Could smart phones dominate the tech-sector?

 

New technologies such as ebook reader Kindle and gaming system N-Gage could potentially fail, if smart phones such as the iPhone continue to dominate the market.

With their wide range of applications, smart phones are quickly becoming the 'must have' gizmo, and as such other devices are being left in the dust.

A prime example of this is Nokia's N-Gage mobile gaming phone - designed to challenge Nintendo's dominance of the handheld gaming market, the N-Gage was a dual mobile and gaming system. However, the introduction of Apple's iPhone into the market has seen the smart phone become a gaming giant threatening the more expensive handheld gaming units such as the Nintendo DS or the PSP. Nokia have even cited the iPhone as a reason for their DS systems under-performing.

In the wake of the iPhone's success, Nokia annouced that it was ending its line of N-Gage phones and games, choosing instead to focus on their Ovi app store, a potential rival to Apple's.

A mass of apps

The success of the iPhone and other smart phones is down to their wide range of apps. With the right app, you can transform your phone into potentially any other device you want.

As such, the iPhone is quickly become a leader in the ebook market and could potentially bury Amazon's Kindle. Like Nintendo before it, Kindle is feeling the pressure of the iPhone with book applications for iPhone now exceeding the popularity of their games apps over the past four months.

Industry insiders are saying that despite three million Kindle e-readers being sold this year in the US, the 57 million iPhones and iPods users worldwide means that Kindle is vastly outnumbered, and as such publishers might choose to side with Apple. Not just that, but their are rumours that Apple may have their own 'tablet' in the pipeline.

So what else could go the way of the dodo in the face of smart phones? Sat-navs? It's only a matter of time. Most smart phones now have GPS/map applications, and smart-phones can easily be held in place in the car to double as a sat-nav as well as a phone.

Devices that are solely mp3 players, will also no doubt be phased out as smart-phones are also utilised as music players.

It seems for now, that the rise of the smart phone cannot be stopped.

 

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Nokia takes casualties in 'Smartphone War' | Nokia to sue Apple over iPhone dispute

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