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Do we need the 4G speed for all our devices?

Ok..Ok…the big ole hubbub across the mobile communication spectrum is all about 4G and 4G LTE. It is all about speed and the network. Yes, Verizon is leading the way with their LTE rollout across the country. AT&T and other groups are playing catch-up, well from a technology standpoint. AT&T is surely leading the pack in a clear concise message with their “Rethink Possible” campaign.

But what does this really mean for consumers, well I am still trying to figure this out. Seriously, why do I need 4G LTE speed on a mobile device. Why do I need to be able to upload and download at speeds twice or three times 3G speed on my iPhone or Android device. I can already watch video on the device, I can do video chat with my device, I can check email, download a document, etc at the 3G speeds.

What advantage do acquire when I buy the new iPad or iPhone with access to a 4G LTE data transfer rate? Now, look at the MiFi devices (the mobile hotspots) and this makes sense. I am a video guy and I need to be able to upload Gigabytes of video content and access to these speeds will trump most business and in-home data speeds.

At my house, I currently have my Charter data plan for Internet access that provides 25 Mb/s download and 3 Mb/s upload speeds. That is pretty fast…the 4G LTE mobile devices will be able to provide close, if not better upload speeds and similar to less download speeds. This is great for uploading large files from my edit bay and home workstation. So why does the average consumer need access from a smart phone to these speeds?

Verizon just released a press release today announcing that the Galaxy Tablet will be 4G LTE enabled. Jeff Dietel, vice president of marketing for Verizon Wireless stated in the press release, “The tablet market is exploding as customers are discovering new uses for the technology that features a large screen, powerful processing speeds and access to Android Market™’s 200,000 applications. The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 is perfect for customers who want to take advantage of Google™’s new movie rental option and view their favorite film on-the-go.”

Well, we are becoming a more connected community of technology enthusiasts. Everywhere you look, someone is looking at their smart device. They are texting, tweeting, looking at Facebook, checking email, watching video, chatting, uploading pictures. The days of the laptops and home workstations are slowly drifting away for the consumer. I bought my wife an 11 inch MacBook Air and it is close to the same size as my iPad. Those big ole bulky home computers are almost extinct. And with Cloud Computing…people are able to acces and store files virtually.

Look at the new release of iCloud by Apple. Yes, the ability to store and access all of your music in the “Cloud” and not have to worry if your home computer crashes, loosing all your music files. I can list numerous friends that have experienced this “life changing” trauma. My sister-in-law cried for days as she tried to recover a small percentage of her thousands of songs. I can still hear her saying…”There goes Bonnaroo…their goes Death Cab….GONE!”

So what does iCloud have to do with all this…we are becoming more dependent on the virtual community, connectivity, and off-site storage. Bigger server farms are providing access to storage and information. This also means that all of our devices, not just home computers, need to be able to access and alter these files from any device. I can now, shoot, edit, publish, and distribute video from my iPhone4 on YouTube and Vimeo using 3G, all in 1280×720 resolution. If I was still in the news world, I would be killing my competition…maybe?

Bottomline…our mobile devices are going to be moving more and more from content access devices to content creation devices. These devices will fit in our back pocket and we will be able to do more on the go, not restricted to our home/business/office computers. Access to servers and mainframes can be done anywhere…and their needs to be more bandwidth across the platform for more and more people to access and create content on the go. Also…files sizes are growing from HD video and larger picture quality.

One concept that I have not even touched is Healthcare IT. Yes…with the emergence of EMR’s and Cloud computing, more and more healthcare professionals will need to access large healthcare records in a mobile setting. Whether it is in the “field” like an ambulance or even rural healthcare networks. This type of speed and infrastructure will provide this access.

So, right now I am not sure if the consumer needs access to these speeds, but soon yes. Because all of their traditional computing will be done in devices that are the evolution of our iPhones, iPads, Laptops, Desktops…combined. Speed and access is key for tomorrow’s connectivity.

***Image from the Daily Galaxy, thanks a bunch!

Hanging out with a Samsung Galaxy Tab

So I had a chance to hang out with a Samsung Galaxy Tab…thanks to my friends at JDPR and Verizon Wireless. No…they are not paying me for my words, but wanting to know my thoughts! So if you watch the video below…here are my first impressions.

As you know I am a big fan of the iPad and iPhone. I have both and found the Galaxy an interesting change from the beaten path. I am wondering if I would purchase one, but here are some honest thoughts based on my initial impression.

As you notice, to me it feels like a larger DroidX without the phone built in. It does have a microphone, so I am sure it can be “rooted” and converted into a phone device. But, bottomline I am wondering about the price point. I have checked online and it looks like the Tablet is $499.99 and is just a bit larger than the DroidX, which is $199.99 with a two year contract. Both run on the same Android OS offering the same mobile apps. I am wondering if people would be willing to make the $300.00 price jump for a little larger device that is not a phone? Now I know the same has been said about the iPhone and iPad, but there is a sizable difference in screen size.

Now…I realize I have some biases given that I am an Apple person. But here are some of the reason I like the Samsung Galaxy Tab:

1 – The size! Yes, I like the fact it rests in my palm. Bigger than a phone and smaller than the iPad.
2 – The Mobile 3G Hotspot! Nuff Said!
3 – It is a cool gadget.
4 – Opportunity to play with a different OS.
5 – Supports Flash Content via the browser.
6 – The front and back cameras.

Now…I did notice the browser was sketchy at times, lagging in load times with faced paced surfing. I also noticed that the Android Marketplace is still not full with as many apps as Apple’s App store, but time will change that. Also, waiting for Skype to support the cameras on the Galaxy.

Just a few initial thoughts. I will be having another post come with more impressions! Enjoy!

Here are a few reviews by some other folks that have a little more credibility than I do!
1 – Engadget’s Review – CLICK HERE
2 – Gizmodo Review – CLICK HERE
3 – ZDnet Review – CLICK HERE
4 – PCWorld Review – CLICK HERE

Just Met Mr. DroidX – It is so COOL! First Look!

OK…so here it is! Watch the two videos below. I want to thank Robin Blackwood at JDPR and Verizon for giving me an opportunity today to sit and play with the new DroidX. First of all it is cool. The first video shows me just playing with the DroidX for the first time.

The second video shows this cool feature called “Swype” where you can drag your finger across the keyboard to spell different words.

More to come and I might have one in my hands to play with for an extended amount of time? Maybe even next week!