iPhone: A revolution in mobile communications
Whether you are surfing the web, taking and sending photos, watching movies, listening to music, making a phone call, playing online games, or getting directions, there is only one device you can count on to do it all. That’s right, I’m talking about the iPhone. Not surprisingly, the 3G iPhone generated a lot of hype. It has begun a revolution in mobile communication and is capturing a young market, with 55% of iPhone owners being under the age of 35. Mark Donovan, senior analyst at comScore explained that “Smart phones, and the iPhone in particular are appealing to a new demographic and satisfying demand for a single device for communication and entertainment, even as consumers weather the economy by cutting back on gadgets.”
By accessing an infinite range of applications on the App Store; from games to business, education to entertainment, finance to health and fitness, productivity to social networking. There are more than 15000 apps available for download. You can get applications anywhere, as the iPhone uses mobile networks and wi-fi. The App Store works so well, because it’s easy for users. The App Store has had more than 300 million downloads globally. Companies / brands / developers want to be seen there, not only because its cool, but because it is global and has a consistent user base. Apple’s marketing machine has guaranteed enough users to warrant the effort that goes into building an application. There is a built-in revenue model for sales of applications through the App Store and plug-ins to immediately enable advertising revenue.
Predictions for a mobile web explosion
iPhone owners are consuming mobile media as much as 10 times more than average phone users. By ushering in the era of the smart phone, iPhones that are able to perform multiple tasks may finally deliver on the long-held promise of mobile advertising. It’s one of the few areas of media ready for big growth over the next few years, according to a report by the Kelsey Group, predicting that U.S. mobile advertising revenues will balloon to $3.1 billion by 2013. The rapid uptake of new 3G handsets such as the iPhone could be set to drive a massive 300% increase in mobile advertising revenue in Australia next year. Technology analysts Frost & Sullivan predicts the $2.5 million Australian advertising market will grow rapidly as consumers embrace increasingly cost effective 3G mobile data services. They also say that the current six million 3G handset subscribers in Australia is likely to increase largely over the next two years.
