United States consumers, you don't matter

Having lived in the United States all of my life, I have become accustomed to the fact that my voice matters more than others. When I was born, the U.S. was the undisputed leader of the Free World. After the Cold War ended, the United States was the undisputed leader of the world.

For a time.

This had some ramifications. While Canada's Steven Hodson, Australia's Duncan Riley, and the United Kingdom's Ian Mackney sometimes had to wait for certain technology goods - if they received them at all - I always knew that I could always get these goods. Maybe Canada and Australia and the United Kingdom - to say nothing of Kenya or Nigeria - would have to wait for something, but here in the United States, the product would be available on day one.

Well, we Americans are going to be in for a shock. Take this statement from a biometric company President and CEO:

China is now the world’s by far largest market for smartphones.

So as smartphone suppliers decide where to place their resources, where will they concentrate their efforts?

And as smartphone suppliers tailor their offerings to fit the legal environment of their largest customers, what country will be the focus of their efforts?

As products become available in China but are not available in the United States, U.S. consumers are going to howl.

Well, now we know how the rest of the world feels.