So there’s this quack, Daniel K. Appelquist (Hi Dan!), who was recently captured on video, no less, making proclamations about how the mobile web is finally here.
I don’t disagree with that. The iPhone has really launched mobile Internet into the mainstream. My issue is that Dan dismisses the iPhone as not being a mass-market device. OK, maybe that’s true in a numerical sense although Mobile Safari is the leading mobile browser right now.
It’s a fair debate about how the relatively small number of iPhones are generating that much usage, but my feeling is that it isn’t the unlimited data, it’s the browser.
And here’s the thing about Mobile Safari — if you’re browsing a mobile web site, it looks great; if the site isn’t mobile-friendly, you can still use the site. Mobile Safari makes using the actual Internet relatively painless, even though you’re on a mobile device.
The big problem with a lot of mobile devices is that using the real Internet is really, really annoying. The iPhone flips it all upside-down. Sure, it says, here’s your special web but I’ve got the real thing right here just in case you want it.
That’s the approach that mobile browsers are going to have to take if the mobile web is going to take off.
It’s counter-intuitive, but think of it this way: if the mobile web is going to reach a tipping point, it’s going to need more users. Users want to pick up their device and have it work. They don’t want to have to seek out special websites. But as more people start using the devices, they’ll start demanding that sites adapt to their devices. Ergo, for the mobile web to thrive we need browsers that are really good at dealing with traditional content.
As far as devices that are in the market right now: what’s the life expectancy of any of these devices? Two years? I think the rate of mobile web adoption is actually slower than that, so jumping through hoops to support these devices may not be worthwhile. That’s just a hunch, though. I don’t have any data to back that up other than my own anecdotal evidence.
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