Only guys trying to make a point use Android: AKC Jnr
Former Mxit head Alan Knott-Craig Jnr says that the company did not deliver on the promise of smartphone applications at Mxit, but that there are big things coming from the mobile messaging service in this area.
Speaking to Bandwidthblog’s Charl Norman, Knott-Craig said that one of the mistakes which was made at Mxit was to get third party developers to develop the platform’s iPhone application.
“The complexity of the beast like Mxit…means that it is difficult for somebody to come in cold and re-skin it [the Mxit Internet messaging client],” said Knott-Craig.
The former Mxit and iBurst head added that the platform did not do too badly when it came to Android and BlackBerry platforms.
However, Knott-Craig questioned whether BlackBerry can be seen as a smartphone, and downplayed the importance of the Android platform.
“I still think iPhone is where it is. The only guys using Android are the guys trying to make a point. The vast majority of influencers in the world are using iPhones,” said Knott-Craig.
Curiously, Android has already overtaken Apple’s iPhone in terms of smartphone users in South Africa.
The latest Vodacom figures show that there are currently 700,000 Android smartphone users on its network – significantly higher than the 500,000 iPhone users.
Knott-Craig stepped down as Mxit CEO in October because of a difference in strategy with the company’s shareholders.
He said that he will not make any decisions about his future until April 2013, and in the mean time, is set to start a road trip in the United States.
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