mblapps

Mobile phone software developers are slow to add social network links into address books while Facebook can (and is) running towards the end zone with the social football.

While companies like Apple have not included social links into address books – Facebook (in its v3.0 app for iPhone) makes it quite easy to call your fellow friends, follow their tweets and see other social activities (which will only develop further given Facebook’s recent acquisition of Friendfeed).

iTunes 9 arrived this week and did not offer as many social features as people were guessing would arrive. While Apple’s address book remains social-less, Palm Pre has a pretty social rolodex.

And, here’s some recent research about social + address books + cell phones:

• Thomas Hussen, a researcher at Forrester, writes more questions than information as he discusses social address books and the connection of those friend lists to mobile phones.

He writes, “It is not clear yet who is best positioned to tap into consumers’ social address books but it is quite clear mobile phones offer a great potential as they are not only communication devices but increasingly consumption and creation tools.”

• Now we have VisionMobile contributor Florent Stroppa also tackling mobile social books.

His premise: “For years, mobile network operators have invested billions of dollars in networks, subsidized phones and targeted marketing campaigns. Yet they have neglected one of the most used applications on the mobile phone: the address book.”

• And, in related social address book news here’s a Wall St. Journal article about Yahoo! adding social features to its e-mail.
• Don’t forget, Google Wave (an attempt at creating a new mode of social connecting and messaging) comes out later this month.

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