After watching Apple (NASDAQ:AAPL) enjoy super profits with the iPhone, computers makers are finally paying attention.
Or maybe they're panicking. China's Lenovo recently said it would buy back its mobile division for $200 million from private investors. Last year, the company sold its mobile unit for $100 million, trade e-zine Rethink Wireless reports.
Lenovo also plans a netbook that may as well be a smartphone, since it's based on ARM Holdings' (NASDAQ:ARMH) ARM processor design via a chipset built by Qualcomm (NASDAQ:QCOM).
Dell (NASDAQ:DELL), meanwhile, is creating smart handsets using Google's (NASDAQ:GOOG) increasingly popular Android mobile operating system. China Mobile (NYSE:CHL) is planning to sell the devices, as is Brazil's Claro.
But are Dell, Lenovo, and others taking the iPhone too seriously? Users aren't. Mostly, they're using the iPhone for games -- certainly much more than those who own Android handsets. Here's a look at the top 10 paid and free apps for each platform:
|
Store |
Games and Entertainment* |
Other* |
|---|---|---|
|
iPhone App Store-Paid |
9 |
1 |
|
iPhone App Store-Free |
7 |
3 |
|
Android Market-Paid |
5 |
5 |
|
Android Market-Free |
2 |
8 |
Sources: iPhone App Store, Android Market.
*Data as of Nov. 30.
So iPhones are toys? I'm not so sure that's true. My iPhone is a serious business tool for me. But I also have Facebook and my favorite fantasy football app loaded on the device. I'm as guilty as the next iPhoner of mixing business with pleasure.
And maybe that's what makes the device so dangerous. Maybe that's why Lenovo is panicking, and Dell is rushing into the market. Smartphones are the star of the PC revolution's second act, and the iPhone is mixing it up like no other.
But that's my take. Now it's your turn to weigh in. Do you use your iPhone for serious business? Please take a moment to vote in the poll below. You can also sound off in the comments box at the bottom.
