It’s a great time to be interested in the mobile market. Whether you’re just a fan, or someone who works in the market in some capacity or another, we’re looking at some of the fastest advancements for smartphones and other mobile devices that we’ve ever seen. Manufacturers are taking smartphones into a whole new universe, packing in advanced technology that only computers took advantage of in years prior. But everything changes, and with advancement comes new products. But, when is fast, too fast?
For anyone who likes to buy gadgets, and especially phones, it’s common knowledge that no matter how advanced your device is, it will probably be a common good, or even out-dated, in a matter of months. That’s why some people refuse to be “early adopters,” and why even some people refuse to buy a particular product. Knowing full-well that there’s going to be something new, and potentially better, right around the corner can prevent anyone from dropping their hard-earned cash on any gadget.
And we’ve even seen in the last few years how this transition from one product to another isn’t just about hardware. Software, especially in the Android ecosystem, is released so fast that manufacturers can barely keep up with it. We’ve heard consumers’ dissatisfaction with this, and the fragmentation argument is still a steady one. Android’s advancement may be exponential, but people are still gobbling up the goods.
We know that 1.2GHz-powered devices are right around the corner. And, even further out, we know that Samsung is planning on releasing 2GHz dual-core processors sometime in early 2012. And now Motorola is apparently working on showing off their first Tegra 3, quad-core processor-equipped devices in the first quarter of 2012. With that in mind, and knowing these devices will be the high-end of high-end handsets at that time, why would you buy a current generation handset and lock yourself into a new, two-year agreement?
There’s never going to be a time where we don’t know that something better is coming. Obviously we know that these companies and manufacturers are never going to stop trying to make their devices, and the things that make them tick, better. But, perhaps they shouldn’t be so forthcoming with it. We know that something is coming, and that’s fine. But, knowing when something is coming is something else entirely. That means we can practically mark our calendars, and the waiting can begin. Buying devices without a contract is one way around this, but that’s obviously a pretty expensive option.
But, what do you think? Is innovation happening too quickly? Or, should companies start quieting down on their projected release schedules? Let me know how you gauge your next phone purchase, knowing full-well that something else is coming down the pipe.
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