My thought of GSMA Congress 2010
This is not a Tech Blog so if you are looking for real tech coverage on the GSMA better go to site like Techcrunch or Engadget. In this my own personal opinion towards the show and what I experienced. Any use of this content is restricted before gaining my written consent.
Since this is my first time to Europe it is also my first time to GSMA. Timing wise, I got to say the organizer are pretty inconsiderate to Chinese. Chinese is one of the biggest population in the world. Chinese also plays a crucial role in the mobile industry. Being one of the most important event in mobile space and NOT considering the BIGGEST Chinese holiday: Chinese New Year is just lame and show poor global consideration. How will you feel if we host an important event at Christmas? Next year is even worst, you start at Valentine day? you people in GSMA assumes everyone in the industry are single pity nerds? Come on pick a better day!
I have been traveling extensively since Jan 2010, 2 times in India and right after my second trip I head out to Barcelona. I must apologize to my family and more importantly my wife going to be: Jojo. Sorry for not being home all the time and especially on a CNY. Thanks for the consideration and flexibility.
The event itself to me is pretty magnificent. This is one of the biggest event I have ever been. I am not sure how big it is but is pretty damn big comparing to any events I have been to. The location is also very unique, it is at the Barcelona Palace which they call Fira I believe. It have a very ancient and cultural touch to the atmosphere while the content are top of the line techie stuff. Almost all the big names in the tech world is here except Apple. In my humble opinion, this policy of Apple, of not being in these shows are starting to bite them on their ass. As being the leader in the industry and not being here seems a bit impolite and arrogant to the fellow industry players. No wonder they are words about everyone are all ganging up to bring down the giant.
Microsoft is showcasing their new Window Mobile operating system: Window 7 mobile. From the look it does seem to be very compelling and seducing. It doesn’t have an Apple wannabe look but more an Android / Motoblur with even prettier interface and display. Apple had revolutionize the industry by presenting a “FUN” interface and Window 7 seems to have grab this idea and run with it. Now how will it be in real world, one are bit skeptical given Window 7 Desktop are not that fun and it a hell of a resource hog. Unless you compare it to Vista, but then why the hell will you compare with Window Vista it is a totally failure! What interest my eye most is the showcase of the Xbox Live box on Window 7 Mobile… one wonder what sort and how deep the integration will be. If they do it right they “MIGHT” threaten the iPhone or even further revolutionize the mobile gaming space. Seeing how many people are attracted every time the booth have a presentation tells me this there is still some hope to the brand. If Microsoft did launch a “Zune Phone” or “XPhone” it should be very powerful… a Snap Dragon or High End Intel chip with Nvidia Tegra that 2 alone will kill any current gen iPhone/iPad/iTouch or even NDS or PSP in mobile gaming space.
Adobe also attracted me to spend some good time in their booth. Showcasing their CS5 which shows to have the ability to generate NATIVE app for almost every Android devices and most important of all: iPhone. It also seems this progress is very seamless and easy. I ask when will it be launching and the guy in the booth say to me, “Check out our history of CS launch date”. I dig it up and it seems it will either be April or October. Now will this turn the industry around like an iPhone punch? I doubt. Will this create splashes in the development circle, I believe so! Looking at the Appstore of Apple, lots of top app are actually popular flash game. With CS5 doing what it shows, this will kill this eco-system of Flash porting to Xcode business. It also allows more indie developer to join into the Apple platform with minimum effort. Developers which already have a flash game will most likely port their game to Appstore for another go. With all these happening, the lower price level and free game arena will become even MORE messy and deadly then it is already. Then the after shock will probably affect the engine developers like Unity3D. All in all let wait and see…
Motorola, HTC, Sony Ericsson and a couple more I will put them all in the same little corner. They are all trying to push out more phones but nothing eye catching to me. It is either the same lame OS or Android OS with some “so-call unique touches”. Nvida also showcased a lot of Tegra device which all runs Android. Asus also demo their new Nuvi phone which have Garmin embedded in it and of coz it run Android again… well frankly Asus, just focus on Laptop… ur phone is lack of design. The approach of embedding Garmin is cool if you launch before iPhone/TomTom…
Google’s Android plan seems to be working well as more and more manufacturers are adopting it. To Google this is a clear winning trend and will likely continue! Now for us the developer this is just a beginning of nightmare… Google also have a Android lab in the conference but from what I heard from some developer which went to the lab. The comments are pretty unify: is a propaganda. Learn from Apple, WWDC’s lab are not a propaganda is actually helping people to develop on the platform. seriously I think Google have lose it roots. It is not about the people anymore but themselves. If they care about developers do something not just keep growing in all different directions.
Samsung have the biggest booth. It is showcasing everything think from Laptop, Mobile, Semiconductor, Bada and lot more. In my eye Samsung took a more Apple approach with BADA really focusing on content and a sense of a controlled platform. Being an indie developer this might not be the greatest approach of all but it doesn’t mean you got no space. However for mid size developers this is a much better plan. Seeing all these focus, road map and strategy give them a more solid feeling to actually bet their cash and investment on it. BADA may be the Asia version of iPhone OS and I say MAYBE! This show for Samsung is pretty much all about the “WAVE” the first phone with BADA. I am confident to say this is the ONLY phone in the conference which give me the same snappiness I experience with an iPhone 3GS. Now this may be personal but I NEVER LIKE Samsung’s phone. It doesn’t have the stylish look of a Japanese phone nor the slick interface design and flow in the OS. Get yourself some good hardware designer from Japan and hire a couple Apple interface builder! That will then make a killer phone… think a JPhone with Mac like user interface… the thought itself is already an orgasm.
Powermat something that is interesting at the beginning but when you see the bulky shell it needs to add on your product your interest dropped immediately. I enter their booth today and guess what I saw? Powermat enable battery for lots and lots of devices including Nokia N series, Motorola Droid, Nexus one and HTC phones… basically the developer claims ANY external battery that is common in the market place, they will make a Power Mat version of it. So basically until iPhone is external battery we iPhone fans can all forget about this awesome device. They should actually make PowerMat for Laptop and make Laptop docks with it too that will be pretty awesome!
What also surprise me is the involvement of ZTE and Huawei both China company shows an extremely strong present. I never know they are so strong in the mobile space. I spoke to some of their staff and they all complain to me the lame timing of this event. GSMA com’on be a little bit more consider next time… Chinese New Year is very important to every Chinese. Anyhow good job ZTE and Huawei you made me proud to be yellow in this conference!
Oh before I forget I did saw something cool in Motorola. Is hard to explain in words but you can see in this photo. What it does is, the thing in front of my eye is a mini monitor, it have a voice recognition and some sort of accelerometer. For example I speak the name of a Photo, it will then open it. I then move my head to pan around the photo or speak zoom in or out. It is pretty Sci-Fi-ly and I had lots of fun with it… it is pretty techie it does look lame to common people but for me a nerd it is a cool device. Docomo however had a less “nerdy” look device: the eye controller (check video) BUT the usage is very freaky even to me a nerd it looks like a freak show… rolling your eye to control device? Who the hell think of that! I can’t imagine seeing bunch of people on the subway rolling the eye like they are processed by ghost or evil forces… think about it, “Stop music” is close your eye. Now listening blasting music in the street is not dangerous enough, you now want people to close their eye? This tech is a LAME times 10! Freak show all the freaking way. The only way that can be useful I can see will be for people with medical condition. Both techs seem to be a bit out of reach to the common world for at least another while. However Motorola’s one is seems more practical to common people.
Lastly and probably what you all are most concern of… are there hot booth babes? Answer is of coz there is but lots? no… hot? well lets just say I believe Barcelona have much hotter girls… Here are some I found…
OK I am stopping here is getting late and I still have a long way to go for the event…
Check Photo for this Blog post here:
Comments are closed
Comments are currently closed on this entry.