The Next Battlefront (for Mobile Applications)
One of the next “battlefronts” for mobile application vendors will widgets and the idle (standby) screen – who gets to deploy to it, and the user experience.
It will be a "nasty" battle between application providers, network operators, maybe even handset manufacturers; all realizing the importance and potential of owning that little space on the handset, and all fighting hard for that special place on the handset; which is special because there is only one of those, and only one idle-mode application active at a time.
Pictured above left to right are: Motorola's Java-based Screen3 – the first idle screen solution, Alltel's BREW-based Celltop, not exactly an idle-mode application, but launched from the idle screen (Designed by Frog Design), and the new Android 1.5 widgets.
Who will own the idle screen and the widgets on it? Who will have the final decision of which application will run as the idle-mode application? Would it be the network operator? Hopefully not; we don't want to see a new kind of walled-garden, this time with respect to the idle screen. Would it be the handset manufacturer? Probably not; they will do what their customer, the network operator, ask. Would it be the end-user? Hopefully the answer is yes; it is the user, the one who is able to search for, choose, download and install their favorite idle-mode application anytime they want. The user, the decider. 
MIDP3 is defining an API that will allow developers to write idle-mode Java-based graphical applications that become visible when the handset enters the idle mode; this ScreenSaver MIDlet might not be truly interactive though. BREW already has such API, the uiOne.
Combine idle-mode applications with Widgets, and we've got an ideal “platform” to deliver relevant, on-time information to the user… I truly believe so – see Screen3 and Celltop above (I like very much the Celltop design).
Idle Screen + Mobile Widgets = ideal “platform” to deliver relevant information anytime
To developers… be (mentally and financially) prepared to sign and pay for the privilege to deploy your idle-mode applications… Access to the idle screen will be considered a premium, and a privilege operation.
Let me reiterate – I really hope the user gets the final word, and the freedom to choose between idle-mode applications, and that we don't see unnecessary control, and a new type of walled-garden…
ceo
Updates:
* Mar-30-07: Incorporated Ander's feedback.
* May-5-09: Refresh updates; included Android widgets
Hi!
I try to chase the mobile technology and probobly, a litte bit late for all. Sorry for that from all…
I want to learn:
We know so much about the idle screen, and what can be provided to the customers. BUT: What will the next step be? Where will be the next war at?
OUR COMPANY HAS 2 PATENTS IN THIS FIELD AND 2 PUBLISHED APPS. WE FEEL THE IDLE SCREEN,WILL BE A BIG PART IN MOBILE ADVERTISING.THANK YOU
[...] When Android widgets are used with the AppWidget framework, see Introducing home screen widgets and the AppWidget framework, developers can write “widgets” that can be dropped onto the home screen. (And with “home widgets” we are getting closer to something that I wrote some time ago – see the bit old but still very relevant piece titled The Next Battlefront for Mobile Applications.) [...]
[...] When Android widgets are used with the AppWidget framework, see Introducing home screen widgets and the AppWidget framework, developers can write “widgets” that can be dropped onto the home screen. (And with “home widgets” we are getting closer to something that I wrote some time ago – see the bit old but still very relevant piece titled The Next Battlefront for Mobile Applications.) [...]