Ask HN: Do you think there is room for mobile startups that neglect the Iphone?

https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=295329

by rokhayakebe • 18 years ago

6 15 18 years ago

news.ycombinator.com

Ask HN: Do you think there is room for mobile startups that neglect the Iphone?

qhoxie• 18 years ago

Of course there is. Not building for the iphone does not mean a product is bound for failure by any means. Whether it is an intelligent decision is another matter, but there will definitely be success stories for mobile platforms not related to the iphone.

tstegart• 18 years ago

Considering that the mobile space was a billion dollar industry before the iPhone ever existed, I'm going to say yes.

_b8r0• 18 years ago

Yes. Don't neglect Symbian, Windows Mobile or Blackberry though.

zacharye• 18 years ago

I work with many companies that make a killing in mobile and haven't touched the iPhone yet.

benjamincanfly2• 18 years ago

If you're focusing on Anroid, yeah. If you're betting on SMS-based services lasting very long, that'll be a losing bet.

bigbang• 18 years ago

Why? Care to explain little more. Are you implying that iphone will reduce the overall use of sms and hence sms based services?

benjamincanfly2• 18 years ago

I think most handheld devices will be application-based in a few years, instead of relying on SMS, which is basically a cell's version of the command line.

ericwaller• 18 years ago

Betting against SMS would be like betting against email. I don't think either is going anywhere anytime soon.

And Android is like the linux for phone OSes (which is a weird thing to say since it actually is linux..), consumers want a unified, polished experience, not an ad-hoc one.

nolanbrown23• 18 years ago

The iPhone is a test platform to prove to yourself/investors that your products have merit and can sell. You can do without it but the iPhone means press which means users which means money. Android would be a good platform because of the App Market and so will Windows Mobile and Blackberry but it will be a lot easier on those platforms once a store comes to the OS.

There is a lot of room in the mobile space but my biggest fear is that instead of developing substantive companies, businesses pander on the spam/one-hit-wonder line. Don't be one of those companies, spend the time to develop an idea that has value and meaning.

mattmaroon• 18 years ago

That's like saying "Do you think there is room for web startups that neglect Facebook." Except maybe Facebook has a larger portion of the web audience than the iPhone does in mobile.

raganwald• 18 years ago

Yes, especially because "iPhone" the platform is only partially about "mobile." How many iPhone apps are really "mobile" apps? How many are really PDA apps? Or tablet apps?

a "mobile" startup is a company concentrating on "mobility." There's a lot of opportunity there. And also, the fact that most phones suck is an opportunity. Apple is cashing in on that by making a better phone. You can cash in on that by making the existing phones suck less with your app.

By definition, making an existing phone suck less is a mobile startup opportunity that involves neglecting the iphone.

DenisM• 18 years ago

I'm a die-hard iPhone proponent, and here's my take:

iPhone is a medicore phone and a sub-par email device.

It's an ok line-of-business platform, but subpar to competition.

It's a beatuful web device, a great multimedia platform and decent entry-level gaimng platofrm that grownups can carry around unashamed (a "suit" will not carry PSP, but iPhone is Ok). It's also a fashion gadget and a status symbol, especially aborad.

So, depending on who your customers are...

kylec• 18 years ago

I'm going to disagree with people here and say that if you're just starting now, it would be unwise to ignore the high-profile iPhone. Though the device may be new and may not have significant market share, there is inimitable hype surrounding the device and the corresponding App Store. If you're looking to sell applications, you may find the iPhone to be quite a lucrative platform given the seamless integration and ease of purchase that users enjoy.

jonmc12• 18 years ago

Of course, but the answer should be based on your marketing plan, not technology platforms.

blender• 18 years ago

Symbian (Nokia) has something like 65% marketshare so definitely.