Trendsspotting’s recent innovation research on Mobile Accessories Trends as well as our ongoing consulting work with mobile companies, led me to generate insights on how the development of this market can enhance “Internet of Things” consumer behavior.

Here are my conclusions:

I. Technology perspective:

1. Mobile Objects:

In the last few months, smartphones have extended the traditional use of communication.

Incorporating hardware as well as apps improves the functionality of the device (upgraded photo/video/audio capabilities).

Smartphones today have become effective tools for monitoring (identifying locations of objects, keeping track of food preparation, health and fitness measurements, and even substitute expensive medical devices).

These devices can now control local systems (temperature, home entertainment devices and transportation) and in the near future will be integrated with multi systems to allow individuals to better manage their life.

2. Tech infrastructures are well matured, including: Search, Speak recognition, Location based data, Sensors, Augmented reality, Real time mechanisms, and Clouds.

II. Consumer perspective:

Consumers begin to adopt basic behaviors needed for the “Internet of Things”:

1. Location Info: 74% of smartphone owners get real-time location-based information on their phones (Pew Internet May 2012)

2. Mobile apps adoption is rising, becoming a functional part of consumers’ everyday life

• Pew Internet August 2011: 32% of U.S. adults have downloaded an app to their cell phone.
• Nielsen Q2 2011: Most popular apps are games (64%) ,weather apps(60%), followed by social networking (56%), maps/navigation/search(51%), music (44%) and news (39%).
• Apps Purchase: Consumers are currently willing to pay for games apps (8%) and music apps (6%). ABI US Research May 2012: About two-thirds of app users have spent money on an application. Average spend was $14 per month.

3. Transportation:

• Connected Cars – IMS Research September 2011: 60% of consumers in the US and Western Europe expressed a need for a connected system in their next car, and almost half of consumers would be willing to pay for a connected system in their next car.
• Real time navigation: According to Berg Insight research: the number of mobile subscribers using a turn-by-turn navigation service or application on their handset grew 57 percent from 2009 to 2010, reaching 44 million users worldwide.

4. Health

• Willingness to share health information: Consumers are generally willing to share information from their personal health records as long as they have the power to select the conditions. (Source: Weitzman ER, Kaci L, Mandl KD. 2010.Sharing medical data for health research: the early personal health record experience. Journal of Medical Internet Research 12(2):e14).
• Consumers are now interested in health apps: 29% of people who download apps to their cellphones or tablet computers have downloaded a health app (Pew Internet August 2011).

Embedded here is a presentation I’ve prepared for a recent conference, introducing the ANA model for future innovations.

Many practical ideas can be generated by using this model.

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