Video: The Year In Mobile Recapped (in 180 Seconds)

The influence of mobile technology on our world was more evident in 2010 than any year prior: devices (and our homes) are getting smarter, mobile broadband speeds are increasing, and location based services are adding value to how we find friends and make purchases (GigaOM Pro subscription required). To illustrate the rapid changes in mobile this year, Mobile Future captured some key points in this short, but high-energy video: the mobile year is covered in a scant three minutes.

Some of the many stats covered in the video are bits and themes that we’ve noticed here throughout the year:

  • Demand for mobile data is exploding: AT&T’s network experienced 5,000 percent more data traffic in the first three years of selling the iPhone, for example. But this isn’t just an iPhone or U.S. phenomenon: the demand for wireless data around the globe will double each year through 2014, which is forcing network operators to re-evaluate their data plan strategies.
  • The “app economy” is in full force: Mobile Future says that 300 million apps were downloaded in 2009, but over 5 billion will be downloaded this year. Not only has that created wealth for Apple and the iOS developers that have collectively earned more than $ 1 billion in software revenues, but it has helped give rise to other app stores. GetJar’s storefront was on track to cross a million downloads in July, for example.
  • Video on the go: this year has seen 100 million YouTube videos played on mobile devices each day, says Mobile Future. But consumers aren’t just consuming more mobile video; they’re creating it too. A Pew survey found that in 2009, 19 percent of respondents captured a video on their phones. A year later, that figure has nearly doubled at 34 percent.
  • Look who’s (not) talking: using a mobile phone for voice taking a back seat to other activities as the number of voice minutes used continues to decline. And 2010 was the first full year where consumers used data more than voice, adding strain to networks originally designed to carry low bandwidth voice traffic.

Of course, 2010 is nearly over, I’m buckling up and getting ready for the impact that mobiles will have in 2011. It’s going to be a fast-paced ride!

Related GigaOM Pro Content (sub req’d):

  • Everybody Hertz: The Looming Spectrum Crisis
  • The Internet of Things: What It Is, Why It Matters
  • 4G: State of the Union


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