What About A Non-Connected Smartphone?

Many times I am asked by friends, family, and co-workers about various new mobile devices that are coming out. Usually, they ask after seeing someone using their mobile to do something that they want to do, too.

After they ask the question "What should I get," I then ask them, "What do you want to do?" I have gotten enough similar answers that I think there is an aspect of the smartphone market that has not yet been explored enough -- that of the non-connected smartphone.

What Is a Non-Connected Smartphone?

In previous editorial, I spoke about lifestyle devices versus communicators. The differentiation being what people are willing to pay for and what they want to be able to do. In taking the lifestyle devices side of things a bit further, I wager that many people want a smartphone; however, they do not want one that has to be connected to a data plan for any reason. Mostly because these are people who get enough out of being online at home and work, and just need a device that can connect the two, but also be their phone.

But Isn't That a PDA?

Yes, and no. A PDA does not have cellular abilities. A PDA has everything else though -- the well made calendar, large and usable (touch) screen, ability to do multimedia in a pinch, etc. A PDA, for all intents and purposes is this device. It just happens that I'm adding the phone component to it.

Well, Isn't That a Feature Phone Then?

No. A feature phone is a phone first, and has music or organizational functionality second. I am thinking of a device that is built from the ground up as an informational device, that only uses a cellular connection for voice/SMS/MMS, and extends on the style aspect to be more than just something pretty.

A phone that I think is really close to this example is the HTC Touch. The interface has been made to expose just enough of the organizer aspect that a person who picks it up expecting just a phone knows that there is more under the surface.

The Solution

Imagine a mobile device, that's more than a phone, yet not quite a smartphone. It has an address book, and hooks into the calendar and notes, and that's it.

You get a call, hang up, and one of the menu options is if you want to leave a note or make and appointment with this person. You choose 'make and appointment' and you are sent to the calendar screen to set up the details, hit Send, and it sends the calendar item as a SMS item to the person you just made the meeting for. You choose 'leave a note' and it brings up a sticky note looking screen and you write the note, given an option for an alarm, and then on your phone standby screen, there is a yellow icon with the number beside it of the stickies you have.

It sounds like a slight dumbing down of the smartphone concept, and to some extent it is. The mobile arena is indeed becoming a lot like the automobile one where there are numerous vehicles for almost every personality and economic type. Smartphones came out of the gate like an SUV, and are now being fit into various shapes and price points because people have different needs. Why not also create something in the market for those with the need for that which is smart to not equal the Internet too?