In this edition of Mobile Monday, we’re taking a look at how one startup smartphone manufacturer is taking cloud-based data offloading to a new extreme, how a Japanese startup delivering SNES nostalgia to mobile, and what iOS 9 app blockers could mean for the mobile web.
Nextbit to Squash Mobile Storage Woes with Robin
Recently, mobile device developer startup Nexbit unveiled Robin, a smartphone designed to never run out of storage by leveraging “the power of the cloud” to store files strategically based on user behavior. While individual apps, already utilize smart offloading of content, the software on the Robin smartphone would take this to a new level, offloading everything from photos to entire apps as needed.
While this may be convenient for users who have unlimited data plans, it will be interesting to see if a system wide approach to cloud data takes off with other mobile systems.
Pico Cassette Nostalgia for Mobile Games
While companies like Nextbit are focused on cloud data, Japanese startup Beatrobo is going in a completely different direction with Pico Cassettes, small game cartridges that plug into a smartphone’s audio jack.
The return to physical media is based on Beatrobo founder and CEO Hiroshi Asaeda‘s belief that users “don’t get the same sense of ownership with an app on a home screen as you did with a SNES cartridge.”
The cartridges also serve as authentication keys, allowing users to play across multiple devices by syncing game progress to game servers.
Ad Blockers Topping App Store Charts
Mobile web content publishers may soon find themselves in a monetization quandary as ad block apps have been topping the charts on the iOS App Store. The new apps “enable users of Apple’s Safari browser to block ads served by websites,” a feature that is now permitted with iOS 9.
While many mobile web publishers are working to find workarounds, top publishers have already been redirecting users to mobile apps where ads are unaffected. After all, mobile users spend 86% of their time in-app already and publishers have better control over their own app environments.
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Mobile Monday examines the latest news, trends, and developments in mobile apps, tech, and advertising. Do you have a story to share for the next Mobile Monday? Tweet your thoughts to @AdColony. For the latest AdColony mobile news and updates, follow @AdColony on Twitter, like us on Facebook, or connect on Linkedin.
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