As anyone who knows me well will attest, I’m not a fan of Apple. While I feel their products and user interfaces are top shelf, I do not agree with their overall business practices. However, that does not mean that I don’t respect what Jobs has done or admire who he is.

Steve Jobs was about more than the products and the companies he created. Jobs is legendary for how he lived his life. He was a man of principle. He had a vision of how to make the world a better place for everyone through technology and had the conviction to see it through no matter what the obstacles.

While I could illustrate this through numerous examples, I am going to pick one that has created a passion for me – the mobile phone. Jobs had a vision that the device we carry around with us everywhere we go could be more than a simple phone if it could be freed from the restrictions the carriers placed on it. Instead of talking about what could or should be done, Jobs took his vision and implemented it. In the face of opposition from carriers, existing manufacturers, and doubters (like me at the time), he had the conviction to take on the establishment to change the world. In four short years, he transformed the mobile industry from a slow moving, carrier controlled environment to a fast moving, Wild West environment where the only limit to what can be done is your imagination.

His vision and conviction has opened the mobile industry up for thousands of developers across the world to put a power in our hands that would have been unimaginable five years ago. It has revolutionized an industry and given me a canvas on which to build my own dream and vision. Without the vision and conviction of one Steve Jobs, that canvas would not exist. Even though I never had the opportunity to meet him, I would only have one word to say to him: Thanks.

In memory of Steve Jobs, I’m going to close with “one more thing”. In August, when Steve Jobs stepped away from Apple, I was reading through the many tributes paid to him at the time. One video that particularly struck me was the commencement address he gave at Stanford in 2005. It’s only 15 minutes long, but it’s worth watching every minute of it. Not only does it give you insight into the kind of person Steve Jobs was, but it will also inspire you. Enjoy.

The Financial Times put up a very interesting technical Q&A on why they chose to develop a web-based app instead of a native app. FT neatly summarizes why they pursued a mobile web strategy over a native app strategy, as well as the challenges involved.

You can read the full Q&A here, but here are my key takeaways from the article:

1. FT developed for the web for two reasons: the ability for users to see new features and changes immediately; and to save time and money on development and maintenance.
2. FT views native apps as a bridge technology until web apps mature.
3. Web standards are not owned by any one company and are universally supported whereas native apps, in FT’s terms, are like “building a train for a particular gauge of track”.
4. They also note: “App stores are controlled by their owner and may apply charges, rules and policies which are never a constraint with HTML5, distributed purely via the web.”
5. Since web development can leverage a lot of existing development tools, design of an HTML5 app can be faster and more efficient.
6. They also pointed out two challenges. One was that they were breaking new ground, and two was properly optimizing the experience.

It’s refreshing to see a big brand come out and show that a web-based mobile app can be every bit as good as a native app. It’s also refreshing to see a big brand not give into the app store hype and take the bold step of developing for the mobile web.  You can view the app on an iPhone or iPad by going to http://app.ft.com.

FT’s observations confirm what we’ve seen developing for mobile, and I’m convinced that mobile web apps are not an experiment, but a trend that will grow over time as more companies recognize the benefits of developing for the web over the rules and constraints of the app stores.

In my past life, I use to work at a semiconductor company running a product line selling Ethernet controllers into the large PC manufacturers (all the typical names). These PC manufacturers would promote their platforms to IT teams using TCO, or Total Cost of Ownership. Their TCO included upfront hardware costs plus support, lifetime upgrades, maintenance, etc. This way IT teams could really understand the budgets required to change out their platforms from one vendor to the next. Using this PC example, I decided to do a rough TCO analysis on my personal mobile computing comparing 5-years ago to today. I used overlapping 5-year periods and then generated a yearly TCO cost. Here’s what I found…

My mobile computing TCO has increased over 60%

I’m a tech geek and like leading edge technologies but counter that by being somewhat cheap in my spending habits for non-essential items. 5-years ago I had a laptop that I would upgrade every 2 years, a BlackBerry I would upgrade every 2 years, and 2 dataplans (home, phone). My average yearly TCO was $1,940. Comparing that to today, I still have a laptop that I upgrade every 2 years, a smartphone I upgrade every 1.5 years, a tablet I plan to upgrade every 2 years and now 3 data plans (home, phone, tablet). My average yearly TCO has skyrocketed to $3,140. Wow!  This was eye opening… I pay how much??? It’s easy to get caught up in the hype of mobile computing but it’s clear the current hardware model is broken.

There must be a better hardware model

Recently I played with the Motorola Atrix and it’s innovative accessories like the laptop dock. I’m not the biggest fan of the Atrix itself but it really got me thinking about how mobile hardware needs to change. Is there a model that can reduce my TCO?

I only want one dataplan and one processor in my life

The phone I carry is that one device I must take everywhere. It has the processing power and internet connection I need. Why do I need something else? Oh yeah, usability like I mentioned earlier. Looking back 5-years ago, I had the same issue with my laptop. When I was at the office or at home, I would dock it to use an external keyboard and monitor. These were basic accessories I would purchase to enhance my use of the laptop that didn’t need consistent upgrades like my laptop since they had no real processing power. We need the same strategy for the phone. I want to use tablets and laptops but treat them like “monitors” to harness the processing power and internet connection of my phone. The phone would simply “dock” with the tablet or laptop for me to use as I please. I can choose different form factors as I please and won’t be tempted to consistently upgrade them since they are just passive devices. I would then upgrade my phone yearly to get the latest processing power and data speeds.

Reduce mobile computing TCO by 50%

In my proposed hardware model, I would have a top-of-the-line phone I upgrade every year, one dataplan (phone), and “docking monitors” I purchase as needed (that won’t require constant upgrades similar to my desktop monitor today). My average yearly TCO drops to $1,620. Now that makes more sense to me.

I really hope hardware vendors go back to their PC computing roots and take a hard look at TCO for mobile computing. The current model is broken and I think vendors are too busy being distracted by Apple’s marketing madness instead of defining a real strategy. It’s time for fundamentals again. Motorola is showing signs of hope encouraging me that other vendors will follow. Or at least I can dream.

If you want to see the assumptions from my analysis or more details, please leave a comment below and I’ll be happy to respond.

All development projects should be evaluated based on ROI. With the unprecedented growth we’re seeing in the mobile market, I feel like many businesses skip this necessary due diligence to follow media hype. Building something will get results – that I believe. But the real question needs to be, how can a business maximize their results based on a fixed budget.

Here at Aumnia, our clients are consumer-facing businesses that want mobile solutions to drive either customer acquisition (marketing/branding) or customer satisfaction (service). These businesses typically don’t charge consumers for mobile services since the business really has one goal when it comes to mobile… reach as many consumers as possible. The rationale being that with increased exposure, consumer-facing businesses have better odds to engage their target customers. Now coming back to the Mashable article, the author goes through a basic analysis and calculates the number of potential people a given mobile solution can reach for every dollar invested. He finds that businesses with a mobile website have the potential to reach 5x more people per dollar invested:

• Mobile websites: 2839 people per $
• Mobile app (iPhone only): 527 people per $
• Mobile app (iPhone, Android, and BlackBerry): 599 people per $

The calculation assumes average development costs of $30K for a cross-platform mobile website and $30K per mobile application. To see the rest of the assumptions, read the article.

I’m really excited to see an article like this come out. I hope it encourages more businesses to take the time and really evaluate their mobile strategy.

(This post was originally posted on our miniListings blog. Since it contains pretty generic advice, we decided to post it here in case you missed it over there.)

After months (and months, and months, and months, and…) of rumors, Verizon and Apple announced yesterday that the iPhone will be available on Big Red starting February 10. The first question for many people now is what do I do? Well, it depends on your situation. Here are a few scenarios I’ve come up with and my personal recommendations based on reviewing the announcement and various media comments.

Scenario #1: I already have an iPhone, should I switch to Verizon?

I’ll spend the most time on this scenario, as it the one facing most of you. A lot of you are fed up with AT&T’s service, especially in cities like New York and San Francisco. However, in the majority of places, AT&T’s service has not been bad. My recommendation is that unless you are getting downright awful service from AT&T, don’t run out and switch. Keep in mind the following:

• If you upgraded to an iPhone 4 last summer, you will have to pay a hefty early termination fee to leave AT&T. Ask youself, is the AT&T service really that bad that I am willing to drop the $200 (or more) it may take to leave AT&T?
• Your existing iPhone is not compatible on the Verizon network, so you will also need to purchase a new phone when switching. This is going to cost you a minimum of $200 for the 16GB model. You may be able to offset some of the cost by selling your old phone, but I am guessing there will be a lot for sale in next couple of months, driving the price down.
• If you surf the net while on the phone, you will be very disappointed with the Verizon iPhone. Due to technology limitations on the Verizon network, you cannot access data services while talking on the iPhone.
• If you do a lot of travelling overseas, the Verizon iPhone will not work in countries that use GSM instead of Verizon’s CDMA technology. This includes all of Western Europe and the majority of Eastern Asia. Heavy overseas travelers are best served sticking it out with AT&T.
• In general, CDMA phones are slightly slower than GSM phones, so you may notice that the Verizon iPhone may be a little slower than your AT&T iPhone.

So when would it make sense to switch?

• Your iPhone is unusable in the places you need to use your phone most (like your home or office) because AT&T’s coverage is poor or non-existent. If Verizon’s coverage is better, spend the money so your phone is usable.
• If your company has a corporate Verizon plan, it may be cheaper to switch to Verizon rather than paying your own way on AT&T. You will need to do your own analysis to see how long it would take to break-even on the switch over.
• If you are no longer under contract with AT&T (meaning you have the iPhone 3G), then you are in the best position. AT&T and Verizon are in a brutal fight over market share to be #1, so you can play them off each other to get the best deal.

Scenario #2: I’m already a Verizon customer and have been waiting for the iPhone to upgrade.

To begin with, you are the big winner – your dreams have been answered! However, before getting caught up in the euphoria and immediately purchasing an iPhone, be aware that Apple regularly refreshes the iPhone every summer. I suspect this summer will be no different and that we will see the iPhone 5. What will it bring? It could bring support for Verizon’s upgraded LTE network, a faster processor, and/or a better form factor. No one knows for sure as Apple closely guards all future device plans. Rumor also has it that Verizon is putting some hefty termination fees and upgrade restrictions on the iPhone. Make sure you understand what the upgrade restrictions and fees are so you can make an informed decision about your purchase.

Consider this: The iPhone 5 will most likely be available in July. You’ve already waited 4 years for the iPhone to land on Verizon, what’s another 6 months?

Scenario #3: I just upgraded my phone on Verizon, should I switch to the iPhone?

In short, my answer is no, unless you are completely tied into the Apple environment with a Mac, iTunes, Apple TV and more. In other words, you are a die-hard Apple loyalist (or fanboy as many people refer to you). Android has significantly closed the gap on Apple in terms of functionality, and Verizon offers the best Android phones out there. Unless you have a really good reason for switching, you may be disappointed to find out that the iPhone is not that much better than the Android device you just got, and in some areas could even be worse (gasp!).

Scenario #4: I like the carrier I’m on (T-mobile or Sprint), but want the iPhone, should I jump to Verizon?

Wow, this is a good question and quite the dilemma to be in. Well, we know that the exclusivity with AT&T is over, so I would expect that it is only a matter of time before the iPhone shows up on Sprint and T-mobile. If you’re under contract, I would recommend waiting it out. If you’re not under contract, it’s a personal decision on how bad you want the iPhone. I suspect that if you weren’t already desperate enough to switch to AT&T, then you can wait – at least until the iPhone 5 comes out.

In summary

To be blunt, the iPhone showing up on Verizon is a bigger deal to the media and financial analysts than it should be to you. I am sure that you will see many pundits talking about how important this is for Apple and Verizon. I’m sure you will also see people lining up outside Verizon and Apple stores leading up to the February 10 launch.  Make sure you don’t get caught up in the hype and make an informed decision that you won’t soon after regret.

If there are any other scenarios you’d like me to weigh in on, feel free to ask in the comments. I’d be more than happy to give you my two cents and help you with your decision process!

I was back home in Vancouver for the holidays and spent a good chunk of time reading, especially trying to clean out my blog reader that had “1000+” for every category. I powered through fascinating articles about mobile growth, usage, and trends. Rumors of new handsets expected this year. And, enjoyed discussions and hypothesis of what we can expect in 2011. The general consensus seems to be that Android is taking over the world, Apple will be Apple, and RIM leaves us scratching our heads. I came across a few articles that provided contrarian viewpoints, but the bulk of analysis pointed in the same direction. By the time New Year’s came around, I felt like I had a good grasp on what’s going to happen in 2011. Well.. that was until Jeff Yee (Aumnia’s head of engineering) sent me an email from Vancouver about his OBSERVATIONS during the holidays. Here’s a direct cut & paste of what he sent me…

“One thing that I found interesting was that BlackBerry users tend to stick together and I think it is because of the BlackBerry messenger app. If your friends use BlackBerry, there is a high probability that you will also use a BlackBerry. Because everyone in the group is using BlackBerry messenger to chat.

During the holidays, I went to a party with about 20 people. Almost everyone had a BlackBerry. Only 1 iPhone in the crowd. I was surprised. Then I went to another party with a completely different group of friends. And most of them had iPhones, a few BlackBerrys. What was even more surprising was that no one I ran into in the past 2 weeks had Android.

And then there is another group of friends with BlackBerry and iPhones, but they have no data plans. They only use it for voice and SMS.

And then there is my uncle. He has a BlackBerry but has no idea what that is and could care less. He only uses it to make phone calls because the phone was free, no data plan.”

As you can read, the email is pretty simple. But I believe Jeff’s observations have serious underlying statements. Is our perception of the mobile market simply dictated by our  circle of influence? Do consumers really know (or care) about the differences in mobile platforms?  We’re still in the early adoption phase for data plans, so when will mass market adoption occur? So much for all the reading and analysis I did over the holidays. Jeff’s harmless observations kicked up a bunch of questions in my head that I can’t wait to explore this year. If you have an opinion, let’s here it.

After trying a few things with the HTC support folks (who, by the way, were very easy to deal with), they suggested I return the device. Reluctantly, I agreed, and within a couple of days I had my replacement device.

Little did I realize how far things have come in the smartphone world in the last year, particularly with Android. I inserted and installed my old SIM and SD cards into the device, powered it up, entered my google account name and password, and within 10 minutes, my new phone was setup nearly identical to my old phone. All of my contacts, emails, wifi and network settings (including hotspots and encryption keys), and applications were on the new phone. Outside of a few miscellaneous settings and icons that needed to be arranged on the home screen, everything was just like I had it on the old phone. Best of all, it was all done over the air. No need to find any cables, hook up the phone to a computer, sync with an App Store or desktop application, or any other extra steps. In short, I was blown away!

I then realized that with Android, you are storing all of your data in the cloud. So when you change phones, all of your important data moves with you. Given the advances that are occurring in smartphone hardware these days, this is an absolutely liberating feeling to know that I can go out, pick up the latest Android device (like a Nexus S or G2), and within minutes be up and running just like before. No longer am I locked into a device, manufacturer or carrier. Without a doubt, there is serious power in the marriage of mobile computing and the cloud.

By the way, to make sure this works, you need to have checked the “Back up my data” and “Automatic restore” boxes under the Privacy Settings in Android (Go to Settings -> Privacy). Yes, I know it is a little unsettling knowing that all of your data is being stored on someone else’s servers, but I’d say the convenience is worth it.

For anyone out there who has went through the upgrade process lately with an iPhone or BlackBerry, is it as simple as what I went through with Android, or is it painful and complex?

In other comments at the conference, Verizon inidcated that tiered pricing for mobile data usage is coming within the next six months. With Sprint CEO Dan Hesse hinting at the same thing for his network, I am fearful that carrier greed could become the biggest impediment to mobile broadband adoption. I understand that the carriers need to make money, and that networks cost money to build, but if consumers start getting charged by the bit to download emails, access the web and watch streaming content, I suspect that mobile broadband adoption will slow – considerably. Lets face it, the internet as we know it today didn’t really take off until flat rate broadband pricing to the home was introduced. If the carriers begin metering users, many of the most innovative services that are being developed for mobile, like streaming content, will suffer and could die, killing innovation. In other words, the biggest impediment to carriers signing up more mobile broadband customers are most likely the carriers themselves.

Finally, I want to wrap up this week with another fun video featuring Dot, “the world’s smallest stop-motion animation character.” At first glance, this would appear off-topic on a blog focused on mobile, except for the fact that it was shot using a Nokia N8 cellphone equipped with a microscope attachment. I can still remember the days when my Dad had to carry around not only a TV studio-sized camera but also the entire VCR unit itself to shoot home movies. Now they can be shot on a device that not only produces better home movies than that old video camera but also takes pictures, plays music and lets you talk to anyone in the world at anytime. Truly amazing when you consider the progression of technology over the last 30 years!

I recently ran the algorithm using 10 names from the mobile industry and here are the top 20 names that were returned from the algorithm. If nothing else, these are 20 good people to follow if you are in the mobile industry and use Twitter:

1. Rudy De Waele – @mtrends
2. Paul Golding – @pgolding
3. Heike Scholz – @mobilezeitgeist
4. Russell Buckley – @russellbuckley
5. Ajit Jaokar – @AjitJaokar
6. Mike Butcher – @mikebutcher
7. Peggy Anne – @peggyanne
8. Helen Keegan – @technokitten
9. Andrew Grill – @AndrewGrill
10. Graham Brown – @grahamdbrown
11. Kei Shimada – @kei_shimada
12. Lisa Whelan – @lisawhelan
13. Tomi Ahonen – @tomiahonen
14. Ilicco Elia – @ilicco
15. James Parton – @jamesparton
16. Robert Scoble – @Scobleizer
17. Tor Bjorn Minde – @EricssonLabs
18. Andreas Constatinou – @andreascon
19. Caroline Lewko – @CarolineWIP
20. Juha Christensen – @JuhaC

The most interesting takeaway from the list for me is its distinctly international flavor – particularly European. While some of this could be due to how the algorithm was seeded, I believe it reflects the fact that many of the thought leaders in mobile are located outside the U.S.

I’ll try to run the algorithm again in a few months and update the list. In the meantime, I’d be interested in the following:

• Are you surprised by who is (or is not) on the list
• Is there anyone not on the list who is a must follow in mobile?
• What is your reaction or key takeaway from the list?

Feel free to  let me know in the comments.