The Tipping Point in Mobile Communications

by Harris Cohen, The PromoGuru

Analysts at Neilsen say we have reached that point: in May, for the first time, smartphone sales outstripped feature phone sales. Feature phones would be the pre-cursors to smartphones, which maybe could handle a game or two and would give you minimal if any Internet access, if any.

How did we ever get along without the Internet on our phones?

The Tiny Screen Works Fine For Me

by Harris Cohen, the PromoGuru

Has your smartphone become your go-to Internet source?

A survey by the Pew Institute found that of 2,277 people polled, 28 percent used their small screen handset as their primary manner for accessing Internet content. That’s not too huge a sample of the population, so we can’t official consider the PC passé. But don’t be surprised if you see more people heading to the optometrist complaining of eye strain.

Another interesting figure from the poll found that 87 percent of smartphone owners use their device to browse the Internet, read e-mail and such. This leaves us to wonder why the other 13 percent even got a smartphone. To just play Angry Birds, perhaps?

iPhone Users Flocking to T-Mobile?

by Harris Cohen, The PromoGuru

In a recent interview with 9to5Mac.com, a T-Mobile rep let slip that they are now supporting one million iPhone users.

If you’re thinking to yourself, “Wait, I didn’t know T-Mobile carried iPhones,” you’re right; they don’t. But Apple recently began selling unlocked versions of the iPhone. An “unlocked” version means that you can use the phone with other carriers; though they have to use the same type of network (sim-card based GSM). Before the release it wasn’t impossible to get your iPhone unlocked, though most people would probably want to tackle the process.

Unlimited No More

by Harris Cohen, The PromoGuru

Look out, Verizon users! Before the summer ends, excessively streaming Netflix and Pandora on your smartphone is going to start costing you.

Perhaps as earlier as next month, Verizon plans to stop offering an unlimited data plan for smartphones, currently priced at $30 per month. The new tiers will put Verizon subscribers more on level with AT&T users (who lost their chance at an unlimited plan last year). Thirty dollars will now get you 2GBs per month; $50 will cover 5GBs, and $80 will get 10GBs. Similar plans already exist for tablets in the Verizon network. There will not be separate plans for 3G and 4G devices.