06-11-2004, 08:00 PM
|
|
Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
|
|
Americans Want Local Wireless Technology, Not Mobile Video
http://www.infosyncworld.com/news/n/4999.html
"According to a new study conducted by research firm Strategic Analytics, American buyers aren't interested in mobile video, music, or games. They want wireless and Push-To-Talk functionality. According to a survey of 1000 mobile phone users in the United States, 54% want a wireless headset for their phone. Although the report does not specify, Bluetooth is the likely candidate for such a feature."
As long as it works. :wink: Excuse me while I go reboot my Nokia 3650. The bluetooth to GPRS connection is hanging again. :?
|
| |
|
|
|
06-11-2004, 08:11 PM
|
|
Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,041
|
|
A wired earpiece is so 2002! My T610 works like a dream when it comes to it's BT connections.
|
| |
|
|
|
06-11-2004, 08:16 PM
|
|
Theorist
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 270
|
|
I never thought I would like wireless headset but I tried one and loved it. I am sure there will be a huge market for Bluetooth headsets. It�s great to leave the phone on your belt clip or in your briefcase and make calls with the headset. Voice dialing works great on my Nokia 6820 and the Logitech Headset. The audio quality on the headset is better then the phone. After using this configuration I immediately wanted more functionality. It would be great when a call comes in to use a voice synthesizer and say the name of the caller in my ear. If I am screening my calls I have find the phone before I answer it. I am sure features like that are in the future.
This is a personal review I put together in the last week of some of the headsets I tried.
http://www.mbu.com/headsets/
Sean
|
| |
|
|
|
06-11-2004, 08:36 PM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 193
|
|
Contradiction
Okay, so over 50% want a wireless headset, but it also says that "22% of those surveyed listed Bluetooth on their want-list" :?
I think this illustrates perfectly that most U.S. consumers have no idea what Bluetooth is or why it's useful. It's not surprising, since there has been practically zero marketing for it here. The most I've seen or heard about Bluetooth in the mainstream media is an Acura TV commercial that mentioned it, but of course didn't explain it at all.
U.S. carriers keep saying "they don't see the demand for Bluetooth", and point to surveys like this. Well, duh - it's clearly a chicken-and-egg problem. Consumers need to know what it is before they can want it or not. The question is not "do they want it", it's "is this something we can sell", emphasis on SELL, as in market and promote. Grrr... (end rant)
|
| |
|
|
|
06-11-2004, 09:27 PM
|
|
Pontificator
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 1,468
|
|
Quote:
|
Excuse me while I go reboot my Nokia 3650. The bluetooth to GPRS connection is hanging again.
|
The poor thing can't help sensing the hostility...! 
On a general note - I was flicking through a US PC magazine in my local newsagents (I think PC World?) and there was an article specifically on why Bluetooth hasn't taken off in the US. It looked at IT development in Europe, Asia and America as being led by different technologies - in mobile phone dominated Europe this has led to natural Bluetooth adoption - in the PC focussed Americas, with MS dragging their heels on BT integration, Bluetooth adoption has not had the same impetus...
|
| |
|
|
|
06-11-2004, 09:48 PM
|
|
Executive Editor
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 29,160
|
|
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Duncan
...in the PC focussed Americas, with MS dragging their heels on BT integration, Bluetooth adoption has not had the same impetus...
|
Absolutely! Until Microsoft has full Bluetooth support in Windows XP, it will bit see mainstream adoption in North America.
|
| |
|
|
|
06-11-2004, 10:36 PM
|
|
Ponderer
Join Date: Apr 2004
Posts: 106
|
|
Maybe I'm missing something, or maybe I've got some weird magnetic field going or something, but I've always had really bad luck with BT headsets. I don't have a problem keeping them sync'd with the cell phone, but even if I have the cell phone in my hip pocket, or on my belt, I still get poor reception. I've tried several BT devices, and haven't had good luck with any of them yet.
I know the range is supposed to be in the ballpark of 30 feet, but is anyone else having issues like this, where you can't keep a good headset signal a measley 3 feet away?
Note: Now, at my office, I have the Plantronics CS50, which is a 900MHz headset, and it works flawlessly. Throughout the building, I get no static whatsoever, regardless of walls or number of metalic cubicle barriers between me and the receiver. It just plain works. I dont' expect a BT headset to be able to reach across the entire office, but I do expect a static-free signal for the promised 30ft range... or, at least, something close.
|
| |
|
|
|
06-11-2004, 10:48 PM
|
|
Theorist
Join Date: Mar 2003
Posts: 270
|
|
I reviewed four of them here http://www.mbu.com/headsets/ and found they all start having problems past 15 feet. 15 feet is a lot better then a 6ft wire from the headset to the phone. I am sure they are designed with low power in mind and can not achieve that 10 meter (33ft) BT spec.
Sean
|
| |
|
|
|
06-11-2004, 11:28 PM
|
|
Contributing Editor Emeritus
Join Date: Aug 2006
Posts: 8,228
|
|
Re: Contradiction
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by rbrome
U.S. carriers keep saying "they don't see the demand for Bluetooth", and point to surveys like this. Well, duh - it's clearly a chicken-and-egg problem. Consumers need to know what it is before they can want it or not. The question is not "do they want it", it's "is this something we can sell", emphasis on SELL, as in market and promote. Grrr... (end rant)
|
Consumers demand a feature - like wireless headsets in this article. The carriers should provide that feature. If BT is the mechanism to provide the feature, then that is what they should give us.
However, consumers, as a rule, won't demand a particular technology. They will demand a particular feature and leave it up to someone to make it happen, not really caring about the bits or gears necessary to do so.
|
| |
|
|
|
06-12-2004, 12:01 AM
|
|
Intellectual
Join Date: Jul 2003
Posts: 193
|
|
Re: Contradiction
Quote:
|
Originally Posted by Ed Hansberry
Consumers demand a feature - like wireless headsets in this article. The carriers should provide that feature. If BT is the mechanism to provide the feature, then that is what they should give us.
|
Definitely. No disagreement there.
"No demand" is just what the carrier spokespeople tell me when I ask them about Bluetooth.
I think this new study is first to break out that feature instead of just asking about Bluetooth. That proves your point - that consumers care about the end-result feature, not the underlying technology.
But it also proves my point, which is the carriers have so far been very shortsighted in dismissing Bluetooth. They were flat-out wrong when they thought consumers didn't want Bluetooth - they just weren't asking them the right way. If anyone in charge had simply had a little vision and said "hey, this is really great, people will want this once they understand it", and set out to promote it... But no, no one wants to take any risks (except on 3G, apparently).
But now that this study has asked the question the right way, and revealed what we all knew - Bluetooth is great and people want it - hopefully it will change the minds of the powers that be. We can only hope! 
|
| |
|
|
|
|
|
Linear Mode
