Is The iPhone A Game Changer?
So I've been thinking about the iPhone a little more since my first post about it, The Apple (2G) iPhone Hype.
It hasn't been released in Australia yet of course, and God (Steve Jobs) only knows when it will be, but from what I've been reading and hearing, iPhones seem to be selling like hotcakes in the U.S. What's more, the iPhone also seems to be living up to all the hype. Apart from a few activation problems, people seem to be loving their new iPhones.
I'm thinking that if I had an iPhone now, among other things I'd most probably be using PocketTweets for Twitter on my iPhone. I'd be visiting social networking sites like Facebook regularly, and I'd be downloading and listening to my favourite podcasts. I'm thinking that if I want to do things like this, many others do too.
I was listening to Mitch Joel's latest episode (#59) of his Six Pixels of Separation podcast the other day. He pointed out that from a marketing perspective, because iPhones are selling like hotcakes and because around one hundred million iPods have already been sold, this is going to be a game changer, and we need to be paying attention to it.
I think Mitch is absolutely correct. A lot of people are starting to listen to podcasts (including video) about everything under the sun. A lot of people are using social networking sites. A lot of people are beginning to use services like Twitter, which can be updated from mobile phones, web or IM...and now, a lot of people are starting to buy iPhones.
I'm sure I don't need to point out that large numbers of people will now be be able to do all these things and more with one device. In addition, I'm sure it will only be a matter of time before we see a mobile based social network really take off. Things are starting to get really interesting in the mobile space.
What do you think? Is this a game changer, or do you think it won't make much of an impact?
4 comments:
I don't think the iPhone (or any data-heavy phone) will take off in Australia unless there's a major change in how we're charged for mobile internet costs.
All the carriers are still talking 'cents per kilobyte' - which, if you're downloading a 4MB Podcast over the air, adds up really quickly.
Even just browsing of basic mobile-optimised sites can quickly chew through any of the monthly allowances you might be getting.
I agree Will, mobile data costs need to come down in Australia, and I think they will, eventually. I'm really thinking medium-term here.
When costs do come down, I think it will be a different game. When broadband (web) costs dropped here, things changed quickly.
It's difficult to predict how the iPhone will take off in Australia, Europe or somewhere else, but what's sure is that mobile 2.0 will play in important role in future.
Andrea
my first thought was exactly that of will's... can't see myself doing anything data-related on a phone until the costs have come way down.
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