WAP, as we know it, is dying a slow and painful death. It’s almost like WAP is being crucified. Smartphones nailed WAP to the cross, the mobile Opera browser sat upon WAP’s head like a wreath of thorns and the almighty iPhone speared it’s heart. It won’t be long now…
The iPhone represents the future of the mobile web; a future that doesn’t include WAP. A mobile user only has to pick up the iPhone and experience the browser first hand to realise how outdated WAP really is. Once they do this, there is no going back for the user. The iPhone alone doesn’t represent the death of WAP, but it does signify its impending death. There is no doubt in my mind that WAP will stay nailed to the cross grasping at life for as long as it possibly can, but it will eventually crumble and fall. When it does finally fall onto the hard floor of the mobile industry graveyard, I highly doubt anyone will care. WAP users will all have moved on and the glory days of WAP will be forgotten in time.
The truth is, mobile users were never really happy with WAP. The loading times, the downloading problems and the poor interfaces have always left users wanting more. As soon as these users get given ‘more’ they will say goodbye to WAP as quick as they can type an SMS message. Even marketers and advertisers in the Financial Times labelled WAP as the “least interesting” way to promote their products and services.
I predict WAP will be dead, buried and rotting by Jan 1st, 2010. Hopefully sooner…
