Apple's iPhone 3GS: what it means for marketers

by Gareth Jones, revolutionmagazine.com 09-Jun-09, 15:25

LONDON - Apple has announced that its new iPhone, the 3GS, a faster, upgraded version of the iPhone 3G, will launch in the UK on 19 June. The iPhone has already transformed mobile marketing, but its latest incarnation looks set to offer brands much more. We asked David Glennie, product director at MIG, for the lowdown.

What's new?
The iPhone 3GS is the next step in the evolution of the iPod from music player, to video player, to app runner, to softphone, and now to something that looks a lot like a real phone. It adds a raft of new features including improved speed, a three megapixel camera, video support, spotlight search, a compass (no, really), MMS, Bluetooth, tethering (using your phone as a modem to access the internet), voice control, text-to-speech, and (at last) cut and paste.

What difference will it all make?

Speed is of the essence (hence the ‘S'). Apple is saying that apps will load more than twice as fast (or at least they will until developers create a new breed of app that exploits all the new features).

The camera sounds good
Yes, you can do video and take pictures at three megapixels with autofocus - just like you could in 2004 when Casio launched the A5406CA. The smart money will be using video and MMS as part of an integrated brand or app experience. This is big news for UGC and social media apps - out with ‘mobile blogging' in with ‘mobile broadcasting'.

Will there be new apps?
All apps will have to be OS 3.0 compatible from now on. Big players like Shazam, EA and SMULE have had the 3.0 SDK for a good couple of months, so expect prominent offerings from launch.

Will it impact mobile marketing?
Very much so! 81 per cent of iPhone users browse daily for news and information - as opposed to 11 per cent of other mobile users. The new super fast javascript processing of the 3GS (a very specific 2.9 times faster) will make the internet even more attractive. MMS and Bluetooth support offers new opportunities for innovative customer interaction.

Will people upgrade?
Ultimately they may have no choice. Looking at Apple's Modus Operandi the new hardware features and power of the 3GS will trigger an arms race among app developers. In time the app experience on poor old 3G devices will become unpalatable to many consumers.

Comments

Matt Saunders - 09/06/2009

Well, they won't be upgrading for at least 6 months by the sounds of it http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/jun/09/iphone-o2-pricing

Paul English - 10/06/2009

Biggest impact is that it will accelerate the adaptation of the smart phone category, bringing app-based and location-based marketing closer to critical mass. The transactional apps are also potentially a big deal for marketers. MMS hasn't worked before due to cross-platform compatibility issues. Maybe ease of use will support iphone-to-iphone MMS, but that's still a small group. Let's hope we don't see a new spate of bluejacking campaigns.