Minde says innovation in application development is crucial for developers looking to make a name for themselves in this fast-moving environment. He says that’s why Ericsson has its own applications competition aimed at young developers – the Ericsson Application Awards.
"There is a lot of competition and it can be tough to transform a great idea into a great application," he says. "The awards are a way for us to support developers and contribute to a healthy development ecosystem."
Minde adds: "In the future, one thing is for sure: Applications will be everywhere – and we will all be using them."
In a random poll (see film above) conducted on the streets of China, we asked people which mobile applications they use. Despite its unscientific nature, the results may surprise many given that smartphone sales in China have increased rapidly – we estimate the country will have about 800 million smartphones by 2015.
Most respondents, regardless of age, didn’t use any apps at all, while those who did used common social media and music applications.
The story is not limited to markets like China. Mobile owners globally seem to be in a learning process when it comes to applications. Ericsson’s Tor Björn Minde, who works with the developer community and applications at Ericsson, says there is one common factor that has so far prevented applications from going truly worldwide.
"In developing markets, you have to look at the devices which people actually own," he says. "Not everybody has a smartphone or can access a modern network, and that means using the full range of applications can be difficult."
"In western markets, finding the right application amongst the millions available can be a problem. In both cases, it’s fundamentally a user-experience issue that is holding back uptake."
However, with decreasing smartphone costs, high-speed network rollouts and new search and recommendation technologies dramatically improving user experiences across the world, Minde says this is set to change fast.
Applications could also play a significant role in Ericsson’s vision of a world with more than 50 billion connected devices by 2020.
"It may seem surprising to some given the number of applications that already exist, but we are actually in the very early stages of the application era," Minde says. "For example, you can now put an electronic tag on just about anything. I think there will soon be trillions of tags and we will be able to interact with them through our mobile devices. The possibilities for tagged applications are endless."
Minde says innovation in application development is crucial for developers looking to make a name for themselves in this fast-moving environment. He says that’s why Ericsson has its own applications competition aimed at young developers – the Ericsson Application Awards.
"There is a lot of competition and it can be tough to transform a great idea into a great application," he says. "The awards are a way for us to support developers and contribute to a healthy development ecosystem."
Minde adds: "In the future, one thing is for sure: Applications will be everywhere – and we will all be using them."
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