Rita's Italian Ice harnesses power of mobile to build loyalty club - Mobile Commerce Daily

Rita's Italian Ice harnesses power of mobile to build loyalty club - Mobile Commerce Daily

March 14, 2013

Rita’s Italian Ice is using QR codes and a mobile application to promote the company’s annual Free Ice day, as well as build up its new loyalty club.

The new mobile application and QR code initiative is part of the company’s 21st Annual First Day of Spring Free Ice Giveaway celebration. Free Ice day takes place on March 20 and consumers will receive a free Ice in a limited edition cup.

“Rita’s has unveiled a new mobile loyalty application, Rita’s Rewards,” said Jonathan Fornaci, chief executive officer of Rita’s Italian Ice. “Rita’s Rewards allows guests to earn rewards for their purchases, write reviews and share their happiness on social networks.

“Guests can download the Rita’s Ice application on their smartphone and earn a free regular Italian Ice on their 8th visit,” he said. “Our Guests asked us to develop a fun Rita’s app so we built Rita’s Rewards for smartphone users and plan to continue enhancing it to include a Rita’s Italian Ice Factory game coming this spring.

“Our new Rita’s Rewards loyalty program provides guests the ability to share their happiness with their friends through social channels.”

Building loyalty
The Rita’s Rewards mobile loyalty app lets consumers earn rewards for their purchases, write reviews and share it all via social networks.

The app is available for free download in Apple’s App Store and Google Play.

Furthermore, the Rita’s Rewards loyalty app uses Punchh technology and lets consumers earn a free regular Italian Ice on their 8th visit.

The company is also implementing QR codes into its marketing strategy, as part of the company’s efforts to drive app downloads.

“We wanted to use this big day to unveil our new mobile application,” Mr. Fornaci said. “In celebration of this 21st annual milestone, all guests who visit any Rita’s Italian Ice on March 20th will receive a free Ice in a limited edition cup with a QR Code for guests to download Rita’s Rewards, a new loyalty club for smartphone users.

“We are also using our Web site, social media and our email database to contact our fans about the new app.”

Consumers can scan the QR code located on Rita’s Italian Ice’s first day of spring cup.

Users are then led to download the mobile loyalty app.

Additionally, consumers can earn a free punch by using their Facebook log-in when signing up.

Users of Rita’s Rewards will also receive a free punch on the first day of spring.

“Our goal is to share the Ice Custard happiness and the new Rita’s Rewards app joins our Birthday Club and Rita’s Cool Alerts as another way Rita’s gives guests the ability to share their happiness with their friends through social channels,” Mr. Fornaci said.

Final TakeRimma Kats is associate editor on Mobile Commerce Daily, New York

3 Reasons Why Responsive Web Design is the Best Option For Your Mobile SEO Strategy - Search Engine Watch (#SEW)

3 Reasons Why Responsive Web Design is the Best Option For Your Mobile SEO Strategy 

As smartphone and tablet adoption rapidly increases, so does the importance of mobile-friendly websites.

If SEO is a core component of your digital marketing strategy, having a mobile–friendly website is becoming essential.

Mobile sales have already overtaken desktop sales, and mobile Internet usage is predicted toovertake desktop internet usage by 2014. It is only logical that mobile search will overtake desktop search at some point in the near future as well.

Since 67 percent of users claim they are more likely to purchase from a mobile-friendly website, companies that rely on SEO are wise to begin making the transition to mobile-friendly websites, and responsive web design specifically.

The argument between whether to choose a responsive website or a separate mobile website is a highly debated topic. However, the truth is that both options have their pros and cons.

The option that is best for your business depends on many factors, such as the purpose of the website, the intended target audience, and whether SEO is a factor.

If SEO is a factor, here are three reasons why responsive web design is the best option for your mobile SEO strategy.

Recommended By Google

With 67 percent search market share, when Google speaks, search marketers listen. Google states that responsive web design is its recommended mobile configuration, and even goes so far as to refer to responsive web design as the industry best practice.

This is because responsive design sites have one URL and the same HTML, regardless of device, which makes it easier and more efficient for Google to crawl, index, and organize content. Contrast this with a separate mobile site which has a different URL and different HTML than its desktop counterpart, requiring Google to crawl and index multiple versions of the same site.

Additionally, Google prefers responsive web design because content that lives on one website and one URL is much easier for users to share, interact with, and link to than content that lives on a separate mobile site.

Take for example a mobile user who shares content from a mobile site with a friend on Facebook who then accesses that content using a desktop, which results in that user viewing a stripped down mobile site on their desktop. This creates a less than optimal user-experience, and because of the large emphasis Google is now placing on user-experience as a ranking factor, this is essential to take into account with regards to SEO.

One Website, Many Devices

One of the most appealing aspects of responsive web design is that a responsive website can provide a great user-experience across many devices and screen sizes. This is an important characteristic, since it is impossible to anticipate all the devices and screen sizes searchers will use to access your site. A site that works well regardless of these variables will provide a better and more consistent user-experience than a separate mobile site that is designed for a specific device and screen size.

Let’s take the following example. Someone searches for a product on their smartphone during a lunch break at work. They find a site that has the product they’re looking for, and decide to continue researching this product on the same site when they get home. Except, when they get home, they will use their desktop instead of their smartphone.

If the site in this example is responsive, this person will have a positive user-experience when transitioning from mobile to desktop because they will view the same site on their desktop as they did on their smartphone. On the other hand, if the site is a dedicated mobile site, this person will become frustrated with the fact that they have to locate the desktop version of the site, and find the product all over again.

Easier to Manage

Having a separate desktop and mobile site requires having separate SEO campaigns. Managing one site and one SEO campaign is far easier than managing two sites and two SEO campaigns. This is a key advantage a responsive website has over a separate mobile site.

That being said, there are benefits to having a mobile-specific SEO strategy, such as optimizing for keywords that are more likely to be searched when someone is on their smartphone.

For example, someone performing a mobile search for a local restaurant may be more inclined to use the word “nearby” in their search query. However, a separate mobile site is not a requirement for a mobile SEO strategy, and there's no reason why mobile-specific keywords can't be incorporated into a responsive design site as well.

Conclusion

Responsive web design is recommended by Google, it allows one website to provide a great user-experience across many devices and screen sizes, and it also makes managing your SEO strategy easier. For these reasons, responsive web design is the best option for your mobile SEO strategy.

Online Retailers Move Past Discounts to Earn Deeper Customer Loyalty - eMarketer

Online Retailers Move Past Discounts to Earn Deeper Customer Loyalty - eMarketer

Retailers use technology to identify what would make consumers become repeat buyers

Online retailers disproportionately invest marketing dollars in acquiring new business at the expense of strategies designed to retain existing customers, according to a new eMarketer report, “Customer Loyalty: Emotional Bonds Trump Monetary-Based Loyalty Programs.” At a time when 70% of internet users are already buying online and smartphone owners comparison shop across sites at will, earning customer loyalty has become a critical success factor for web retailers.

Retailers pay a steep price by not focusing on loyalty. Even though return purchasers (i.e., those who have made one previous purchase) and repeat purchasers (makers of multiple previous purchases) accounted for only 8% of site visitors, they generated a disproportionately high 41% of site sales, according to the Q2 2012Adobe analysis. What’s more, return and repeat purchasers had higher average order values and conversion rates than shoppers with no previous purchase history.

Retailers often equate a retention strategy with a loyalty program based on points, discounts and other monetary rewards, said Dennis Armbruster, vice president at loyalty marketing and management firm LoyaltyOne Consulting.

The problem is that giving rewards and pricing discounts is tantamount to purchasing loyalty. And customers continue purchasing only as long as they perceive a financial incentive. But a different, deeper level of loyalty can create a lasting relationship with a retailer or brand.

Authentic customer loyalty starts with a retailer understanding what really matters to its customers during the research, transactional and after-sales phases of the customer lifecycle.

The upside of emotional loyalty is it insulates retailers from competitive practices like aggressive discounting and price matching that depress profit margins. Loyal customers tell other people about their positive experiences. They also buy more and overlook competing products and companies, according to a 2012 ClickFoxsurvey.

Multichannel and web-only retailers can earn customer loyalty by mitigating the pain points consumers encounter while shopping online. Focusing on improving shipping and delivery time, implementing a liberal return policy and addressing trust and security concerns are some important ways retailers can win over repeat customers who believe in the brand.

The effort to build and maintain a personal relationship with a customer depends heavily on technology.

Big Data, social media and mobile are at the core of the strategies that retailers said would improve the effectiveness of their loyalty programs, according to the 2012 Edgell Knowledge Network survey.

Working with these new and emerging technology platforms can be complicated, costly and difficult. But marketers who are slow to incorporate them into their businesses are at risk of losing ground quickly.

The full report, “Customer Loyalty: Emotional Bonds Trump Monetary-Based Loyalty Programs” also answers these key questions:

• What is emotional loyalty and why is it important to retailers?
• How are retailers earning customer loyalty by mitigating the pain points in the online shopping process?
• How are retailers leveraging customer information, social media and mobile to bond closely with customers?

This report is available to eMarketer corporate subscription clients only. eMarketer clients, log in and view the report now.

Read more at http://www.emarketer.com/Article/Online-Retailers-Move-Past-Discounts-Earn-Deeper-Customer-Loyalty/1009719#vUeuCu4CszRLXkpw.99

College Students Deal Hunt on Mobile - eMarketer

College Students Deal Hunt on Mobile - eMarketer

Mobile plays a role in more of everyday life for college students

College students have a voracious appetite for mobile apps that help them socialize and communicate. And a November 2012 online survey of 689 US college students conducted by Study Breaks and Campus2Careers finds that they are also committed mobile deal hunters.

Nine out of 10 respondents reported using their phones to scour for deals, coupons and specials; just 10% said they “never” did so. Moreover, 20% of surveyed college students were self-professed mobile deal addicts, saying they “always” checked their phones for the latest deals—another 31% checked their phones for deals “often.” In other words, over half of college students, 51%, were committed mobile deal aficionados.

As one might expect, the large numbers of students looking for purchases with phones in hand translates to large numbers of students making purchases through their phones. The study found that 70% of sampled college students made mobile purchases, and 52% did so at least once a month.

But the fact that students are focused on shopping and buying via mobile doesn’t mean they’re neglecting their social lives. When asked to name their most frequent mobile activity, other than talking or texting, fully 25% of respondents said accessing Facebook, while another 14% cited rival social network Twitter. Email was a close second overall, with 23% citing it as their No. 1 mobile task.

Taken together, 62% considered some form of digital communication to be their top mobile priority. The only other categories to crack double digits were music (11%) and “other” (12%).

Additionally, college students are using mobile phones increasingly for classwork, a sign that the devices really have penetrated nearly every aspect of student life. Over half of respondents said they used their mobile phone for school-related tasks every day.

Corporate subscribers have access to all eMarketer analyst reports, articles, data and more. Join the over 750 companies already benefiting from eMarketer’s approach. Learn more.

Read more at http://www.emarketer.com/Article/College-Students-Deal-Hunt-on-Mobile/1009715#FbeCLbzQ7tWqssMy.99

Six Questions for Responsive Designers - 'Net Features - Website Magazine

Six Questions for Responsive Designers - 'Net Features - Website Magazine
by Pete Prestipino

The response in “responsive” Web design provides a clue about how to think about the practice. It’s essentially a set of actual techniques – and yes, sometimes tools too – that move elements of the page (e.g. images, navigation, text) based on the capabilities of the device it is being viewed upon. Responsive design enables websites to obtain information about the device and then display a version appropriate for the layout. There are actually quite a few digital moving pieces, so if you’re using responsive design right now – ask these six questions of yourself or your designer before making anything digital come alive. 

You likely need no further explanation of why going responsive is the best design choice for your digital presence, but you’ll also need some practical guidance – just the kind of information that subscribers expect from Website Magazine. Here’s a quick guide for those interested in using responsive design, some things you should and need to know, and more importantly ask, about responsive techniques and tools, today and in the future.

A quick note, if you’re reading this on a desktop version you’ll quickly notice that WebsiteMagazine.com is not actually “responsive” per say. Aren’t we practicing what we preach? Well, sort of – we are mobile compliant. Responsive design is terrific for lots of things (like our Web 100 project) but not for every enterprise in every single scenario. Website Magazine, for example, opted for a mobile website over responsive layout as it provided us greater control over the complexity of information we publish and some unique opportunities related to our mobile applications. So yes, Website Magazine is mobile compliant, just not responsive (and it works!). 

OK, enough defending our business decisions! You want to know as much as you can about responsive design… and you’re about to. The following outlines several guiding principles as you design (or redesign) your consumer-facing websites for modern desktop, mobile and tablet experiences.

Is the Code Simple or Complex?

Remove/Reduce Interfering HTML

Many might believe that responsive design will limit the amount of information (it does, at least in appearance) that can be made available, but responsive design demands nothing more than a thoughtful approach to the user experience. The way to achieve that is to ensure that the layout is kept as simple as possible.

Are you prioritizing the elements correctly for optimum consumption? Take a moment now to test – remove all styling CSS and styling information from your email or Web design and display it in a browser. If the content is easy to read and ordered appropriately, you’re on the right track. If not, you’re likely engaging in some poor HTML practices, such as the use of inline styles or unnecessary absolute or float positioning.

Another option is to use one of the many testing tools to see how your responsive designs hold up. One of my personal favorites is Responsi, a very straightforward design-testing tool, which provides drag-to-resize viewport and several standard device 'pre-sets'. Designers will find tools such as Responsi and others very useful in their day-to-day design tasks.

Are Media Queries In Place?

The IFTT of Modern Digital Design

If you’ve read anything about responsive design you have come across the term media queries; the code that queries the users device to understand how the site is best viewed and then providing an appropriate response for the width conditions. Essentially, depending on the client-side response, designers will load the right style sheet and even have the ability to add specific styles in different scenarios. Think of media queries as “if this, then that” statements.

Are Optimal Resolutions Targeted?

Know the Common Breakpoints

In order to create and use media queries however, it is important to know which are the most common resolutions used to view your digital assets. A business’ mobile efforts are best focused on the most popular devices, which fortunately makes quick work of the development process for designers. To work with these devices, designers must essentially just account for the minimum and maximum widths – 480, 768 and 1024 (in both portrait and landscape). Using a free tool like Responsi (listed above) or Screenfly helps to understand quickly if everything is appearing in an optimal way.

Is the Layout Flexible?

Adapt Quickly to the Viewport

When it comes to responsive design, layouts (obviously) need to be flexible, which means you’ll need to leave those pesky tables alone. The best option is to use a flexible, fluid grid (which uses columns to arrange content) and relative instead of fixed width to adapt to the right viewport size. If you’re using the right media queries in conjunction with a fluid layouts, you’ll have most if not all devices covered. To speed development on this front, consider the use of grid systems such as those listed here and here.

Are Images Acting Responsively?

Adaptive Sizing of Images

The use of pictures and images on a responsively designed website or email can cause headaches for designers – and if you’re not careful, it can create a poor experience for users too. The trick is to use adaptive sizing within the CSS to adjust the image width. The optimal way to set images with 100 percent width, but capped to not exceed the actual file size (it’s also important to consider the readability of images – read Design Principles for Master Developers for more.)

Is the Content Prioritized Appropriately?

Removal of Non-Vital Elements

Responsive design has forced both designers and the businesses that employ them to seriously consider element prioritization – or what goes where (and when) in a smartphone and tablet context. For example, it might make sense to include a third-party advertisement on the desktop version of your site, but doing so may interfere with the mobile or tablet experience of users. The best course of action is to remove non-essential items. In a mobile/tablet context the aim should be to have one path to action for each mobile page – whatever is most important should stay, every other path needs to be hidden. That can be achieved through the application of a special class, which hides non-essential elements from the view of the user.

Responsive Web design (RWD) is changing the way websites are developed. As more and more digital companies explore what's possible with RWD, they'll have questions that need to be answered. Start with these high-level responsive design questions and ensure your next project is truly prepared to handle all users on any device they may be using.

Enterprise Mobility Minute #7: The Next Big Thing: The Internet of Things

Enterprise Mobility Minute #7: The Next Big Thing: The Internet of Things

By Ahmed El Adl | Vice President, Global Mobile Solutions | SAP

Before joining the world of mobile technologies in late 90s, I was doing research in the field of biologically inspired mobile robots.

One of the most interesting  areas of research was creating mobile robots that could intelligently collaborate based on data they gathered and processed.

At that time, we faced major obstacles including processing power, sensor capabilities, smart software algorithms, and communication networks.

But now, it’s a different world. Advances in these areas and in related technologies, such 
as real-time tracking and telematics have made machine-to-machine (M2M) collaboration possible and it’s what is driving the much talked about Internet of things (IoT).

There is a lot of confusion around the IoT as some people think it’s the same thing as M2M. It’s not. While M2M communication plays a major role, as the IoT evolves it’ll need more components to be able to fullfil the basic expected benefits. The success of the IoT will be determined by how smart the connected “things” are and what types of data we’ll be able to gather.

The resulting actions the machines and humans will be able to take will highlight the values of the IoT. The simplicity and usability of these ‘things’ will play a major role in the adoption of IoT. I’ll give you an example. My sophisticated Swiss coffee maker can be connected to the Internet but no one – not even the manufacturer – can explain a real value of doing so. On the other hand, my home security system can send messages and stream video over my smartphone. Here the value is clear. Value-driven innovation will be the major driver for internet of things.

While the IoT is generally thought to be the next “big thing”, it is not yet exactly clear how all the types of data will be shared by these ‘things’ or how the data will be used and by whom. But that will undoubtedly change, and very soon, as we have already broken through some of the major barriers to IoT adoption such as Big Data technology. The ability to gather huge amounts of data, store it, and analyze it in real-time is key to unlocking the value of the IoT.

Fortunately, the IoT has a lot in common with existing technologies such as internet, mobility, distributed, SCADA and industrial automation systems which will accelerate the evolution and adoption of the  internet of things. And if you think you can wait and see how this all unfolds, think again. Expect the IoT to become pervasive even more quickly than mobile technologies.

So how do you harness all of this IoT innovation – and take advantage of it in your business? First you need to understand the groups driving the internet of thingsrevolution – and the interests that are at stake.

• M2M software and hardware vendors: Today, there are many companies who’re offering M2M software platforms and IoT enabled hardware including different types of equipment, sensors, and actuators. However, we haven’t even seen the tip of the iceberg yet. New industries and types of products will be created, and to fully take advantage of the IoT will require not only extending the capabilities of the existing M2M platforms, but eventually adopting completely new architectures and approaches for IoT software development, implementation, security, and the lifecycle management of ‘things’.

•  Enterprise software vendors: Major vendors, like SAP, started to invest a lot of resources into IoT integration and management capabilities. In-Memory Big Data systems and analytical engines, such as SAP HANA, that can handle massive amounts of structured and unstructured data in real or near real time are opening the doors for a lot of ideas, which were impossible in the past. Many vendors are also leveraging their mobile application development platforms (MADP) and mobility management software – which can easily be modified for the IoT, especially when it comes to mobile app development and embedded data and device management in IoT enabled devices’.

• Mobile operators: Mobile operators are no doubt banking on the IoT, and are also major drivers of its evolution. This seems evident given the resources they are investing in M2M infrastructure. However, given their expensive networks and cumbersome technologies they are also one of the major obstacles of M2M adoption. Whether the IoT will continue to use energy hungry and expensive networks or new networks will be designed to specifically connect an unprecedented number of virtually anywhere “things”, remains to be seen. What does seem obvious is that IoT should be carrier  independent, data plan-free, universal, and the cost of the network should be nearly negligible.

• Early adopter Industries: From healthcare to retail, many industries are investing heavily in the IoT. For example, GE and Airbus are equipping their airplane engines with sensors and data aggregation technology, which allows them to gather data that will increase safety and operational efficiency. And many governments are using M2M to improve the management of resources such as water and electricity and better handle crises. What is clear is that possibilities for industries are virtually limitless and manufacturers that lag behind will be left behind.

• Consumers: The mobile revolution was driven by consumers and arguably the IoT revolution will be as well. Early examples include pedometers connecting to your iPhone or automotive repair shops that can diagnose your car remotely. As witnessed at this year’s consumer electronics show, IoT enabled consumer products and services will continue to draw attention and rapidly inspire more innovation.

The momentum created in the consumer sector, or the Consumer Internet of Things (CIoT), centers on connected personal “things”, both B2C and C2C, and will lay the groundwork for an accelerated evolution of specialized categories of the IoT in other sectors. I predict the following three major categories of the IoT to evolve quickly over the next few years:

• The Industrial Internet of Things (IIoT): The industrial Internet is the convergence of intelligent “things”, with advanced Big Data analytics and sensing technologies built-in to industrial equipment, facilities, and systems. In the IIoT, sophisticated adaptive machine learning and intelligence capabilities are impeded everywhere from the software algorithms to the infrastructure. The information gathered is then shared between machines and people, which enable smarter decisions by both. This sector will focus more on B2M2B and M2M scenarios.

• The Government Internet of Things (GIoT) A number of governments are already leveraging IoT technologies in public transportation and safety.  We are also seeing increasing business cases for the IoT especially in areas such as Smart and green City initiatives. However, as governments have unique legal and cultural environments, the evolution of the IoT in this sector will need to evolve with these considerations in mind.

• The Business Internet of Things (BIoT): In-memory, cloud, and mobile have created a major inflection point in enterprise computing. The convergence of these technologies, along with the IoT, is creating a completely new business environment. In contrast to the industrial IoT, which relies heavily on machines and sensors, the BIoT will rely more on sophisticated software “things”, such as cognitive computing algorithms and P2P collaboration. BIoT will also rely on surveillance and sensing mostly as a service. For example, “things” will be installed and maintained by a third party, and then the data from “things” will be aggregated and processed by another third party, before being used by the business

While some protocols, technologies, and even things will be shared across different categories of the IoT, each will also have specialized technologies and evolve at its own pace. As I mentioned in my last post, mobility is a major ROI multiplier for many other technologies, and this will become more evident as the IoT draws on it. For example, the technology we use to manage and secure Mobile devices, especially in “BYOD” cases, can help us to manage, and secure the “things” of the IoT. Using HTTP as an application protocol rather than a transport protocol similar to Web Services/Web API using REST architecture, is another example.

Just as mobility inspired a new generation of high quality, small and smart devices and peripherals, such as cameras and GPS chips, the IoT is unleashing a magnitude of innovation. And while it’s still early, there is much work to be done, the IoT is creating limitless opportunities will put nearly every industry to the test – companies will be given a lifetime opportunity to prosper or perish.

Smartphones to outsell feature phones in 2013 for first time | Mobile - CNET News

Smartphones to outsell feature phones in 2013 for first time | Mobile - CNET News

Market researcher IDC says the day when smartphone sales will outpace those of feature phones globally is upon us, thanks to lower-cost devices and more 4G wireless networks.

by Marguerite Reardon

 March 4, 2013 7:44 AM PST

IDC's 2013 worldwide smartphone sales predictions.

(Credit: IDC)

It is finally happening. Smartphones are finally overtaking feature phones in worldwide sales, thanks to falling prices on smartphones and 4G networks, market researcher IDC said today.

For years, analysts have been predicting that smartphones would one day supplant basic feature phones in terms of worldwide sales, and that day is expected to finally come in 2013. According to the report, IDC estimates that manufacturers will ship 918.6 million smartphones in 2013, which is about 50.1 percent of the industry's total shipments. This number is expected to grow to 1.5 billion in smartphone shipments by the end of 2017, which will be represent about two-thirds of the total cell phone shipments, according to IDC.

Strong demand in developing countries with large populations such as China, Brazil, and India is driving much of the demand. This is a big shift from the past, according to IDC. To date, much of the world's smartphone shipments were to customers in mature markets, such as the U.S. But now it looks like consumers in these other less-developed markets are now jumping on board the smartphone train. And sales to these countries are expected to outpace sales in markets like the U.S. in the not-so-distant future. In fact, last year more smartphones were sold in China than in the U.S., according to IDC.IDC says there are two main reasons why smartphones -- which can surf the Web, access e-mail, act as GPS navigation devices, and check you into your favorite coffee shop via dozens of social media apps -- are so popular right now. The most important is the fact that prices have fallen dramatically across the globe on smartphones. But also important is the fact that carriers around the globe are starting to deploy faster 4G, or fourth generation, cellular networks.

"While we don't expect China's smartphone growth to maintain the pace of a runaway train as it has over the last two years, there continue to be big drivers to keep the market growing as it leads the way to ever-lower smartphone prices, and the country's transition to 4G networks is only just beginning," Melissa Chau, senior research manager for IDC Asia/Pacific, said in a press release. "Even as China starts to mature, there remains enormous untapped potential in other emerging markets like India, where we expect less than half of all phones shipped there to be smartphones by 2017, and yet it will weigh in as the world's third largest market."

China is expected to have the largest smartphone market in 2013, with 301.2 million shipments. The U.S. is expected to come in second followed by the U.K., Japan, and Brazil, according to IDC.

This forecast jibes with what the big smartphone manufacturers have been talking about recently. At last week's Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona, companies such as Nokia were talking up plans to launch lower-cost devices for less-developed markets. There has also been talk of Apple developing a low-cost version of its iPhone constructed of all plastic for these markets.