Last week’s news that Apple are now opening up the iPhone to third party developers is interesting because it should mean that more people will realise the benefits of listening to the radio via their mobile phones. I do wonder why, however, it has taken this decision by Apple for the big radio players to get excited by the prospect of mobile radio listening over the internet/wi-fi.

(GCap’s big PR story of a few months ago - that you can now listen to most of their stations on an iphone at musicradio.com - made me squirm).

Why?

Well…

The fact that media players (like GCap) are getting excited about the iPhone must mean they’ve bought into (fallen for?) the hype surrounding this (admittedly very sexy) product. But the iPhone is surely not the only mobile platform to be investing in/getting excited about. Like many other people, I own a Microsoft Windows mobile phone. If you’re now saying “a what?”, then check out these links…

20 million Windows Mobile handsets were sold last year alone. (A figure set to rise, now that not just business-orientated handsets are coming with Microsoft Windows Mobile… more and more consumer-aimed models are too. And the prices are coming down. My £450 (sim-free price) handset was FREE on a £35 tariff). Read more…

And according to Steve Jobs himself, it says here, 4 million iphones had been sold. (Admittedly, this figure is set to rapidly increase now that there’s a 3G version of the i-phone. Welcome to the 21st Century, Apple!). Read more…

My argument may be flawed if there are more up-to-date iPhone v Windows Mobile sales stats around, but there are facts here which cannot be ignored. Like the fact that Windows’ mobile technology has been open to third party developers for years now. Actually, it’s bothered me for a while that a big radio player hasn’t created a bespoke application for Windows Mobile users that allows listeners to easily hear their stations via the net.

I’m no Bill Gates lover, but surely it’s common sense that any business in the IT/media/entertainment industries that ignores Windows as a platform, does so at great risk. So, less iPhone enthusiasm, please, and more excitement about the future of mobile listening on ALL devices!

Downloading apps may still be described as a ‘niche’ activity, but this must surely be all about to change. Apple are all but confirming this by opening up the iPhone to third party developers. The explosion of Facebook apps must surely now be proof that the man-on-the-street is ready to customise his mobile and get adding all sorts of apps. Not to mention that PC, Mac and now mobile phone displays are becoming fully-customisable in terms of screen layout. (Is ‘customisable’ a word?) The public must now be ready?

So… back to Microsoft Windows Mobile. Is there an opportunity here for One Golden Square?

I downloaded a program called Resco Radio for my mobile a few months ago which allows me to listen to stations over the internet for “free” at evenings and weekends. (Well, I pay Orange £5 a month for the privilege of unlimited data during these times). While it’s a great product, the presets that it comes supplied with are dominated by overseas stations, and it takes an extremely fiddly set of processes to add your own.

I’m surprised commercial radio body RadioCentre hasn’t created a UK rival (or at the very least, licensed a UK-skinned version of the program containing just UK commercial stations). Why don’t they?

Before the BBC does.

Lee Price