On Monday, Google and Verizon jointly released a policy proposal detailing their thoughts on how the internet should be regulated by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC).

As Nilay Patel of Engadget acutely observed, the Google/Verizon policy is “very clearly an articulation of a specific plan that was undoubtedly proposed and rejected” during the FCC’s recent meetings on the issue of “net neutrality.”

Regardless of whether this specific policy were to be implemented, the proposal clearly reveals the mobile platform as the most prized asset of the two companies. They agreed that wired broadband should be subjected to nondiscrimination requirements (with exceptions for “additional online services”), but that wireless networks should be exempt from such requirements. Offering this compromise either explicitly or implicitly indicates that the companies’ greatest stake is with mobile.

The benefits of internet access anywhere, anytime are readily apparent for both consumers—who have a wealth of knowledge and purchasing power at their fingertips—and marketers—who gain a more valuable platform with which to engage potential customers wherever they are.

eMarketer’s internet user projections also reflect the increasing importance of wireless. By 2014, eMarketer expects the number of mobile internet users in the US to reach 142 million, a near tripling of 2008 levels.

The total pool of internet users, which includes mobile and wired access, will increase over the same time period from 203 million to 250 million. By 2013, more than half of all US internet users will be accessing the web through a mobile network, either alone or in addition to wired usage.

Google’s Android mobile platform is skyrocketing in popularity and Verizon operates the largest wireless network in the country. It should come as no surprise that they would so willingly submit to regulation with mobile excluded. As further indication of where the market is headed, Verizon is rumored to begin offering 4G as soon as November 15 in 30 markets, offering speeds between 5 Mbps and 10 Mbps. At the same time, you’ve probably been seeing those Verizon FIOS ads on TV for years, but the service is likely still not available in your area.

“It’s so thin!” exclaimed one of my colleagues as I unboxed the new iPhone 4 yesterday – 24% thinner than the iPhone 3GS, in fact. Yes, thin is in with Apple’s latest magical device, and the overall effect is fairly dramatic.

In terms of design, Apple is to electronics as Audi is to cars. Like Audi’s most recent models, this latest iPhone goes in a slightly blockier design direction than its predecessors. I wasn’t wowed by it straight out of the box, but it feels better in your hand, which is good for those few occasions when you’ll actually use it as a phone. Changing an icon like the first iPhone and 3GS is a challenging proposition, so Apple deserves some credit for going in a different direction, especially when that decision results in greater utility for the end user.

Still, the aesthetics of the case are unlikely to stand in the way of anyone wanting the iPhone 4, especially when the screen resolution is so much clearer. Thankfully, my particular model seems to have been spared some of the screen defects that others have noted. Looking at the home screen next to that of the iPhone 3G makes me feel like my vision had just improved – all of sudden the screen isn’t so blurry anymore.

Leaving aside the specs of the much-discussed retina display and the much-dissected glass used for the screen, this major step forward will make the iPhone 4 a far better platform for not only consuming media but also producing it. Even the photos I shot on the iPhone 3G’s 2.0 megapixel camera look sharper and brighter on the iPhone 4. How long will it be until we see a music video or feature-length film shot entirely on the iPhone? Answer: probably not long.

Along with the improvements to the display, the feature set and performance upgrades are the real story here. With newfound slimness comes far greater speed. My aging iPhone 3G seemed positively sluggish by comparison. And in my limited trial, the enhancements, such as unified in-box, app switching and multitasking, all worked as advertised (I didn’t have a chance to get any FaceTime).

So, what does this mean for marketers? Mark my words, iPhone usage will skyrocket. The epic pre-order snafus will do little or nothing to dampen consumer enthusiasm, and I frankly don’t see tiered data pricing as a significant near-term impediment for sales or usage either, although network issues with AT&T are sure to crop up. But fortunately for those in-market smartphone buyers who want to opt for another carrier, there is a bumper crop of highly capable devices. For example, Verizon and Motorola just yesterday launched the new bigger and badder Droid X, and the battle between Apple and Android is only going to get more intense. It’s entertaining to watch, but the key takeaway for marketers is that it will drive more consumers to smartphones and the mobile Web, and in turn, make mobile a more viable marketing platform.

The Mobile World Congress wrapped up this week in Barcelona. As expected, it saw a flurry of new device launches and a big focus on mobile applications, despite no official presence from Apple, whose App Store is the market heavyweight. For those of us who couldn’t make the trip to Spain (where, as many observers have noted, it was cold and rainy), PCWorld and mocoNews both have good slideshows of the festivities.

Among the many announcements made at the show, a few are worth highlighting: (Read more…)

As Motorola’s Droid smartphone readies for launch, the mobile industry is rife with geeky-yet-endearing Star Wars references. Most seem to fall into the camp that this is the droid we’re looking for (check out PC World for a good round-up), but it begs the question of which droid? Will Motorola’s smartest smartphone be the multilingual (and often long-winded) C-3PO, the chirpy R2-D2 or perhaps a battle droid from the less-than-endearing second series of Star Wars prequels?

In some ways, the latter reference might be the most appropriate, now that we know Droid is not just a model but a brand. It is, in short, the first in a veritable army of devices designed to fight for domination in the increasingly contentious smartphone space.

Of course, that battle is also about individual soldiers. As with Palm’s Pre, the Droid is Motorola’s comeback device – Motorola’s first real opportunity in years to recapture some of the luster it once had in the Razr’s heyday. Droid also marks a big line in the sand for the Android platform. As I alluded in a previous post, the alliance of Verizon and Android (with the right devices – check) should provide a big boost to carrier and OS alike (and increase distribution for apps in Android Market).

The larger question is: who’s fighting whom in this battle? Naturally, sitting as it does at the top of the smartphone heap, the iPhone is always the point of comparison for any new smartphone that comes to market, but it isn’t always the target (TechCrunch very ably covers this issue here).

I tend to subscribe to the notion that Apple and Google are more frenemies than enemies, with the recent skirmish over the Google Voice app and the ensuing board of directors drama more of a distraction than anything else, at least for the time being. For now, the two will be loosely allied in a “the-enemy-of-my-friend-is-my-enemy” sort of way against Microsoft. In other words, think of mobile as an important front, but in a much larger (and longer) war for computing supremacy.

Along the way, a rebel alliance is bound to emerge, and we know how that story goes….

That’s the direction mobile service pricing is headed in the wake of Walmart’s announcement this week that the retail giant is partnering with TracFone to offer talk, text and mobile Web access plans for as low as $30/month. Unlimited plans will cost just $45. Both are being marketed under the Straight Talk banner and will be available exclusively at Walmart stores.

Needless to say, that’s pretty aggressive pricing, but consistent with the type of move we’ve seen repeatedly from pre-paid carriers over the past 12 to 18 months. For the first time in decades, US consumers are finding it sexier to save than spend, and Walmart’s move can been seen as an effort to capitalize on the growing sense of thrift in the face of the recession. Naturally, there are some trade-offs, such as a limited handset selection, but for low prices, you can’t have everything.

The question is: will the major US carriers follow suit? Tim Deluca-Smith, a fellow member of the Mobile Monday community, has a smart response with a European perspective at the Wireless Informatics Forum. MediaPost likewise features some good coverage of the announcement here.

I’m inclined to agree that Walmart might steal away a few customers from the Verizons and AT&Ts of the world, and might cause the majors to offer some additional deals or incentives to keep the faithful happy, but they’re not likely to engage in an all-out pricing war. I think Tim is spot-on in his analysis that the smaller regional carriers will feel the brunt of Walmart’s Straight Talk express first.