Featuring:

Thomas Husson, VP and Principal Analyst

Show Notes:

In this episode of What It Means, Forrester VP and Principal Analyst Thomas Husson evaluates the biggest takeaways from Mobile World Congress 2019, giving an in-depth analysis on the impact of everything from 5G to foldable phones. Overarching these developments is a shift: Mobile is moving from innovation to platform for innovation.

We find ourselves at the 5G tipping point, where hype turns into implementation. It will take a while, just like it did when 3G gave way to 4G. Thorny knots of infrastructure and regulation must be untangled. When 5G does come, it will enable technology like self-driving cars, AR, and smart objects to become commonplace. Meanwhile, foldable phones will blur the lines of consumer electronic categories, leaving consumers open to new forms of connected experiences.

Put simply: Mobile is to the current tech revolution what electricity was to the second industrial revolution. Pioneering work by scientists such as Ben Franklin and Alessandro Volta made electricity tenable. Shortly after, a wave of world-changing inventions came into being: Alexander Graham Bell invented the telephone; Ottó Bláthy created the turbo generator. Now that mobile is in place, more innovation will be built upon it. It’s already happening: There would be no Uber if mobile hadn’t made internet access from anywhere a reality.

So where will mobile take us next? Advancements will be made even while 5G gets its sea legs and foldable phones get down to a competitive price point. Expect developments in payments, education, and healthcare.