The mobile Internet is fast becoming mainstream. One reason is clearly the growing prevalence of high-end handsets that are less telephones than they are entertainment centers, fashion statements, and content-consumption vehicles. And every bit as important as the devices are the all-you-can-eat data plans that come with them. These two factors alone -- the astonishing popularity of handsets such as the iPhone, the BlackBerry Storm, and the G1, and the end of stifling limits on data consumption -- explain much of the growth in mobile content consumption; but let's not forget the other key dimension, which is the content itself.

We are in the midst of a generational shift in mobile content services. The first generation was characterized by flat, lowest-common-denominator designs, limited content, and even more limited functionality. The new generation is far richer and more interactive, more social, and more personal. One-dimensional WAP (Wireless Application Protocol) sites are giving way to dynamic content services that are rich in video and other media content and far more visually impactful than their predecessors. These factors, too, are helping to draw real audiences to the mobile Web for the first time ever.