Posts tagged iPhone
How to be a digital ninja in 2012
Jan 16th
Looking to bolster your digital capabilities in 2012? There’s only one device you’ll need, and finally it is your mobile.
We’ve published many a headline over the years to the effect of “Is this the year of mobile?”
While we’ve all waited eagerly – knowing the broad capabilities our pocket devices hold – we have been disappointed year and year again.
But finally, it seems like 2012 is it for mobile.
And we’ve not waited because there hasn’t been cool stuff on mobile until now, we’ve just all been so caught up with devices that have come since mobile.
You have to remember that mobile is an old platform – reinvigorated perhaps by replacing ‘mobile’ with ‘smart’. The year of the smartphone has dawned.
Why?
Our insistent need to be socially connected at all times. But not only is social growing, content is.
Facebook currently boasts 800 million users worldwide. Of those, 350 million are using Facebook mobile – sharing news clips, photos and blogs.
We’ve said content is King before, but this will ring true more than ever in 2012 as internet users shy away from simple status updates.
Branded apps are also on the rise as smartphone take up steadily increases and the naysayers of the iPhone, HTC, iPads and other smart devices join the life of the living.
Brands have been trying to get into the pockets of consumers for years, but there has always been a challenge for some to do it in an organic, fun and engaging way.
So with the huge growth in online shopping outside of eBay, there’s never been a better time.
With this, brands will also become more creative when it come to geo-location platforms and there will be a smoother, more complete social integration.
I had never quite realised how much my phone could do until I was given an iPhone 4 recently. But it wasn’t until after my laptop and iPad were stolen in a break and enter until I realised I could actually do everything I wanted and needed to do from my phone – my iPhone 4.
I think others are starting to notice also…especially brands and marketers.
I can’t even catch public transport with checking the app to see how long I have to wait, go to dinner without checking out Yelp or start my morning without checking the latest specials on ASOS.
It’s an increasingly digitally mobile world.
Apple goes back to the future – with Mac
Oct 21st
For most of the year, Apple has focused on the fastest-growing, most lucrative portion of its business — the iPad and iPhone, which run the iOS operating system. Now it’s going back to where it all started.
Last night, Apple showed off the little side business of making computers that run the Mac OS X operating system, the performance of which would have made a bigger splash in previous years.
At the “Back to the Mac” media event at Apple’s campus in Cupertino, the company previewed the next major version of Mac OS X (dubbed “Lion”), introduced iLife ’11 and a new FaceTime application for videoconferencing, and released a new version of the MacBook Air notebook.
Quite a showing when you consider the company has this year already launched the iPad and the iPhone 4.
We were beginning to think Apple didn’t have any fuel left.
But the focus wasn’t intended just to bolster the strength of the Mac market. CEO Steve Jobs said “back to the Mac” refers to a blending of technologies.
He said, “We’re inspired by some of those innovations in the iPad and iPhone, and we’d like to bring them back to the Mac.”
Apple has incorporated many features of the iPhone and iPad iOS operating system into Mac OS X Lion, due to ship next summer.
One such feature is the finger-based multitouch gestures that are the primary way of interacting with the iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch.
So what’s next?
Microsoft goes in for battle with Apple – this time it may win
Oct 12th
Microsoft has finally entered a new era with the launch of its very own smartphone. The tech giant has already swayed Apple fan-boy Stephen Fry, but are its efforts enough to not only recruit ‘fans’ but keep its market share?
The software giant has launched its new Windows Phone 7 ahead of the busy Christmas period as its attempts to take on giants Apple, Google and RIM.
To help its plight, Microsoft’s launch was given the voice of reason by former Twinings brand ambassador and vocal Apple fan Stephen Fry (his powers on the Twitterverse are invaluable).
The nerdy brand has launched a total of nine new handsets that will be available in Europe, North America, Asia Pacific and Australia. With more than 60 mobile operators in over 30 countries worldwide committed to bringing Windows Phones to market, “the millions of people around the world looking for a phone that plays as hard as it works will have a variety of phones from leading device-makers to choose from,” said Microsoft.
Steve Ballmer, CEO of Microsoft, added: “Microsoft and its partners are delivering a different kind of mobile phone and experience — one that makes everyday tasks faster by getting more done in fewer steps and providing timely information in a ‘glance and go’ format.”
While that may be true – Microsoft is still one of the best performing technology brand sin the world with over 90% of computer users utilising its software – there’s still that issue of ‘sexy’ sells. And let’s face it, Apple wins that competition hands down.
Microsoft has collaborated with Dell, HTC, LG and Samsung, and from mobile operators including América Móvil, AT&T, Deutsche Telekom AG, Movistar, O2, Orange, SFR, SingTel, Telstra, TELUS, Three, T-Mobile USA and UK and Vodafone.
It’s hard to see how they can fail with so much back-up. But only half the battle is over.
Microsoft has a way to go in topping Apple’s iPhone offering as well as beatng down snide remarks that its touch screen phones are simply ‘copycats’.
But in Microsoft’s words, it’s taking on Apple all guns blazing: “Windows Phone 7 breaks the current smartphone convention to help people quickly and easily find and consume data, information and services from the Web and applications. The new phones are distinguished by unique design and integrated experiences built from Microsoft’s deep portfolio such as Xbox LIVE, Microsoft Office Mobile, Zune, Windows Live, Bing and more.
“The customisable Start screen with Live Tiles is a personal experience, showing people their own content. The Live Tiles come to life with real-time updates from the Web such as news, appointments or the status of friends. New Live Tiles can be easily created from whatever content a consumer wants, such as applications, websites and music.”
Basically, its main selling point is that if you’ve ever used Windows Microsoft or Internet Explorer, the Windows Phone 7 will be pretty easy for you to get used and find your way around.
It should also entice Xbox fans with its games offering and those who use Windows Office will be pleased at the usability and sync capabilities.
So if you’re a PC users, you’ll love the Window Phone 7 – but if you’re a Mac user, you’ll love the iPhone. Two very split markets, one though, Microsoft actually has market share. Let the battle begin.
Mobile Fragmentation: What marketers need to know
Oct 6th
By Simon Liss, Managing Director – We Love Mobile
Fragmentation. Sounds painful, and for those planning and implementing mobile campaigns and services, it presents a real and present challenge. It’s the technical term for the fact that we all have different phones, and that these phones tend to work differently. Take a look around a meeting room or a pub table: iPhones, Blackberrys, Nokias, each with their own operating system, applications and ways of displaying the web. For now and the medium term, there is no common format, apart from voice and text messaging that will work, 100%, across all your customers’ phones.
Getting round this problem requires a good deal of insight and strategy, based on a clear understanding of what your ‘mobile consumers’ look like, in terms of both the devices they own, and the ways in which they choose to use them.
Step One – Know your customer
To decide on a mobile strategy, you first need to know what mobiles your customers are using and how they use them. There are only three ways to do this, to my knowledge.
The first is to survey your customers directly, which is a fairly large undertaking, and would probably require re-running at regular intervals to keep up with changing trends.
The second is to look at mobile traffic on your website, which can show you what type of mobile devices are already trying to access your existing (probably PC facing) properties. However, this method only shows you a partial picture.
The third and most effective method is to pay for research data. At We Love Mobile we recently invested in the mobile usage survey, provided by Comscore , and we haven’t looked back. There is nothing else that can tell you what your particular customer base is likely to be doing on mobile to such a degree, and it has taken much of the guesswork out of approximating likely mobile ownership and usage across our client base. If your existing mobile agency isn’t using this product, then you should ask how they are making decisions around mobile technical strategy for you. And no, I am not on commission, but robust consumer mobile usage data is a must-have for anyone looking to make informed decisions in this space.
Whatever way you get the data, knowing your mobile customer means, at the very least, establishing some basics, including: what devices they own (Apple, Android, Blackberry etc) and how they use them (mobile internet, e-mail, games etc). You should also have an eye on general trends, which will either feed into your medium term planning or roadmap.
Step Two – Define and refine your objectives
Identifying the ultimate goal for the business is normally going to be the main driver in helping you decide on the most appropriate mobile route. Key areas to identify are: do you need to reach the maximum number of customers, or are you happy to target a defined segment? What type of engagement and interaction are you after? How important is it to preserve brand identity?
While we can all get excited by the technical possibilities presented by smartphones and apps, sometimes business objectives can be achieved using much simpler and ubiquitous technologies. Clients asking straight from the get-go for a specific technology solution is often a sign that the horse is being put before the cart, and something that a good mobile agency looking for long term client satisfaction should challenge.
Step Three – Choose your weapons Read the rest of this entry »
Why ask the Doctor, when you can just ask your phone?
Aug 18th
Got the sniffles? Feeling under the weather? Never fear, there’s a new Doctor in the house.
With more smartphones in use, it’s hardly surprising that people are turning to mobile applications for actionable health-related information.
Seventy eight per cent of Stateside consumers have expressed an interest in using their their phones to diagnose and find cures for their ailments.
The new age of comms us seeing smartphone owners interacting with physicians via mobile and wireless monitoring for a variety of medical conditions.
Want even more proof? The mobile app for the iPhone from leading healthcare site WebMD had 1.6 million downloads in its first three months.
All in all it signals a new era, opening the door for health IT companies and healthcare providers.
But how should marketers in the health sector best approach mobile?
A new report, Mobile Health 2010 aims to provide some answers and advice on the topic. It’s been developed by Dr. Mary Cronin and provided as a resource by Renu Mobile. Best of all it’s free to download.
Highlights of best practice include:
Best Practice: Smartphone Health Apps
• Clarify the intended use and target user of the application to provide integration with relevant mobile heath resources and options to extend the value of the app.
• Design apps with a keen eye toward user safety and health care data security.
• Example: Healthagen’s iTriage App allows access to prescription information and a history of previous care for keeping track of multiple prescriptions and care providers for their family members.
Best Practice: Mobile Web Design
• Make it easy for mobile web users with smaller screens to navigate for site information and services by limiting large graphics and animations.
• Provide a prominent search box and provide search results in a quick review with clear descriptions of each link.
• Example: The Mayo Clinic is targeting all mobile consumers by developing mobile browser compatible web sites that highlight most-used resources.
So maybe the next time you reach for the Kleenex, maybe it should be for the phone instead…
Why businesses should not ignore the power of touch-screen web surfing
Jul 6th
Two thirds of UK businesses have no idea how their websites function on touch-screen devices such as the iPad and iPhone, according to a new LinkedIn poll.
Commissioned by user experience specialists Foresite, the poll reveals that of the 103 UK company directors who answered the survey, fewer than a third (32%) had tested if or how their websites worked on the devices.
Not only is it important to see how a company’s website appears and how the brand is represented, but businesses must know what ads on their site look like and make sure they are functioning.
With more than 3 million people across the globe holding onto an iPad already and with more than 1 million iPhone 4’s sold in the first few weeks, touch-screen devices are a market that is rapidly expanding and anyone who is online must keep up.
Last week, I was the lucky winner of a three month unlimited ‘buy one get one free’ pass to a particular brand of cinema complex. I immediately looked that cinema chain up on my iPad, which was on the coffee table (I didn’t want to walk to the study to get my laptop of course).
I typed in the cinema’s name and the website immediately popped up. A good start, but then I could not click on anything or navigate around the site. Instead of going to see a movie on Sunday (and spend a a couple of tenners at the candy bar) I didn’t know what was on so I decided to stay home and watch the Long Way Down on DVD.
I’ve had similar experiences with supermarket brands and banks – this is not good news for online business. Read the rest of this entry »
Apple debuts its iAds – but troubles remain
Jul 5th
Last week, without too much of a murmur, Apple released the very first iAd and thus its debut into the highly lucrative mobile advertising world. But it’s antenna issues could spell trouble for the famed tech giant.
iAds debuted on iOS 4-based devices on Thursday, with the first examples of Apple’s program enabling advertisers to present interactive ads directly within iOS apps.
The ads are embedded into iPhone applications, and when clicked, they appear as a window within the app. The ads have video and interactive components it hopes will combine the emotional punch of TV commercials with the engagement of the best internet pitches.
But while ads began to appear in some applications, not all of the iAd network has have gone live, according to Apple rumour network AppleInsider.
For example, some apps have a placeholder banner that reads “iAd,” but no advertisement is displayed and it cannot be selected. And some applications that others have found iAds in, such as “Mirror: for iPod and iPhone,” sometimes have a blank space.
Early sponsors Dove and Nissan reportedly paid $10 million in order to be among the first to advertise with the iAd service but Apple is apparently planning to charge companies close to $1 million by next
Apple shelled out for Quattro Wireless earlier this year so that it could own and control the way ads are served on its devices and have a say over how analytic data is reported.
Jobs said Apple started the program, which is native to the iOS software developer kit, to help developers make money on free applications in the App Store. Read the rest of this entry »
MARKETING NEWS BITES: Microsoft’s new launch, Apple’s streaming service and Nissan’s iPhone controlled car
May 14th
A round-up of news from around the web:
Microsoft has launched a redesigned MSN Mobile homepage, streamlining the portal’s design and providing such as one-click access to Bing, Windows Live Hotmail and Windows Live Messenger. The mobile homepage is accessible on a variety of devices and browsers, including Safari on the iPhone and Android. eWeek
Apple is to launch an online music service that, for the first time, will allow customers to listen to tracks streamed over the internet. The move will see the tech giant take on existing music operations such as Spotify and We7. The Times
Nissan has revealed the world’s first vehicle to have its features controlled by a smartphone. The groundbreaking Nissan LEAF is fitted with a system where the air conditioning can be programmed using a mobile like the iPhone or HTC Desire. Daily Mail
And finally, Facebook is catching up to rivals Yahoo and Microsoft in selling display ads. In the first quarter, Facebook pulled ahead of Yahoo for the first time and delivered more banner ads to its US users than any other Web publisher. Overall, Facebook.com served 176.3 billion display ads on its website over the first three months of 2010, or 16.2% of the total. comScore
Six reasons why Steve Jobs hates Flash (and doesn’t need it)
May 3rd
Steve Jobs, Apple CEO, last week declared war on rival Adobe with a scathing attack on its Flash video programming technology. In an open letter he lists six reasons why Apple does not need Flash.
Jobs published a rare open letter branding Flash a failure on mobile devices. Meanwhile, Flash is the most widespread video player technology on the web used by many millions of sites for videos and games.
But here are his six reasons why Flash is a technology of the past:
- The programming foundation is full of software bugs. “Flash is the number one reason Macs crash,” he wrote.
Flash, says Jobs, drains battery life and does not work properly on touchscreen devices.
- Flash puts a third party between Apple and software developers. That means developers could take advantage of improvements from Apple only if Adobe chose to upgrade its own software.
- Other emerging programming standards such as HTML5, can perform many of the same tasks, and are catching on with software developers.
- Leading video and news websites have recoded some videos to make them viewable on the iPhone and iPad.
- “Flash is no longer necessary to watch video or consume any kind of web content. New open standards created in the mobile era, such as HTML5, will win on mobile devices (and PCs too).
Why Apple is winning the smartphone war while Nokia plays catch-up
Apr 30th
Smartphone owners of handset brands including Apple, BlackBerry and HTC are more likely to stick with the same brand when purchasing a new handset, according to new research from YouGov, but why are these devices so special?
Apple owners have the highest level of loyalty with 81% of users expected to buy the brand again. In contrast, LG, a traditional handset brand, comes bottom of the pile with only 10% of users saying that they would buy the brand again.
Remember back in the 90s, and even at the start of the millennium, when you swore you’d never use anything other than a Nokia because of its simplicity and easy usability? Now Nokia is being dubbed out of date.
Traditional mobile phone brands, such as Nokia, Sony Ericsson, Samsung and LG, do not fair well when it comes to loyalty and according to YouGov, and need to update their features in order to stay in the mobile handset game.
Russell Feldman, research manager in YouGov’s Technology and Telecoms team, says that the traditional phone brands have a battle on two fronts. “Firstly, the number of smartphone owners is growing at a very fast rate and the transitional gold rush to this new technology means traditional handset brands face tough competition from new and exciting brands. Read the rest of this entry »
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