MW08 – Mobile Panel Question #2 – What % of devices can interact with the mobile web?
This is an excellent question posed by the panel audience earlier this week.
The short answer is – nearly 100% of mobile devices in Canada have a mobile browser.
Every new device comes with one and consumers are updating & replacing their devices faster than ever. It used to be that every 2-3 years a consumer would update their device. Now it’s about every 6-9 months. Also, thanks to Stephanie at Yiibu for this link which shows device market share by Country.
Having said that, keep in mind that the mobile web experience varies greatly from device to device. You can design and develop sites that will work just fine on every device if you follow the standards laid out by the W3c and dotmobi.
Unlike the interweb where we are often designing for the lowest common denominator, you can design for the highest common denominator for the mobile web. We can auto-detect your device before serving content so that you can serve up a very rich experience for smartphones (i.e. bb bold, iphone) and a more basic experience for your standard clamshell device for example.
Data plans in Canada have come way down in the last year. You can get unlimited data plans for as low as $7 / month from Bell and Telus for your flip phone, and as low as $30 / month for your smartphone from Rogers.
Summary: The mobile web is a viable channel to extend your message. Be sure to design for mobile and user context instead of trying to cram an interweb site into a smaller screen.
