Spinning off my previous post about WiMAX’s potential effect on a new era of wireless technologies , a strongly-related issue comes to mind: the state of mobile devices. A recent PC World article relates that by 2011 there will be 82 million mobile devices in use, with annual growth more than doubling in just the next four years. They attribute this growth to the increased use of mobile devices in work environments as well as the general consumer’s desire for flexible connectivity. Clearly, the potential marriage of WiMAX and future mobile devices can only propel this trend forward.

However, what about the development and design of mobile devices in themselves? With some of the hype and simultaneous disillusionment connected with Apple’s new iPhone, it’s clear that consumers are still looking for the ideal mobile device. With WiMAX taking care of connectivity and the availability of wireless networks, perhaps more thought and effort will be put into the overall design and usability of such devices. As mobile connectivity increases, the need for devices that are up to par with our wireless capabilities will become more and more urgent. Figuratively, it’s as if the mobile consumer is sitting at a banquet without a knife, fork and spoon–sure you can use your hands, but the need to have our technological tools up to par with our mobile capabilities will only increase as WiMAX becomes readily available.

Technorati Tags: WiMAX, mobile devices, iPhone

Ari Zoldan
Launch 3 Communications

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