Is this the killer phone?
Those of us who got excited about active address books back in the day, the day being the introduction of IM onto mobiles, were preparing ourselves for a new era of mobility. We waited (for operators to pull their finger out) ... and waited ... and it never came. Until now, I hope.
I have blogged, talked and presented endlessly about the virtues of a people-centric UI, namely the hitherto boring and under-utilised address book. And now, finally, it seems we are getting one with the INQ1. All those status updates in our address book, where they belong. A people-centric interface.
In many ways, it is odd that it took Facebook to turn our attention to the idea of using status updates to bring the phonebook alive. The idea is not new of course. Even before Twitter came along, there was a bunch of innovative IM users who discovered the joys of using custom presence messages. I still remember the first time I saw something like 'Is ready to cry' in my buddy list instead of the usual 'offline' and 'away' indicators. When mobile IM first came along, operators had a chance, but, in true form, blew it. The biggest de facto social networks on the planet and they wanted us to stick with address books that were the equivalent of what my Nan used to write in before she had a telephone.
Things have moved along in many ways. Even as recent as two years ago, when I was pushing the active address book in operator workshops - mostly as the central plank for a whole raft of IMS services - the inevitable question was 'how do we charge for these presence updates' and 'what if people use them for messaging?' Duh!
To me, the INQ1 is spot on with its active address book. Finally, the address book becomes an application environment - a platform -fully plumbed into Web 2.0. It is what Mobile 2.0 is all about; driving services other than voice and texting through the right blend of mobile (address book) and the web (Facebook and friends). In other words, through the very real connections that we carve out, cherish and crave - our connections with each other. It is the killer app.
A mobile is all about connecting people and staying in touch, the kinds of phrases we use glibly in marketing, yet seldom truly deliver. The active address book is a new mode of mobile communication.
It will be a turning point for all those who use it, I am sure. There's no going back to a dull old address book after this. We should be overwhelmed with various ways to connect and stay-in-touch with people - that's what mobility should be all about. And, without having to open a MIDlet or iPhone app to do so. Active address book, built right in. Social networks accessible from the home screen. Wow. Can it get any better? I think so, but this is a great start.
Now, which operator is going to be daring enough to give us a Twitter phone? And will 3 give us a presence API into that address book?
(p.s. Presence traffic can get quite chatty indeed. With a large address book, battery life is going to be interesting.)
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