Mobile media’s missing link?

London–The Crabble is the only functional smartphone stand small enough to fit flat in a billfold wallet, making it a truly mobile accessory. At first sight, it seems a trivial product but, in a survey last week, 61% of iPhone and iPod Touch users with Crabbles reported increased use of passive mobile media such as video as a consequence of Crabble ownership.

The consumption of passive media by the rapidly growing population of smartphone users has long been seen as the next major frontier for media companies but, although technological barriers such as bandwidth, screen resolution and battery life are being overcome, mobile usage of TV, video and other passive media remains stubbornly low.

With its focus on high technology, the industry seems to have overlooked the simple fact that passive media consumption takes time, and from a commercial point of view, the longer the better, but holding a smartphone for more than a minute or so is uncomfortable and inconvenient, significantly raising users’ boredom thresholds. Mobile media’s success depends on stands which are conveniently mobile and able to cope with a variety of temporary environments such as planes, trains, cafes and desks: i.e. stability and an adjustable viewing angle in a small package. Perhaps this little bit of plastic is mobile media’s missing link to the commercial success that has so far eluded it.

A few handset manufacturers have provided support built into devices but the mechanical nature of a built in stand makes the whole handset bigger and more vulnerable to damage. Stands have been incorporated into smartphone cases but most are bulky, flimsy, or lacking in versatility. There are various desk stands but they are large and immobile. Some smaller stands do exist but they remain either functionally limited or too large to store easily.

The Crabble is very different. It offers landscape viewing at angles of 45 deg – 80 deg, portrait viewing, and non-slip bands to deal with planes and trains. Yet it fits flat in a billfold wallet, making it easy to store and always easy to find. Designed originally for the iPhone it can support various other smartphones and media players, and it’s available in a growing range of colours from the manufacturer, www.seskimo.com and retailers http://www.thinkgeek.com/gadgets/cellphone/bb12/, and http://www.pocketgames.jp/item_detail/itemId,753/ for $5 (3.50 pounds Sterling). It is also available from Seskimo custom printed in full colour in quantities of 200 or more.