"Voice is the killer application for a cell phone. It is and it will be for some time. However we believe that data services will quickly start to gain speed, especially here in the United States. The devices that we specialize in are really and truly devices that enable data services. Data services are the services that are going to provide additional revenue per user in the future. It's the services that are going to provide the anywhere connectivity, anywhere knowledge base for the consumer."
Smuin admits that users who have tried data services on cell phones that are out there today... have not been happy. Screens are too small and navigation is difficult to say the least. But take a look at what's coming...
"For instance, this device is a 503i, which is an NTT DoCoMo phone, you can see that the screen is much larger, that the color is fairly vivid and being able to have always on access has been one key element to the success of NTT DoCoMo."
And those services and handsets are starting to arrive in the U.S. as well. Bloomberg Boot Camp, I'm Fred Fishkin.