In Korea–which battles with Finland for the title of mobile capital of the world–the 4G phone may have been born.
LG Electronics yesterday demonstrated the first handset modem chip that’s based on so-called LTE (Long Term Evolution) standards, and that can “theoretically” support wireless download speeds of 100Mbps and upload speeds of 50Mbps. That’s one fast phone! Especially considering that, according to LG, the current fastest phones download at 7.6 Mbps max!
LG claims that because most major cellular network operators are pursing LTE-based 4G technology, and because it’s based on the WCDMA evolutionary path, most carriers using WCDMA will be able to upgrade to LTE networks. LG also points out that Strategy Analytics forecasts the global LTE handset market will be 70 million sales units in 2012, and will more than double to 150 million units by 2013.
While I’m not sure the path to LTE will be as smooth as LG makes it seem, I’m still excited about this first peek at a possible 4G phone. I’ve written ad nauseum about the mobile Internet becoming so common that it will become more important than traditional Internet for marketers to reach consumers. But a phone like what LG proposes means that people can interact better with brands, too. That speedy upload means people will be able to write reviews, respond to blogs, maybe even take part in picture contests while on the go. In turn, 4G will make watching media a smoother experience, making for a multi-channel campaign whose steps are all on the handset.
What do you guys think about 4Gs implications for mobile marketing?
