I was asked a question about mobile in Africa by PhoneBoy on Twitter the other day, “Way more mobile phones than computers in Africa, no?”

My response: “Way more. Computing is predominantly mobile here.”

In other words, mobile is the first and only computer many Africans have ever owned or used. I know this is not true in Victoria Island, Abuja, Pretoria and business centres of our cities in general. But move outside of those cities, and voila, it is mobile and nothing else for the most part.

PhoneBoy’s response was a clincher: “Funny even with computers all around me, I do most of my personal computing on my mobile.”

That rang a bell with me. I have PCs around me both at home and at the office, yet most of my personal computing is done on mobile too. The point is that mobile has advanced to the point where it is so compelling that even when there is access to Desktop and notebook/netbook PCs, the natural inclination is likely mobile.

I recently decided on an experiment: get rid of my PCs and attempt to do all my personal computing on mobile (smartphone and tablet). I am convinced that I can get away with it. A few people have expressed reservations about it though.

But you know me, I dare things that most others won’t attempt. Remember how I ran a webhosting business on a Nokia 9500 Communicator ALONE some years back? Today’s tablets are even more capable than that. So, why not?

Wish me luck!

PS: You should follow PhoneBoy on twitter. He has rich experience and insights in mobile.

The debate about what smartphone OS is the best has been an ongoing and heated one. Is there a general best smartphone OS?

I don’t know if I am alone on this, but picking a single mobile device that suits my needs and meet my budget can be a very challenging task. I have moved from one mobile phone to the other in search of the smartphone that will meet my need just because I do not want to carry more than a single device.

How Did I Get Here?

Before I get into the meat of this article, permit me share a vital point with you.

I have however noticed how some people push for a particular device (or operating system) recommending it to others without first finding out what the unique needs of those people are. I think this is shortsightedness.

To make it clear, you may want to read this piece by Rita. She wrote about her unique needs as someone who resides in Lebanon.

She had once stayed in Paris where she enjoyed high-speed internet, both on wi-fi and on mobile internet (unlimited data). On moving back to Lebanon, she had to stay within a 150mb to 200mb internet data window per month.

200mb per month!? I don’t know how I can use 200mb in a month on my former Samsung Galaxy S2. Yes, former. You see, I have traded my Samsung Galaxy S2 for a Nokia N8. All these adventures of mine have given me a broad perspective about my needs and how different mobile phones can meet them.

Before you blindly go ahead and pick an Android, iPhone or a Windows Phone, please hear me out. You need to weigh your needs and pick your device based on accurate information available.

Why did I switch to the Nokia N8?

These are MY OWN reasons. Note: I am not trying to say that the Nokia N8 is the best phone for everyone. I am sharing from the perspective of MY needs. Those who share my views and have similar needs with me can then hop on a similar device.

1. The N8′s power lasts longer than my Samsung Galaxy S2, even if I use them for the same period. I have used the Nokia N8 for more than two months previously. This is my second time of buying it.

2. The internet data management on the N8 is minor. It is not as data hungry like the Android powered Galaxy S2.

I found out that I use between 2GB to 4GB on my mobile monthly. I download and try different applications, Youtube videos, pictures and sometimes tether my internet with other people’s devices and my PC.

I found out that the Samsung Galaxy’s power and data management was digging too deep into my pocket, as I do not have access to Wifi. All my internet needs are supplied by mobile internet data subscriptions. I would have kept the Samsung Galaxy S 2, got an extra battery (since the battery is replaceable) assuming I have access to free wireless internet.

3. The N8 is not as pricey as iPhone 4 or iPhone 4S, which were also on my list of options. I tried the iPhone 4 running iOS 4 for 24 hours and was impressed with the battery performance. I will eventually get an iPhone, but for now I do not have a budget for an iPhone. You know we do not get iPhones on contract packages here in Nigeria. We have to buy them cash down.

4. The Camera is superb. Not just because it has a 12 megapixel camera. The N8 simply shoots amazing pictures.

5. I can use one of my most preferred applications that is available only on Symbian – Gravity.

Things I am going to miss while using the Nokia N8

1. I will miss the swift and very fast UI of my Samsung Galaxy S2 (But I will save money and use less internet data now)

2. The productivity apps that I have grown fond of — Springpad, Evernote, Anydo, Bufferapp, Facebook for Android, Dolphin browser, plus the ability to download and read PDFs easily without stress.

Moving On

I hope to keep this Nokia N8 for a very long time. Even when I pick my next phone, which would most likely be an iPhone, the Nokia N8 will still remain with me.

There will always be a battle between fans of different OSes till the Lord’s kingdom comes. However, when we engage in those debates, let us keep things in perspective. We must consider specific factors in specific scenarios.

Many respondents were of the opinion that the smartphone market would yield greater returns for a long time. I deliberately kept quiet though I disagreed with that general flow of thought.

Well, we have it on good authority from Forbes that the feature phone market is now more profitable than the smartphone market. Here is how the Forbes article opens the subject:

For many handset vendors, the world has turned upside down. Nokia‘s $40 feature phones are vastly more profitable than Sony Ericsson‘s $200 Android models. This is not how the smartphone revolution was supposed to turn out.

Well, that didn’t take long! Just about four weeks after my article.

Yes; the feature phone market is shrinking, but also consider that there are now very, very few feature phone manufacturers (almost everyone has abandoned that field for smartphones), and your guess is as good as mine who are benefiting from this shift.

Most people will agree with the Forbes article that this is not how the smartphone revolution was supposed to turn out. Not me. I saw this coming.

Read the full Forbes article

No; the Nokia N9 is not MeeGo. It is just branded MeeGo.

Anyway, Nokia pulled out, Samsung jumped in with intel and a couple of others – and the platform got the new name Tizen. I don’t know about the name though. It sounds…. sigh.

Anyway, before that time, Samsung had been working on Bada as a mobile OS for low and medium end devices. Baba has done fairly well with a number of devices numbering over a million in the market till date.

However, from this year, Bada is to be merged into Tizen by Samsung. Samsung has promised that the current Bada applications and the SDK will be backward compatible with the new OS.

Tizen’s development environment will be largely based on HTML5 which is rapidly becoming the preferred development environment for mobile apps and services.

Apparently, Samsung intends to continue their multi-platform strategy, supporting Android, Windows Phone and Tizen platforms in their different range of mobile products.

A number of Tizen smartphones are expected from Samsung this year. Now, that’s fast. Why was MeeGo development so slow? Why did it take nokia so long to produce a MeeGo phone – and then it turns out that it is not actually MeeGo, but Maemo/Harmattan?

Will we ever have answers? But then, does it really matter anymore? Life goes on.

I have used a number of LG devices – both smartphones and feature phones – in my time. at the moment, we have the LG C660 Optimus Pro here at Mobility Towers. It is a device that we all like here, and I have sang its praise here.

However, for the life of me, I have not been able to get it to connect to a PC.

For one, the LG C660 Optimus Pro is not listed on the support pages.

After running in circles around LG’s support website, I finally found a PC Suite to download (and the labelling was not clear enough to assure me that it would work with the C660). Well, after installation, it has refused to work.

With other LG smartphones that I have used in the past, connecting with PC has been a hit-and-miss affair.

This is 2012. LG needs to work on this.

For now, I cannot check for the availability of any update for the Optimus Pro, because I can’t get it working with my PC. I cannot move files from the device to PC, and vice-versa either.

LG make some of the most affordable android smartphones around here, but this…. this is not very encouraging.

Anyone had better luck than I have?

Of course, such a limited viewpoint does not portray the full picture – the true picture – of things.

The Statistics

At the time of writing this, there are over 170 modern mobile phone models with hardware QWERTY keyboards in the market. This includes feature phones, as well as smartphones from all platforms except iOS – Bada, Android, Symbian, MeeGo, WebOS, BlackBerry and Windows Phone.

These manufacturers know that there exists a market for hardware QWERTY devices, and wisely ensure that this market is not neglected in their line-ups.

All these manufacturers are releasing hardware QWERTY devices for all classes – low-end, mid-tier, and high-end. They are releasing candy-bar QWERTY devices and slider QWERTY devices alike too.

Around this time last year, I wrote an article on how it looked like QWERTY bars had been left in the hands of RIM/BlackBerry. Apparently, other manufacturers have wizened up to reality and are now pushing QWERTY bars with more vigour.

Pros And Cons

There are arguments for and against hardware QWERTY keyboards. We can argue the pros and cons all we like, but here is the most powerful factor – people will use what they want (or like), regardless of the pros and the cons.

Here is an excerpt from an article on Android Authority on the Best QWERTY Android Phones in 2011:

We happen to believe that QWERTY smartphones are craved for by mobile enthusiasts. An Admob report in 2010 showed that 54% of Android traffic was driven by devices that feature a full QWERTY keyboard. It’s hard to deny that a huge amount of people still want a powerful smartphone with a physical QWERTY keyboard.

This is interesting, as the Admob report echoes my observations on the subject – QWERTY devices are not going anywhere.

Yes; its hard to deny that a huge amount of people still want physical QWERTY keyboards. Yet, somehow, some still flat-out deny it.

Choice. Preference. Taste

SWYPE is awesome; yes. Onscreen QWERTY keyboards have improved tremendously; yes. But there are those who want hardware QWERTY and nothing is going to change that. This phenomenon is called choice. Preference. Taste. The last time I checked, it was a good thing.

Those who think that speed is all there is to the argument are wrong. If that were true, nobody would buy trucks or SUVs or city cars. Everyone would buy sports cars and roadsters instead.

Some men like their women lean and trim. Others prefer them with some extra flesh. Same goes for the women-folk.

In the end, a lot boils down to taste. That’s the way the world works. That’s the way humans are.

Personally, by default I will take a hardware QWERTY device over a touchscreen-only device. Not that I think the latter is inferior. In the same way, there are those who won’t touch a hardware QWERTY smartphone either.

If Apple were to release an iPhone with a hardware QWERTY, chances are that I would purchase one. Yes; I am hardware QWERTY like that.

In their line-up of best QWERTY Android smartphones of 2011, the Android Authority guys added, and I firmly agree:

QWERTY smartphones aren’t dead as some claim. It’s a booming ecosystem, in fact.

Those who claim that the hardware QWERTY on mobile is dead are seriously mistaken or comfortable in their denial. It is actually alive and well. The figures speak clearly.

Wake up, guys; the hardware QWERTY is alive and well. Comments welcome!

Compared to the other modern Operating Systems (OS), the Symbian User Experience (UX) is not as exciting and productive. Symbian lacks very little apart from this. Symbian is resource efficient, does multitasking well, and generally gets the job done.

Note that this un-intuitiveness obtains mainly on pre-Belle Symbian versions – Editor

I have often contended that no matter how wonderful an OS Interface is, or how much capable it is out-of-the-box, there will always be some lapses. This is where third-party applications fill the gap.

Hauling a smartphone around without making full use of the power of third-party applications is like permanently driving a V8-powered special Utility Vehicle (SUV) at a maximum of 40Km/hour on macadamized expressway. Hardly what it is built to handle!

Occasionally, I have been tempted to purchase a device powered by iOS/Android (Fruit & Robot). After all, variety is the spice of life. But that temptation is usually momentary. I end up asking myself, What UX can Fruit & Robot furnish that my Symbian-powered touchscreen device can not?

I am still struggling to discover this. Conversely, are there certain functionality available on Symbian that the Fruit & Robot lack? I know of a few.

I employ mercenaries (third party apps) to supercharge my aged Symbian-powered (s60 version 5th) Nokia 5800. Using these, I have not been able to justify being unfaithful to Symbian.

There are activities that we performance frequently on our devices. These activities should be accessible from ANY application. I attempt to highlight a few elegant applications that I employ on my Nokia 5800 to enhance my user experience, and mimic the Fruit & Robot OSes. This is not exhaustive.

With ‘DzSoft SettingBar’ installed, I can drag down from the top of the display. A screen pops up, allowing the following activities:
- Tweak profile settings
- activate silent and Offline mode,
- Turn bluetooth setting,
- Directly adjust screen brightness,
- Engage WLAN,
- juggle the music controls
- show the current time and battery status.

Settings Bar

More interestingly, I am able to specify a maximum of five (5) applications/functions which can be invoked at any time – from any screen.

On my device, I have set those 5 slots to :
- ‘Home Screen’,
- ‘Settings’,
- ‘Messages’,
- ‘Contacts’
- ‘PhoneRotate’ (allows changing the phone screen orientation – at any point – without turning on the orientation sensor, which wastes battery power)

FIVE IS NOT ENOUGH
Of course, you are probably thinking: Just five application slots? That is not adequate! Enter ‘SmartPhoneWare Instant Menu’.

Instant Menu

The applications I have assigned to ‘InstantMenu’ are the following: MsDict Viewer – (multi_dictionary application from MobiSystems Inc).

Kylom Project (outline application).

EpocWare ‘Handy Calendar’ (Appointments, reminders, etc).

Sticky Notes – ubiquitous electronics stick-it notes.

To further embellish instantaneous accessibility to my phone applications, I make use of JBak TaskMan.

Jbak Taskmanager

The last software that I utilize is Usanov-Kornilov Nikolay’s QuickLaunch. This application allows you to specify five (5) application icons that popup on your touchscreen – in the usually anytime, anywhere fashion.

The apps I have assigned to QuickLaunch are:

- UC Mobile Browser (surprised?)
- LonelyCatGames X-plorer
- Opera Mini – better known than ‘money’!
- Quick Office – a versatile office application

LOCKING MADE EASY
We often need to (un)lock our device several times during the day. I have avoided using any of the physical keys on my Nokia 5800 – they will eventually fail. I prefer instead to use software solutions.

The camera, powerOff, (Un)Lock, Call (Green), Terminate (Red) and Menu (white) buttons have been permanently on holidays on my device. I do not use them (does that remind you of the buttonless Nokia N9?).

The ‘dzSoft DzLock’ application provides a variety of methods to (un)lock my phone. Swipe, double tap proximity sensor, cover the sensor for 3 seconds – are examples. You can (un)lock anytime, from
anywhere.

I urge people who spend good money on smartphones to get good Return On their Investment (ROI) by making use of software that brings out the power of their device.

Are you really making use of that smartphone?

So, you know why Symbian has me by the Jugular, and I am not complaining !

If you think I am ‘missing something’, please elaborate!

RIM have had a hard year in 2011. There were a number of server failures. The BlackBerry PlayBook has had dismal sales. RIM also had to rename their next generation OS version from BBX to BlackBerry 10. And now, their financial value is down over 70% in a year. A bad year indeed.

Mobility blog has a fast-thriving BBM group. Someone asked this question there yesterday: “Does RIM really need the American market to survive?”

The answer, in my opinion, is a No, and I will state why. First take a look at the following:

• There are a number of mobile manufacturers who build exclusively for the Japanese market and are doing fine. One market, yet healthy and profitable.
• Huawei has slugged its way up to the top 5 manufacturers list without being able to win the U.S. market.
• Market advisers have often said that it makes sense to focus on where one has comparative advantage or where you have a ready market.
• Motivational speakers will also tell you to go where you are celebrated. For RIM, that should mean that they focus their most energies elsewhere, if only for now.

RIM Needs To Go Radical – In A Different Way

Here is a saying of mine. For the records, I made it all up, and it reflects my often non-conformist, adventurous and radical nature:

Doing and saying what is popular may indicate a lack of creativity, courage or intelligence. Possibly all.

Every manufacturer is copying the iPhone, though they won’t admit it. In my opinion, they all lack either courage to be different or creative. Possibly both.

Some so lack this creativity that they copy its weaknesses too – hook, line, and sinker! Bummer!

Interesting enough, the iPhone didn’t become so popular by copying anyone. Go figure.

RIM, Stand Out

RIM, stick with your strengths – those great keyboards, that excellent form factor, and your security. But be creative.

For example, provide the option to choose to use a BIS plan or not for internet access on your devices.

By all means stick primarily with QWERTY keyboards. Add a Communicator form factor (side-sliding QWERTY). Keep one full touchscreen range. But let your mainstream devices be those great candy QWERTYs that people so love.

Full touchscreen slabs may be popular, but it doesn’t mean that the QWERTY market is not sustainable. It is! And for now, RIM is king there.

Stand out! Don’t conform!!

Go Where You Are Celebrated

RIM has the strongest following anywhere but the US market and need to wake up to this reality. In the UK, BlackBerry devices are still some of the most desirable smartphones. There’s also the Netherlands, Brazil, and Nigeria, among several others.

RIM needs to focus their energies in these places.

If RIM is waiting for BlackBerry 10 to turn things around for them in the U.S. and in the eyes of the U.S. media, they are probably in for a surprise. On the contrary in the markets where RIM has good mindshare, both users and the media are constantly singing the praise of BlackBerry and talking about how awesome it is. RIM needs to focus on the markets where it needs the least energy to sell.

RIM will continue to sell to their die-hard customers in the U.S. too, but that is not where they are celebrated now.

Africa, South America, Asia

RIM needs to ride on the wave and hype that BlackBerry already has in these regions. The hype is much, though Blackberry devices are not really as popular.

So many people in Nigeria think that Blackberry is the most popular phone in Nigeria right now. Even media houses and tech people (who should know better) help spread this impression though it is very untrue! That’s tremendous market advantage.

Young and mid-age people in several countries across the world are going Blackberry-gaga. That’s where RIM should be looking.

My almost 70-year old dad wants a Blackberry. His business partner has one. Almost every university undergraduate wants one. My kids want one each too.

They know a BlackBerry when they see one. Think about that. I can’t say the same for most other brands.

Come on, guys! Come and ride on this! Get on TV, in newspapers, on blogs, and on buses – and push this thing!

Push it, or go the way of the dinosaurs.

Conclusions

RIM did not achieve its great successes because of the American market. They achieved it when they started selling their BlackBerry phones elsewhere on the planet. That is exactly what they need to keep doing and pushing harder.

If you know anyone in RIM who can pass this article up, please refer them to it. I would hate to have to refer to this article a year from now with regrets.

I rest my case.

Symbian is the most power efficient mobile OS there is. Which really isn’t saying much because it doesn’t do much

I may be wrong, but the above statement seems to stem from ignorance or just plain fanboyism. I used two Symbian devices (Nokia N8 and Nokia E7) this year, and there was NOTHING that I got done on Android, iOS, WindowsPhone or Blackberry that I didn’t get done on those devices.

Yes; each OS does specific things in different ways, and some have strength in one area and weakness in that other area. But for crying out loud, statements like the above just….. stink. Let’s call rubbish what it is – RUBBISH.

No; I don’t use Symbian any longer. As a matter of fact, I am moved on. But facts are facts, and lies are lies.

Can anyone tell me in clear terms what AndroidOS does that Symbian does not do? No bullshitting. Just say it straight: “You can browse the internet on Android, but cannot do that on Symbian“.

For the avoidance of doubt, I am not asking for things that Android does better than Symbian. I am asking for things that Android does that Symbian is not capable of.

Any bullshitting comments will be deleted. I’m not going to waste my time responding to bullshit and going round in circles.

By way of example, a recent commenter simply referred to BlackBerry as “crap”.

Personally, from what I know of the diversity of human needs and wants, I think that such a comment speaks more of that person’s ignorance than of the qualities of the BlackBerry platform.

It is not only BlackBerry that has been subject to this sort of verbal dismissal. Fanboys of various platforms are often found dismissing competing platforms as rubbish.

In my opinion, such people are simply full of cow dung. They have no idea what they are talking about.

If an individual says, for example, “I will not buy an iPhone because I cannot live with the limitations of iOS and the phone itself,” that makes sense. A valid reason for his personal choice has been presented.

But should such a one say something like, “The iPhone is just a useless piece of junk,” then I would have to respond that the individual in question is stuffed full of chicken feathers.

In all probability, the person who says that BlackBerry devices are useless lives in a different social (perhaps even business) sphere from those others who want and prefer a BlackBerry device. As such, it does not meet his needs. But he is misguided in thinking that those devices do not meet anyone else’s needs.

The individual whose preference is Android certainly has his reasons for choosing that. They are his reasons, and that should be respected.

The New Lack Of Tolerance
I dislike the depths of intolerance that I see on display at times. If we are this intolerant over such a flimsy subject as choice of mobile devices, it’s no wonder that there is no peace in most parts of the world.

We must also learn to acknowledge the pros and cons of whatever devices or platforms we have adopted. No platform or device is perfect for everyone. Some are better suited to certain people, while others are better suited to another demography.

Someone criticising Symbian for being too late in evolving it’s UI to modern trends is not necessarily a Symbian hater. He is simply stating a fact. Yet, UI is not all there is to a phone, so some people will still prefer Symbian because of its strengths over others.

Another person criticising iOS for being too locked down is not necessarily a hater either. It’s not worth crossing swords over. He has made a statement of fact, and in all probability cannot live with that. That’s okay too.

A few days ago, an individual spent enormous amounts of energy trying to convince me that iOS meets my needs if I were to adopt certain workarounds (all of which introduce other issues, of course). Well, those workarounds don’t float my boat.

That doesn’t make me an iPhone hater, but then this individual’s persistence grated on my nerves. He almost sounded like a used car salesman.

It is amazing that we exult and revel in our supposed enlightenment in the modern, civilised world, yet can be so narrow-minded as to think that we know what’s best for others. Actually, it is disgusting.

It’s the same thing when someone says that he cannot see any reason why anyone wants to purchase a mobile with a physical QWERTY keyboard. Well, he may not see it. As human beings, we don’t always see everything. But if QWERTY works for some people, it’s none of your business. Or mine.

By way of throwing more light on this, with automatic transmission firmly in the mainstream of motor vehicle technology now, why would anyone want to buy and drive a manual transmission car? You have no idea? Splendid! Don’t worry about it; the buyer knows why he wants one.

Live And Let Live
If for example you love Android, do enjoy it. Praise it to high heavens for its sterling qualities, but please do not act and talk like it is the alpha and omega of mobility and has no flaws. Same goes for every other platform – iOS, Symbian, BadaOS, BlackBerry, and Windows Phone.

People who buy and use devices from other platforms apart from your choice are not stupid. For all you know, the person dissing everything else but his favourite may be the smallest mind in the room.

Comments welcome!