Technology and The Longest Learning Curve
I’m in the market for a new phone. I know... I swore I’d never buy an iPhone 6 plus… but today I want to talk about an industry that floods us with apps. Android has invaded Africa like crazy because it’s open, user friendly, easy to customize, and it's an OS that runs on most dual-sim phones. What about iOS? Too complicated, it’s made for rich people, you can’t share your songs with your friends and you can't use it as an usb key, without bumping into iTunes. I get this feedback a lot. On the other side, let's check the numbers.
Android is an 800 pound gorilla, boasting about 78% of market share, with Google as a major sponsor.
I opened Youtube the other day and there was this ad showing a girl laughing, the wind blowing in her hair and outfit; her friend - shooting the video- asked “Ok Google what’s the wind speed in San Francisco right now?” the response was immediate. It made me smile but also saddened me: how many people know that they can throw any kind of questions at their smartphone in a snap? When I show the weather app results around me all I get is 'Oh! this is for 'white people'!'.
The other day, I entered the telecommunication shop, and I wanted to subscribe to a new internet deal. They had me signing a contract but the printer ran out of paper, my iPad was running -lucky me-. I scanned the contract, sent it to an app called SignEasy, wrote my signature down, inserted it to the document and sent it back to the clerk via e-mail. Amazing. Unfortunately, I know they will not start integrating it to their workflow. It’s a shame that the only format we trust in business is the almighty paper. Another story, my uncle wants to check his heart rate, but the machine he uses regularly don't work, it’s round midnight…no batteries. Does he know that there’s an app waiting on the Google Play store to be downloaded? He could just place his finger on his smartphone's camera sensor and get a pretty accurate result.
I think people who are well versed in tech, have the responsibility to share their knowledge with others.Teach them. Share the apps they love and spread the word around. There’s a new generation of people who just want to take selfies, text, chat, and surf the internet. That's dangerous. Africa's the latest to jump in the tech bandwagon, without even knowing how it’s actually working, and the ticket is so expensive. Raising awareness in schools, seminars, talk and tv shows could be a solution. Tech has changed our lives and the way we learn. It must be accessible to everyone. As there's no change without resistance, people should start asking “Ok, this is a great device, but what it can do for me?” instead of “This device is so beautiful, is there a gold version I could buy to just show off?”.
How creative are you when it's about using your smartphone? Which apps you use the most? Let us know in the comment section below
Image source: www.idc.com www.androidpit.com
Lionel Thomas is the founder of KILIFORI a creative agency dedicated to helping businesses from both Africa and further afield to meet their marketing goals by telling their stories in a simple, uncluttered way through great illustration and design. He's also a blogger, follow his thoughts and tips on www.somewherinafrica.me
Guiding business owners and executives in effective communication, building better sales & marketing strategies and customer relationships to close more sales in less time, and implementing state-of-the-art technology.
9 年Well said Lionel. These smartphones are really powerful devices and can be so useful whether they are Apple or Android. As you say the hard part is to find the truly useful apps and get them into the hands of people who might benefit. Must admit once I start doing documents I prefer my tablet. Great to see you posting again.
Founder of PICHA Stock I Passionate about setting creatives and strategic directions to creative projects.
9 年This is a great one Lionel. I really enjoyed reading it. My phone is my life. I do everything with it. I check my Bank account with my phone. I use it to sign up for my gym class, order grocery, record my weight, write notes, edit some images, etc. I have recently installed an app that allows me to schedule when the light should be on at home. I really would love to see Africans use the real potential of their phone. As you said there is a learning curve and I confident It will change soon.
Project Manager
9 年Nice sharing