The developing world holds a mobile future

To understand the future of mobile, you need to look at both ends: the ‘high’ end of ultra-powerful devices that live in the pockets of the wealthiest people in the world, as well in places where a person’s first and only computer is a Nokia 1280 and the only network available is wireless.

“It’s hard to imagine that 70 percent of all handset shipments are feature phones. Most of these phones go to developing countries…These connectivity constraints fuel tremendous creativity. For many communities, simple voice and text connections have brought about revolutions in access to financial, health, agricultural and education services and opportunities for employment. For example, many farmers in rural areas in Africa and Asia use SMS services to to find out the daily prices of prices of agricultural commodities. This information allows them to improve their bargaining position when taking their goods to market, and also allows them to switch between end markets.”

Link: How The Future of Mobile Lies in the Developing World (techcrunch.com)