Silicon Valley reborn as Smartphone Valley

Silicon Valley is taking on a fresh mantle of Smartphone Valley, with its growing reputation making it a magnet for mobile operators around the world.

AT&T, Verizon and Vodafone have all just opened research, testing and incubation centers in San Francisco and the Valley only weeks apart. “The reason we are here is this is the center of the Earth right now when it comes to innovation,” said Fay Arjomandi, head of research and development for Vodafone in the US, at the opening of its Xone Lab in Redwood City last month. Apple’s iPhone and Google’s Android operating system have set new standards for hardware and software in the mobile industry. The app culture that both have engendered means there is a race on among operators to feature the newest trends and advances in software first, amid fierce competition for the attention of Silicon Valley developers.