Posted: 26 Mar 2011 08:26 AM PDT 
The U.S. and Europe often dominate the discussion when it comes to the iPhone 5. But don’t forget that there are iPhone users all around the world. Read about which features people in the developing world are hoping for with the iPhone 5.
There’s no doubt that the news, rumors, and opinions about the iPhone 5 centers culturally and geographically around North America. And for a good reason: a large segment of iPhone sales come from the U.S. and Canada, with Europe as a close second. As a result, it can be argued that the iPhone is designed with the westerner in mind; the features, performance, and platform is conceived of by Americans and/or engineers who live in the U.S. and understand American culture.
That being said, there are millions of iPhone users around the world who are far-removed from western culture. For many of them, they use their iPhone and other mobile devices in developing countries that simply do not have the infrastructure that the west enjoys.
I went on a mission to uncover how the iPhone empowers globally-minded people in the developing world. I was amazed to discover how a device like the iPhone — which oftentimes is just one mobile gadget in an arsenal of electronics for the average American — becomes the sole technological link to the global community, a way to better their life, and a tool to overcome some powerful political, economic, and cultural barriers that might otherwise keep them isolated.
Interestingly enough, many of the features these remarkable individuals are pining for in the iPhone 5 are similar to us westerners. The difference is that these desired new features for the iPhone could make a world of difference for them. I spoke with several iPhone 5 News Blog iPhone users from Thailand and Saudi Arabia to get their perspectives on the iPhone 5. Read about their stories, and their wish lists for the iPhone 5, below:
When Your iPhone Is Your Most Reliable Computer: A5 Chip, Slide-Out Keyboard, and Larger Screen
Many people have been prognosticating about the prospect of the iPhone 5 being much faster, thanks to the same A5 chip in the current iPad 2, as well as rumors of a slide-out keyboard and larger screen. While all of these purported features for the iPhone 5 stoke plenty of debate and hurt feelings in the comment threads of blog articles, the stakes are much higher for some people in the developing world, where often times their iPhone is the most reliable computing device.
Take Thailand, for example. Like many Asia Pac countries, it is a mixture of opposites, with capital city Bangkok gleaming with skyscrapers, technology, and infrastructure, while much of the country remains largely agrarian and below the poverty line. Thailand has a burgeoning economy, but the technological infrastructure is lagging behind in certain areas.
When it comes to telecommunication, Thailand now has a much more developed mobile network infrastructure than it does a “landline” network. As of the last survey, there are only 9.1 million landlines in Thailand, but over 98 million mobile cellular users. In a country of 67 million people, one can quickly see that mobile is key to communication, with a third more mobile phones than there are people.
It is for this reason that a mobile device like the iPhone becomes more than just a smartphone — in many cases, it functions as a computer as well.
And believe me — the tech market in Thailand knows this. iPhones in Thailand run from $600 and up. It isn’t impossible to pay upwards of $1,000 for an iPhone 4.
For this reason, a faster iPhone 5 with the option of a slide-out keyboard excites many of the Thai iPhone and smartphone users who frequent the iPhone 5 News Blog’s comment threads and Facebook page. Generally, they want the iPhone 5 to have as much processing power and speed as possible so that they can be more productive. And the prospect of a QWERTY slide-out keyboard not only adds to the “computerization” of the iPhone 5, but also might give Thai iPhone users a backup to the touchscreen should it break or fail, and service is not readily available.
Finally, the addition of a larger touchscreen on the iPhone 5 — one that approaches the 4-inch mark — is also a welcome addition to Thai users, but not simply for the reason of having more touch surface to work with. Instead, a larger screen on the iPhone 5 would give Thai users who rely heavily on their iPhone a larger screen to enhance their computing experience at home. iPhone keyboards like the iHome iConnect Media Keyboard and other affordable bluetooth models are already quite popular. A larger screen on the iPhone 5 would give users a more comfortable screen for their eyes, facilitating word processing and work with net-based business solutions for people who work in the commerce and technology sectors.
In Saudi Arabia, Excitement Over An iPhone 5 With An 8 Megapixel Camera.
Somewhat lost in the iPhone 5 rumor mill is the report that the iPhone 5 could feature a beefed-up camera array. Several reports, such as this one from Jeff at the iPhone Download Blog, are talking about a new camera sensor that could increase to 8 megapixels. In a country like Saudi Arabia where picture-taking and profile photos can be a bit of a sensitive issue for women, having the ability to use their iPhones to video chat using FaceTime or simply to take photos of themselves to send to friends privately around the world is a crucial feature to being able to circumvent cultural norms.
Take ίƨнεεммωααн, for example. She is a 22 year-old, hip, educated Saudi woman studying law at the university and connecting with people throughout the world via Twitter, Facebook, and her blog. Get to know her a little more, and you learn how this remarkable young lady, who otherwise must remain modest and covered in public, dreams of becoming a model someday. She absolutely loves western fashion, and her knowledge of it — thanks to being able to connect to fashion websites throughout the world via her iPhone — surpasses even the average American.
ίƨнεεммωααн also uses her iPhone to clandestinely purchase western clothes, which she can only don in the privacy of her own home. But the digital age allows her to tastefully photograph herself — albeit with her face partially concealed — to launch her modeling career. In this way, having access to an 8 megapixel camera on her next iPhone will only empower her to do what she loves the most — connecting with people worldwide and sharing her perspectives on life, fashion, and culture.
Is NFC Important Outside of the Western World? Not So Much.
One of the most anticipated features for the iPhone 5 is NFC technology, which could potentially allow users to use their iPhone 5 to pay for goods, unlock and start their car, and even board planes electronically. There’s no doubt that NFC technology is an exciting advancement for Americans — we are, after all, hyperconsumers, and anything that enables us to spend money faster and easier, we love it. Mind you, this is not American self-loathing on my part — it’s just the truth.
But as buzz-worthy as NFC might be for folks in the U.S. and beyond, NFC technology isn’t nearly as sought after in developing countries.
The fact is, there is more to making NFC a mainstream technology than simply throwing it onto the iPhone 5. In order for it to work, commerce needs to buy into it on a wholesale level. The U.S. and Europe are already out in front on NFC technology in that infrastructure is either in place or soon-to-be-in-place. In developing countries, building an NFC infrastructure is a multi-billion dollar undertaking. And given the fact that world find itself in tenuous financial shape, NFC isn’t at the top of peoples’ lists.
The iPhone 5 — Coming To a World Near You
It remains to be seen how intensely Apple thinks about their iPhone designs beyond North America and Europe. To be sure, meeting the needs of western users is most likely the major focus when it comes to designing and redesigning. And interestingly enough, it isn’t as though people elsewhere in the world are looking for features on the iPhone 5 that are remarkably different from what we discuss here. The differences are less about the features themselves, and more about how those features can impact their lives in ways that are different from those of us in the western world.
If Apple remains true to form, their innovations for the iPhone 5 will continue to transcend culture, politics, and economics, paving the way for next-generation mobile computing and communication.
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