The Mobile Experience Challenge: HTC TrinityThe Mobile Experience Challenge: iPhoneI came up with an idea, a test for the ultimate mobile experience. The contributors and I are obviously very passionate about our choice of smartphones and our mobile experiences. I wanted to see if I can rely on my smartphone for 1 week without the use of a laptop to carry out day-to-day tasks. For those familiar, you'll know that detaching myself from my laptop is nearly impossible. This test will confirm if today's mobile technology is advanced enough enhance our lifestyle without the use of a computer. We may be a little early, but I think we are getting close, lets find out together.
Here are the parameters for
the mobile experience challenge:
1. Not allowed to use a laptop or other gadgets at home for 1 week while performing basic tasks
2. I'll use my phone to take on every task that comes up:
look up restaurants/menus, directions, GPS, listen to music, take pictures, blogging, shopping, paying bills, movie time, watch youtube, etc... I won't go out of my way to test a certain function, only if it is part of chores during the one week span. If a bill came during this week and I normally pay via online, then I will attempt to do the same using my smartphone
3. The phone function can play up if need be, for example, if I can't login to a bank account via mobile web, I am allowed to call in to check my balance (old school technology baby!)
4. As soon as I am forced to use a laptop for whatever event, I will fail the test for that device
5. Exception1: I will use my laptop for Skype video conference during the week
6. Exception2: I will continue to use my laptop at work... hey, it pays my bills
7. Exception3: The test is mostly confining to the day-to-day "necessity" tasks, ie. bill pay, directions. For advanced tasks (web design, adobe photoshop, compiling codes), should be excluded; so carry on with those routine tasks with a laptop if need be.
The test has been planned for the following weeks:
week 2/27 to 3/4 - Apple iPhone
week 3/12 to 3/19 - Nokia N95
Other test potential: AT&T Tilt, BlackBerry...
This test stemmed from a shift in mobile usage from my household. Every morning when I wake up, I used to turn on my PC to check email and weather. Now days, I just use iPhone's weather widget... the load time is faster than anything I have experienced. Sometimes when I am sharing a story about a Youtube video, I'd rather use N95's Youtube app or iPhone's youtube widget instead of waiting for my laptop to boot. When my daughter was born, I snapped a bunch of photos using AT&T 8525 and emailed them real-time to friends and family immediately.
As you can see, day-to-day tasks are being replaced by our smartphones and I want to know if we can rely on it completely. Most of my friends I ask to participate already believe we are very close and Japan is obviously moved on to this behavior.
I welcome anyone who's interested to doing this test from their home to submit their results. I will post your story on this blog. Enjoy!
Got an email this morning from Amazon.com saying that they have a 1-day only sale on Smartphones
(ie. Gold Box offer). Just like last year, when the whole iPhone frenzy was at its peak, Amazon drastically reduced its pricing on a lot of smartphones as well. Giving the iPhone 3G is a major rip-off in terms of monthly pricing, you may end up with a better ROI the phones from this offer. Get the LG Vu for a mere $99
AT&T Tilt
Gotta love Amazon.com for being aggressive with their cell-phone subsidizing plans. If you are a new customer to AT&T or elgible for renewing your contract with AT&T, this is a smoking deal. A $500 very capable quad-band smartphone (w/ 3G, WiFi, GPS-Integrated, 3MP Cam/Camcorder and 256MB Memory plus 128MB or RAM). The Tilt is considered one of the best phones out there with some serious horsepower.
In less than two months since I first noticed it going live, the hot AT&T Tilt (built-in GPS, 3G Data, WiFi, WM6, etc.) is now going for a fraction of its list price on Amazon.com. With a $25 rebate subtracting from the $199 amazingly low price, you can have this phone shipped to you for $174.99 (no tax for some states). What an amazing price for a powerful smartphone. With Microsoft Live and GMAP working with built-in GPS, this phone is very enticing for many business professionals.
Its Tuesday, Oct 9th, I am just watching some TV and surfing the web and checking out AT&T's wireless site to see if there is anything new... suddenly, I noticed the AT&T Tilt (aka HTC Kaiser) posted on their website. This is the predecessor to my current AT&T 8525. The price is $549 or $299 with 2-yr service contract.