April 3, 2008 at 4:38 pm · Authored by Ewan · Filed under Mobile

Yes, I’ve been asked by many people, ‘What’s the single biggest innovation you’ve seen at CTIA?’ and, I’m slightly sorry and ever so tickled to reply, ‘Crocs, baby, Crocs,’ and then get out my camera and show off the pictures.

This is *actually* the single innovation that I’ve seen.

As I walk around the stands, I see lots of slight upgrades. Or lots of ‘oh, right, interesting,’ things that, if you’re stood on the stand getting the sales pitch, you feel you have to raise your eyebrows and go ‘ahhh REAAALLLY?’ when in truth, it’s nothing entirely new.

Crocs for mobile phones are new. New to me, anyway. You know Crocs, right? Annoying plastic shoes that, in some cultures, became heavily popular or are just about to. Bit of a trend, baby. Some bright spark has made smaller ones to carry your mobile phone.

I know it’s a holster. I know I don’t react well to holsters. But, even I had to kneel in the face of innovation.

Nokia? They knocked out an N810 tablet with a wimax chip in it. Cool, but hardly open-mouth innovation.

Here’s the stand that you will, no doubt, be seeing in retail outlets across the planet soon:

You don’t actually need the holes in this holster to let in air like you do with real Croc shoes (that get really smelly, apparently).

So these mobile-crocs can be decorated, thus:

I fully expect to see everyone wearing a custom designed Croc at the next SMS Text News Unlimited Drinks.

You can browse these Croc-a-dials on the NiteIze mobile accessories stand (I think that was it). And if you’re getting really into holsters while you’re at it, you might want to get yourself a universal rugged one:

Pretty smart, actually, provided you’re a builder, plumber or some kind of master chappy who does things with hammers, it’s all good. Functional. Smart.

I am off to go and buy a Croc for each of my mobiles. Different colours, I think. I’ll have the most colourful set of belt holsters in the show.

I WILL go to the ball..