Apple’s next big move?
By Jeremy Rosenberg 16 Aug 2011.
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One of the reasons Apple is successful is their model of vertical integration. From hardware to software to distribution (both off and online) Apple has sought to own and control as much of the user experience as possible as they believe that it is them, and not any other company, that is best placed to provide the optimum experience for the user.
Google’s purchase of mobile handset maker Motorola got me thinking about what Apple might do next.
The iPhone has clearly changed the mobile market, it’s not necessary to go over the details of this here, it’s been well documented elsewhere, but there is still a glaring weakness in the user experience of mobile devices. The mobile network.
The handset may look and feel great, have a good browser and offer lots of functionality, especially via apps but this can all become useless if the phone cannot get a signal or the transfer rate is too slow. Mobile voice networks have been around for decades now, although data for less, and it is remarkable how patchy a solid 3G signal is. Even a full strength 3G signal feels like dial-up compared to the 10Mb or 20Mb broadband lines that are common at home. When it comes to mobile on transport (which if you think about it are two domains that should fit together very well) the situation is even worse, no signal at all on the Tube and a poor service on overland rail due to tunnels and the landscape. Some other countries have solved this so it’s clearly not insurmountable.
I think Apple would do well to purchase a global mobile network operator and invest in the hardware necessary to ensure that the signal and bandwidth available matches the other aspects of the mobile user experience.
