The newly unveiled handheld console, 3DS, has once again demonstrated Nintendo’s innovation in hardware, and it could be showing mobile phone manufacturers the way forwards. Let’s look at Nintendo’s history of innovation in controls:

• The “D-Pad” (first appeared on the NES console, 1983)
• Wireless controllers (NES, 1989)
• Vibration feedback ( N64, 1997)
• Touch control (Nintendo DS, 2002)
• Motion sensor controls (Wii, 2006)

Nintendo did not necessarily invent all of these technologies, but it certainly popularized them, and every single one of these features are now commonplace in both games hardware and mobile phones. Nintendo does not innovate for the sake of innovation – these controls were created with the user experience in mind, and were always released with new titles (“apps” to use the mobile buzzword du jour) which used the feature to add to the experience, such as the Wii controller and the feeling of playing “real” sports. So, what has Nintendo done with its new handheld, the 3DS?

• There’s a 3D screen which does not require glasses
• There are not one but two external cameras. Why? Because with 2 cameras you can shoot 3D video
• There’s automatic data exchange (cloud based computing) and an accelerometer which are new features for Nintendo handhelds but old news for mobile phones, and of course the touch screen of the original Nintendo DS remains

Really it’s the 3D that sets this apart. The 3D screen does not require glasses, although it does require the user to sit at a particular angle to view the 3D effect. On a TV with a roomful of people watching, this is a problem, but for a handheld personal device, this is not an issue. Expect to see this in phones in the next 2-3 years. Shooting 3D video is really something quite remarkable. Due to the size of the device, the cameras are by necessity rather close together, so the 3D effect may not be terribly noticeable. However, the 3DS should retail at sub-$300, and likely will come down to a sub-$200 price point during its lifespan. Price points for current 3D camera setups are not even in the right ballpark for consumer products today, so the 3DS is something of a revolution. Yet again, Nintendo has shown us the way and in the near future we could all be shooting 3D video with our phones. The 3D viewing revolution is coming, and it's being orchestrated by a plumber.

 

May you live in interesting times as the old Chinese proverb goes. Well in the information, communication and entertainment industry we certainly do. Some very interesting questions face our industry whether we look at:

• the outcome of much delayed Indian 3G auction or
• the battlegrounds around HSPA+ and LTE or
• the surging Android ecosystem vs. weakening Symbian or
• the upside potential for WebOS under it new owners
• the potential disruption caused by mobile cloud phones and device

Every major technology advancement has lead to a massive disruption in the handset and infrastructure vendor community.

• In 3G, Motorola’s slim myopia led to its near ruin and has provided huge growth for Samsung and a foothold in international markets for LG and SEMC.
• On the infrastructure side 3G was expertly grasped by Huawei and ZTE leading to a new wave of M & A and a new world order which counts Nortel as a victim and seriously challenges ALU.

So how will the migration to 4G change the playing field?

• Who will benefit most on the operator/service provider side?
• Will Cloud Phones be disruptive in LTE?
• Will operators find a path to realign the traffic/revenue mix with mobile broadband devices?

I would welcome your thoughts on these key questions. Also don’t forget to join our client webinar on Thursday May 27.

 

David