Verizon is set to release a new set of cell phones called Juke, Pearl, Venus and Voyager. Each of them is made to connect with a certain demographic. They are marketing the "LG Voyager" as an Apple iPHone (AAPL) killer. From a marketing standpoint I believe that's a mistake.
The two things included with the LG Voyager will be a faster Internet access speed and a keyboard. Neither of those are part of the iPhone at this time.
While the cell phone industry has been pushing hard to make the device desirable for entertainment, and by extension an advertising medium, I think it's doomed to failure.
Overall, entertainment is a video and photo medium, although people do like to read about a lot too: especially the celebrity gossip.
Even so, studies have also shown that people don't want to consume entertainment on their cell phones. Still the industry continues to try to change their attitudes on that.
The major problem to me has nothing to do with technology, Internet access speed or any other factor. What the problem entails is what people are doing when they're carrying their phones with them: they are on the move. That's why they're called mobile phones.
When people are at home or work, they're not going to use their cell phones to consume media, it wouldn't make any sense. That leaves times when they're going out, in transit or hanging out with friends.
How many times do we sit around with friends and pull out our cell phones and watch our favorite TV show? Or if we're going out to a function, we don't pull out our phones to download a show.
That leaves the only time we would want to view entertainment on the phone when we're commuting or possibly a passenger in a vehicle in transit.
I'm not saying there won't be other ways to market through phones, I'm saying the phone will probably never be a major entertainment consumption device, no matter how hard companies are trying to market it as such.
Having said that, it does leave a lot of possibilities, as travel is such a huge part of our lives. There will be some media and entertainment consumption on cell phones, just not as much as is currently being hoped for.
Related Coverage:
Verizon Voyager: iPhone Killer?
» Verizon Marketing New "LG Voyager" as iPhone Killer from ManagersRealm
Verizon's (VZ) newest offerings in the cell phone space look interesting and will offer something across the spectrum of consumers. They're getting the most buzz from announcing their LG Voyager will be an Apple iPhone (AAPL) killer. A bold sta... [Read More]
Tracked on: October 3, 2007 5:44 PM | Permalink to Trackback