What are the 3 things you never leave the house without? Your Keys, Your Wallet and Your Cell Phone. The cell phone has become an extension of who we are, how we communicate, consume content and how we share. It is only natural to evolve and have the smart phone become a social device.

Mobile Social Networks are moving forward: I know everyone keeps saying this is the year of mobile. But they just might be right. We have been hearing this for the last 5 years. But with the advent of smart phones (like the blackberry and iPhone) and the continual lowering of pricing of these devices we just might be getting there in North America. There is a reason people call the Blackberry the Crackberry; it becomes vital to them.

As a point of reference over 1 million people have downloaded the facebook for blackberry application. Untold millions access facebook with their iPhone (myself included), and other browser enabled mobile devices. The smart phone that allows me to surf the web, take and share pictures, stream video, text, tweet, and communicate, share location and make social connections are here today.

What does this mean to the average person: not much just yet.

But if you talk to people in their teens and twenties: it means everything. Being able to write on people’s walls, poke, share pictures, send messages, see where there friends are located, etc. is becoming very central to how they interact with people, friends and brands. I know that it has become a central part of the way I communicate.

As a point of reference here are some ways that many users use mobile devices to plug in socially:
* mobile uploading of photos to facebook & twitter
* text status updates to twitter, facebook and friendfeed
* writing on walls and sending messages to social networks like facebook
* email, messaging, etc.
* Web surfing
* Real time traffic and directions
* Event Management
* Location reporting via BrightKite (some local restaurant search as well)
* See where my friends are located and what they are doing via Loopd

What is missing from the mobile world in my mind?:
* Brands touching me in ways that add value and encourage me to interact
* Mobile coupon delivery
* Location/event specific listening and consumption (could be brand sponsored)
* Mobile reviewing of movies tied to cinema times and locations and ticket purchasing
* Mobile Menus & Drink Specials
* Event Photo & Video Streams
* A whole lot more that I care to not share here just yet.

What does all this really mean? It means that we are in the infancy in North America of the mobile social network and embracing the mobile opportunities that can make people’s lives easier and increase business and brand recognition. So ask yourself: Got Mobile?

Check out these mobile services with some interesting social components:
Loopt mobile social network
Brightkite location tweets
Twitpic twitter pics
Qik video streaming

Technorati Tags: mobile, mobile social networks, smart phones

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