South Africa is a very “tech savvy” market and its smartphone usage is similar to that of mature markets.
This is according to Christian Lonne, head of sales at Sony Mobile Communications Middle East and Africa, who argues that, when it comes to smartphone usage, SA is very much like a mature westernised market. This is because SA experiences the same trends that are observed in mature markets, including the growth of Android as well as demand for data connectivity.
Lonne says the need for data connectivity is an issue in all markets because users need data to enjoy the features offered by their smartphones.
However, he stresses that data costs vary in different parts of the world. “For SA specifically, this is something that the operators have to control and have to make their own business cases and their own revenue models out of,” he says. He adds that Sony's devices are data-intensive and, as a result, the company appreciates good data tariffs.
According to Lonne, Android is the fastest growing operating system globally and the OS is also experiencing growth in SA.
Lonne argues that the growth of Android puts Sony Mobile Communications in a strong position.
Yet, Lonne does not foresee the extinction of other operating systems. Instead, he believes there will be a number of surviving operating systems in the future, with two or three holding a dominant position.
Lonne also believes users will ultimately decide whether there is one, two or several different operating systems in the future. “I think at the heart of it you have to always remember that it is about the user experience. It's about the consumer getting what [the consumer] wants,” says Lonne.
Mainstream NFC
Sony Mobile Communications believes near field communications (NFC) will change the lives of consumers. “We think it is a fantastic technology,” Lonne says.
According to him, for NFC to achieve mainstream implementation, consumers and retailers will have to choose a suitable model for this technology.
Lonne adds that Sony Mobile Communications can provide the technology and that most of the devices the company is releasing this year are NFC-enabled.
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