Great mobile apps useless in Europe

Over 1 billion of the world’s 4+ billion mobiles phones are now smartphones. By 2014, mobile internet should take over desktop internet usage.  Every developers know this for a while, there is a huge space for mobile apps and we’re all involved; customers, developers, early-adopters or entrepreneurs. This is the opportunity to innovate and use technology to make our lives a little easier and that’s what every entrepreneurs in the mobile field should be trying to do.

With new great mobile apps launching every day, most of them with local and social features, european are facing a problem that’s hard to stop: location. The majority of the startups are launching their app to gain early adopters, so they obviously aim California or New York users. While they grow their community in the USA, we, european, will try their apps and obviously delete them after a few weeks because no one around us is using it. Should the startups concentrate more of their marketing efforts in Europe? Maybe, I feel like americans are slowly starting to believe in a possibility to scale in Europe, but it’s not there yet and they’re right to be afraid of launching apps in Europe; the startup spirit is not as high as in America, but again, it’s starting slowly. With big web events in London, Berlin or Paris and apps like Deezer, SoundCloud, Huddle, Wooga and a lot of others in 2010/2011, we’re in the right way.

Here is 3 apps that I’d love to use here with my friends and family, unfortunately there isn’t enough users to enjoy them:

Path

Path was designed as a mobile service that lets you share what’s important in your life with only your closest friends. It’s not a wide-open social network like Facebook, nor a broadcast platform like Twitter. It’s designed to keep you in touch with your family and your close friends only. Their new user interface makes the experience amazing, you now have a feature called « Automatic » that will post where you are automatically. If you hang out in a new neighborhood, or you’re driving and stop in a city you’ve never been to, Path will create a location update. Very useful, and remember this is not public. Users have an option to keep the moment to themselves (private to them) or share with their Path friends. Path also makes it easy to post to other social networks, if users want to. You can also post when you’re going to sleep or when you wake up. Sleep for two hours and it might say you, « need coffee. » Snooze for ten and it could say, « Ready to attack the day! ». You need to try it!

Available for iPhone & Android

Foodspotting

Foodspotting is an angel-funded startup that enables people to stumble upon good things in the world around them. The Foodspotting website and mobile apps make it easy to find and share food recommendations. It’s a simple but useful idea to find nice things to eat and new places to go. Browse photos of nearby dishes and see what looks good. It makes finding good food as easy as looking in a bakery window. I’ve seen a few public recommandations for Lausanne and Geneva, but I’d love to have recommandations from friends too!

Available for Windows, iPhone, Android and Blackberry

Localmind

Localmind allows you to send a question to any place in the world, and get an answer from someone at. I think the entire world need an app like this, we just need one only app used by everyone. How many times did you ask yourself: « I wonder how many people are at this pub right now? » Well, this could be your answer. I really like Localmind because it’s easy to use, but it’s still a very new app and more new features should be coming. We’re waiting for it guys!

Available for iPhone & Android

Do you guys have other apps in mind?

Cheers