A staggering statistic was released recently showing that nearly 60% of consumers time spent on mobile phones is specifically on social networking apps/sites.
Wow. That’s a lot of time.
And the world (and businesses) have taken notice and are beginning to develop handsets specifically built for social networking use.
Here are just a few that are coming out soon:
- Motorola’s Motoblur — Announced in September at our Mobilize 09 event, Motoblur is a customized interface for Motorola’s Android phones that shows real-time status updates from Facebook, Twitter and MySpace right on the home screen. Users can update their own status directly through any Motorola phone that supports Motoblur — such as the Cliq or Backflip — making the interface a two-way social portal.
- Microsoft Kin — Two Kin models were announced this month that are targeted squarely at the social networking teenager. The phones support simple drag-and-drop sharing of pictures, video, and location on Facebook, My Space, Twitter and Windows Live. And all content shared or created on the phones is available online in a unique timeline.
- Sony Ericsson Zylo and Spiro — Just announced two weeks ago, the Zylo and Spiro combine the music features of the Walkman brand with native Facebook and Twitter applications. Users can share not only their current status, but tell the world what tunes they’re enjoying in real time.
- Nokia C3, C6, and E5 — This trio of social networking handsets from Nokia were also introduced earlier this month. Each offers quick access to read or update status on Facebook or Twitter, but also tie into Nokia’s own Ovi service, which adds image sharing and instant messaging features.
Sweet…!
Does this mean that our strategy as the Church should change as well? Definitely. Will we be able to engage, implement, and execute soon? Probably not.
But that’s ok. I’ve found that a delayed response to the shifting winds of the marketplace is a healthy and wise position for the Church as the world will bleed out blips of activity as we find models of sustainable engagement strategically.
Exciting times we live in, right? Keep our ears open and eyes to the heavens for wisdom!
Paul Sinar says
I hope this is the case. We have to be talking to the world about Christ – and if the language carrier used right now is social media, then we HAVE to get on board.
Travis Fish says
Dang. Social networking has exploded over the past ten years. Especially on the mobile network. Have you heard about the library of congress and how they started archiving all public tweets for history? Crazy stuff.