Smartphone market to get a little more crowded

There may be a recession out there but people still want their smartphones.

Although their overall growth has been subdued, cellphones packed with multimedia and email offerings are still flying off shelves while the makers behind them keep adding more features in what has become a very competitive environment.

The latest hubbub is behind the discovery that Research In Motion's BlackBerrys will be able to stream high-quality television shows through wi-fi connections. The service, rumoured to be launched in time for the company's BlackBerry App Store, is a clear indication that RIM is taking cues from Apple and its iPhone device.


While it remains to be seen how the service can work in the UAE, given the predominance of BlackBerrys in the area and the outcry of the iPhones pricing plans, it's safe to say many in the area are awaiting RIM's application store and its many offerings with baited breath.

But the smartphone battles will not be confined to a pair of fruits - Palm's upcoming Pre device has continued to accumulate good press since its debut at this year's CES, including a recent feature in Business Week.

The feature - which is a pretty good read, by the way - discusses Palm's recent financial shortfalls (seven straight unprofitable quarters) and the high expectations it has riding on the Pre. Perhaps most interesting is the WebOS operating system the Palm is based on:

Developers say Palm made another wise decision: It adopted widely known technology standards, enabling millions of Web programmers to write apps for WebOS. Rivals such as Research In Motion and Nokia require developers to use special software tools and methods. To write for iPhone apps, programmers must know how to write for the Mac. "Palm has really made it very simple to develop for its platform," says NPD analyst Ross Rubin.

Even further crowding the market is a growing rumour that computer maker Dell will soon offer a smartphone of their own following comments made by the company's founder and CEO Michael Dell.

"It is true that we are exploring smaller-screen devices," he said. "We don't have any announcements to share today, but stay tuned as when we have new news we will share that with you."

Still, with RIM, Apple and Nokia well in front of the pack, does it really matter what Palm or Dell do? Competition is indeed a healthy part of any industry but with the bar already set so high, can any new smartphone player make a significant impact? Those questions will be answered later this year after the Pre is released  in the US several months from now (with an expected UAE launch some time after that).