RISMEDIA, March 29, 2010—Just two weeks after Mobile took center stage at the LeadingRE Annual conference, Mobile returned to Las Vegas last week to make its biggest encore performance on U.S. soilthis year at the International CTIA Wireless show. While I commend LeadingRE for a job well done on showcasing mobile, the International CTIA convention, which we at Mobile Real Estate attended last year, is a spectacle second only to The Mobile World Congress.
The International CTIA Wireless show draws tens of thousands of people each year, occupies more than 300,000 sq. ft of exhibit space, and hosts over 1,000 exhibitors. The conference aims at bringing together the wireless and converged communications, wireless broadband, mobile web computing and data industries over the course of three intense days.
One of the things I enjoyed most about the conference when I attended last year was the showcase of all the latest and greatest handsets which the manufacturers like Samsung, Motorola, etc. will be coming out with. Last year I saw a Prada watch phone which was being manufactured by LG. This year, Samsung came out as the big winner, taking home three emerging technology awards.
CTIA attendees were able to browse the show floor for all entries and vote on all their favorites via text message. The Google-powered Samsung Moment took best in show with its 3.2-inch AMOLED touch screen and 800 Mhz processor; making it one of the fastest devices on the market. In the Network Infrastructure In-Building/Local Area Network Solution category, the Samsung 3G Ubicell was selected as a 3rd place winner.
The judges selected the Samsung I8530 as the first-place recipient in the Mobile CE Phone/Smartphone category. This device truly takes the cake when it comes to going mobile. Not only is it a full-featured Android smart phone, but it also has a pico projector, removing all display limitations for sharing photos, watching videos, and giving presentations allowing for a display up to 60 inches, pending light conditions. Imagine being able to walk into a listing presentation with nothing but your mobile phone and still giving the seller a full multimedia listing presentation – amazing!
While Blackberry and Apple opted not to have a huge presence at the show, Google and their Android devices were all over the place according to multiple reports. These devices ranged from those available on pre-paid carriers to the Sprint Evo 4G. This WiMax-powered device is the most powerful Google smart phone available in the country. This device has an abundance of features that include 4.3-inch 65,000 color touch screen and a back and front camera which can shoot high def video – great for Realtors who want to create their own virtual tours.
In addition to the Google’s Android phones running rampant, the other main topic of discussion at the conference was 4G. According to reports, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile will provide at least 100 million Americans with the next generation network by the end of the year. Sprint explained the benefits of 4G by streaming HD YouTube video on their previously mentioned Evo device. Video seems to be the main advantage of the new 4G networks.
In fact, as Mobile Real Estate moved offices last week, Verizon failed us by not properly installing our phones or Internet networks in our new space. In an effort to be productive without traditional means we relied on our cell phones and our newly purchased Sprint 4G Hotspot on the Go, which allowed us to connect up to five devices wirelessly.
While Mobile’s encore performance in Las Vegas sounded great, it’s performance in my office that kept things running when all else failed.
Seth Kaplan is the president of Mobile Real Estate ID. Contact him directly at Seth@mobilerealestateid.com or, for more information, visit www.mobilerealestateid.com.
