KUNEKT AND JAPAN ANDROID

Japan is going Android lock-stock-and-barrel. It’s about time. As reported in the New York Times, “Japanese mobile phones are a gadget lover’s dream. They double as credit cards. They can display digital TV broadcasts. Some are even fitted with solar cells. And yet, for all their innovations, Japanese-made handsets have had little impact overseas. They account for just a sliver of a global mobile phone market dominated by the likes of Apple, Research In Motion, and Samsung.”
This nicely proves the point repeatedly made in this blog—cool hardware is not enough. The soft intangibles are where it’s at. A seamless, intuitive, satisfying experience that encompasses the entire ecosystem of software, services, and compatible devices. In Steve Jobs’ words, it’s not about the specs, it’s about the experience.
Well, Japanese mobile device manufacturers have finally seen the light, and it’s decidedly green—Android green. Sharp, Sony Ericsson, NEC, and Kyocera are all going Android. It’s not hard to see why. Android offers a ready-made ecosystem that includes a cutting-edge operating system, over 200,000 apps, and more compatible mobile devices than any competitor. And the price is right—free. The market has cast its votes—67 million Android phones were sold in 2010, compared to 47 million iPhones.
While hardware may not be enough, it’s certainly a crucially important part of the mix. With Japanese mobile manufacturers finally going global, the rest of the world has a lot of mouthwatering engineering to look forward to. Sharp has smartphones with amazing high-resolution screens. NEC is introducing the world’s thinnest smartphone. And Kyocera brings us a smartphone with two screens, that can run two apps at the same time.
2011 is a good time to be alive.