Comment from Malick Md PMP
Time January 13, 2010 at 10:11 am

Anand,

Is there any smart phone percentage figures for India. I think smart phones are more useful when there is higher badnwidth like 3G. What is your valued opinion?

Malick.

Comment from Anand
Time January 13, 2010 at 10:47 am

Hello Mr. Malick

Well, in my opinion, smartphone market in India is yet to pick up. In an article I had posted recently (click here), there are only 2 million active mobile internet users in India. A safe bet would be to assume that smartphone users are a subset of this group – which means a tiny fraction compared to the over 500 million mobile subscribers.

You can also check out this article; a little outdated though: http://techcrunchies.com/how-iphone-fared-in-indian-market/

Comment from Donald W
Time January 29, 2010 at 10:37 am

Hi Anand,

What is the definition of smartphone anyways?

Do you consider the sub $100 (without contract) full QWERTY china-made “Nexian” phone that browse internet, only 2G/EDGE, runs Java, email, chat, a smartphone.

If so, how come there are such low report of sales worldwide? Our corner of the world (Indonesia) sold easily 3-4 million of these in 2009 and may even get as high as 10 million in 2010.

Donald

Comment from Anand
Time January 29, 2010 at 10:57 am

Hi Donald,

Great question and I believe there is no one line answer for that. I believe a smartphone is anything that runs on an operating system and can do all that you have mentioned. When Blackberry came about, it was considered a business phone. But after iPhone and the like, now we tend to agree that BB is a smartphone.

So, as a matter of fact, now the list of smartphones comprises of all those handsets that the manufacturers claim is a smartphone. As for Nexian, though it apparently does all of the activities of a standard smartphone, if the manufacturer has not cared to brand it a smartphone, then probably it does not make the cut.

Put it simply, I just believe the very terms like smartphone or superphone (the Google Nexus One) are marketing gimmicks.

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Comment from Jonathan Abramson
Time December 22, 2010 at 5:09 am

Donald and Anand,

I agree with both of you, but it could be argued that smart phone is an actual term and somewhat defined. I am currently writing a dissertation on the use and intention to use M-learning in a higher education setting. There is enough literature on the subject in practitioner papers and academic journals, to describe smart phones as ubiquitous and mobile. They are always connected to the Internet. I personally do not use my motodroid for that much calling. I use it more for Internet and texting. Therefore, I would argue that a smart phone (as you mention) is a device that is capable of running Java and Internet at a minimum. Anything that runs one of the popular mobile OS’ like Android should be considered a smart phone, even though we call them other things when in operation Smart phone for me has become an umbrella term for the basic capabilities discussed. The other super-phone name is not a standard yet. I suppose that the companies that make these need to call them names like “Super” and “One”, obviously the marketing works to a certain extent. They would not be selling to many phones if the called it the Slow-phone, Dumb-phone or Crappy Phone

Jon