The ultimate mobile test lab

In recent months, I’ve spent a lot more time commuting to Connected Planet’s Chicago office. For me, that means a train trip, suburban to downtown — a typical commute I’m sure a lot of you make in your respective time zones each morning.

What’s been particularly eye-opening — and very timely given today’s much-hyped Apple tablet launch — is using those commuting sessions as a reality check about the world of mobile computing, devices and services. In many ways, a train car represents the ultimate mobile test lab: who’s using what, how are they using it and, perhaps most importantly, what makes me green with envy?

Here’s my dime-store analysis — one I think may soon be drastically changing if tablet computers like today’s expected launch from Apple become a reality:

—Smartphones rule. Everybody, I mean everybody, carries a smartphone. I see a lot of BlackBerry devices, or at least some sort of device (Treo, messaging phone) with a hardware keyboard. That’s not surprising, I think, because in the real world people buy phones on two-year contracts, which means devices are usually at least a half a generation or more behind. But I also see a ton of iPhones and a surprising number of Android devices, not just Droids but a lot of the T-Mobile MyTouch, as well (again, that generation-behind thing). But one thing is clear: The days of the flip- and candy-bar phone with standard keypads are long, long gone.

—Messaging and social media. Looking over people’s shoulders (it’s hard to resist), it’s clear people are still using their phones to communicate — just not via voice. Tons of text messaging, obviously, but also Facebook and other social media clients (both on phones and popped-open laptops). I’ve heard the phrase “generation share” used to describe mobile users today, and I think it’s right on. BTW: What’s more annoying than listening to someone hold a voice conversation in a closed-in space like a train car? I’ve changed seats to get away from one guy on my train who seems to hold his personal calling until he boards each evening.

—Media trends. There’s a lot of video-watching going on — mostly on laptops and media-focused smartphones like the iPhone/iPod Touch, but on other devices as well. I think the majority is video content downloaded locally rather than streaming media, but that’s just a hunch. Streaming video is every mobile operator’s nightmare; once that cat is out of the bag, look out. 

—The Kindle and the Apple Tablet. Since the holidays, I’m seeing more and more Kindles. They’re still a shock to behold but a very cool device — and perfect, of course, for train reading. For mobile operators, the Kindle includes a “whispernet” that enables rapid downloading of text-based content — a minor tax on mobile networks. But what about the Apple Tablet? From the looks of it, it will put the Kindle, the smartphone and the laptop to shame as a commuting device. Want apps? Got it. Large-screen video playback? Got it. Web browsing? Got it. E-book reader? Got it. Color screen? Yep. Easy to carry and slim to store? Check and check.

The big questions for the tablet will be one, price (my train comrades are fairly price sensitive, I believe), both for the device and related data services; and two, the tablet service delivery story.

Will a $500 tablet sell to the mainstream? Will it be subsidized? What will the monthly service costs be? Will getting content onto the device be simple and seamless over the network, or will side-loading be required for bigger files like video? Will a mix of side-loading via iTunes and over-the-top-loading via AT&T, Verizon or whatever carrier lands this thing make sense to end users? Will Apple finally be willing or able to put together subscription services, for music (long rumored), TV (more recently rumored), books or other content? And what will that do to how the service revenue on the tablet gets split up between Apple, mobile operators and content partners?

On day 1 of the “tablet age”, as you can see, there are a lot more questions than answers. But I’ll be watching my neighbors in the next train seat over for answers as the next evolution in mobile takes place right before all our eyes.

E-mail me at richard.karpinski@penton.com.

PS. Connected Planet is Tweeting! Follow our editors: @connectedplanet.