I remember seeing MODU Mobile back in February at the annual GSMA's Mobile World Congress. Back then they were drawing attention to their uber-lightweight mobile devices. To me the diminutive devices were about serving a market segments wants and needs. Ah. The essence of what Jagger and Richards sang in "Satisfaction."
Well it seems those lightweights are coming out soon, and offering 3.5G speeds. Clearly these are not designed for the crowd that needs ruggedized phones like those from Sonim.
The reason I draw attention to these two companies is each is serving unique niches in the mobile phone world, offering something that is not likely going to be a staple in your local AT&T store, but the types of phones that all mobile phone operators should have in their sales portfolio, even if it requires a special order. Unfortunately, the current sales and distributions models of mobile phones put these types of phones as items sold either online or through a patchwork network of sales agents, like what Sonim has assembled.
In my view, an organization like Nokia, which has a sales channel and sales reps which call on the global carriers, and which is looking to innovate, should look at how they could add niche market phones to sell in addition to their own phones, and then when they see traction with one or more devices, snap up the company, lock stock and barrel. Unlike applications which can be sold online, mobile phones to get broad based adoption need distribution. NexTel and NexTel partners proved that very successfully, building a network of experienced radio communications' distributors into their network who sold as agents.
If companies like INQ, Modu and Sonim get that type of one stop global distribution they would both be selling more devices that can already work on the globes mobile network, and the world's networks would have more customers using phones that suit their personal needs and tastes. Now that's what "Satisfaction" is all about.
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