Mobile/ProductPlanning/Notes-2014-04-22

Hot items/Roadmap update

Erin/Jenn

Fx29

• Head's up for SUMO:
  • bug 999172 - Create account and sync results in reauthentication flow
  • bug 999198 - delete firefox account gets user stuck in reauth loop
• New WebRT, Synthetic APKs: Looks like there are some last-minute uplifts. We're going to GA imperfect and there's work to be done to stabilize for Fx30, Fx31:
  • bug 991397 - launching app installed outside Firefox Beta hangs firstrun
  • Not Fx29, just a FYI: bug 991394 - previously-installed apps stop running
  • For Fx31 bug 995803 - crash in java.lang.IllegalStateException: Already registered Webapps:Preinstall at org.mozilla.gecko.EventDispatcher.registerListener(EventDispatcher.java)
  • How are we feeling about messaging?

Fx30

• Landed a bunch of locales: https://wiki.mozilla.org/Mobile/Roadmap#Firefox_30_.28Aurora.29
• FxA/Sync: Not a lot of news, we'll be watching for issues as they arise and will be communicating interesting uplifts (if any)
• FxHub Messaging can begin! Helpful RelNotes Comment: https://bugzilla.mozilla.org/show_bug.cgi?id=941312#c4
  • 30 - small wow (rss!)
  • 31 - developer focus (come help us build cool stuff!)
  • 32 - big wow (partners, featured addons!)

Fx31

• Too big
• Jenn is wrangling the plan and applying actual project management to help load balance and manage risk (https://etherpad.mozilla.org/FxATransitionPlan). She will likely roll out her take on Fx31 next week
• Possible permissions bump, elan is getting an ETA for: bug 995361 - Update the code for uploading data to the location service
• Other obvious long poles are Quickshare changes, Web Activities
• Promo banner enhancements
• Tiles v1

Insights

News

Continued traction on Chris Dixon's Decline of the Mobile Web post, which outlines the number of users on mobile and how they focus on using apps vs. using browsers (based on reports from ComScore and Flurry, and heavily weighted to US interactions. Average use/day on mobile is around two hours, and it's important to note that "use" included things like utilities, entertainment, and gaming, which accounted for about half of the daily total and may not have much of a web impact.
Why we should care: Realize that studies are heavily skewed to markets that have apps available in them, and that those apps are for some very specific use cases (Facebook and Gaming account for 50% of usage number). Why do people use native? How do you push on it? Where do you differentiate between "pipe to closed data" and "portal to information"? The battle right now is all about the lens people use to look at their data.

Google Hangouts continues to push messaging integration. Google released a new version of Hangouts, which continues to improve SMS integration with Hangouts messaging and calling, and prep that appears to include Google Voice functionality.
Why we should care: Hangouts are related to Plus, but don't rely on it. Most Android users make use of Hangouts without Plus, which has been cited as a limiting factor for adoption of any Google messaging services aside from Mail. While Google adds some features through plus, they're continuing to expand the Hangouts footprint to add multiple services like SMS/MMS/IM/VideoConf that compete with Mozilla initiatives.

Shift to mobile likely continues to hurt Google's Cost Per Click numbers. As discussed earlier, more searches are moving to mobile, which does not monetize search advertising as well as desktop. This drives down the cost per click, which is the amount advertisers pay on average per click-through.
Why we should care: Thinking of ways which may improve using search results without impacting the user negatively is something we may want to look at, as improving search monetization (again, while not mucking up the UX), helps the product and project.

Notes

• The OEM space for Android continues to expand
• Gaming exclusives continuing to grown on mobile, it's like Xboxen and Playstations going up against a Dreamcast.
• Google updates its stock Camera app
• Dropbox launches Carousel, a feature to integrate photo-sharing with storage, while naming Condoleezza Rice to its board, causing many to scratch their heads (or more) over privacy concerns of such a move
• Nike likely exiting wearables HW development to focus on software platform
• Adobe AIR comes to Intel-based Android devices, potentially validating Intel's entry into Android as finally reaching a point where other orgs start to care more... maybe.
• Showing the popularity of NFC, 12% of MWC attendees opted to use NFC. Interesting, because more and more phones are shipping with a tech that no one seems to know how/want to use
• Alibaba is continuing to buy a number of companies, adding fuel to the speculation around its entry into mobile in the US (Alibaba, for folks who don't know, is the #2 ecom player - some say #1 - in the world). Watch for them to make an announcement in the near future given the likelihood of Amazon doing the same.
• Wired speculates on how deconstructing/unbundling apps features are hard, using Facebook Messenger as an example

Feedback

Rob

Verbal:

Working on setting up Android survey(s) with Deb and Mark. Beta version [1] if you're interested. Still discussing ways to maximize result validity.

Non-Verbal:

Discussing changes to the public Input dashboard with product leads now

• We may remove the Sentiment chart permanently prior to the launch of Australis after realizing how easy it is to misinterpret during the CEO controversy
• We are hoping to have a chart that displays percent change in positive and negative feedback shortly instead so that people can still see trends without making unwarranted claims about user satisfaction

Commentary on the CEO controversy has almost entirely subsided on mobile and is just a trickle on Desktop

Marketing

• Goal.com:
  • Campaign in production with May 23 "ready date"
  • Goal.com Feed on FxA: working with Margaret to post to finalize product descriptions, menu copy and posting to AMO.'
• FxA Updates:
  • Working on a revised update format to show ADI, installs, trends
  • Any other info that would be helpful to see on a regular basis?
• May FxA Comms product features
  • Sync with New Accounts
  • QuickShare options
  • Hide/Default home panels
• FxA Snippets
  • Sync + account banner
  • Australis "Share the web you want"
  • Add-ons
• FxA | E.me Launcher
  • Currently on hold pending meetings between Denelle and Ami

Partner review

No notes - in-meeting updates from Mark and Deb

Goals & Roadmap update

• Goals were edited down to the six top priority items, otherwise everything should be reflected in the roadmap. If you believe something has been missed or otherwise messed up, ping Deb!
• Roadmap and project funnel format and ordering have been updated, check 'em out: Mobile/Roadmap
• Also note the fancy new blue nav-bar, that looks like this:

Roadmap + Project Funnel | Initiatives and Proposals | Product Meeting | Engineering Meeting | Triage | Strategy | Goals

Roundtable

Any thing else...