iPhone 5.0 Challenges Current Strategy
by stuart_henshall
Last year I finally made it to Supernova with a Mac and was no longer in the minority. This year I’d expect you will see more iPhone users at Supernova than almost any other venue. I’m in that camp and have to remind myself from time to time what a techno geeky early adopting crowd I often hang out with. I bought mine because I wanted to learn from it and had a sense that it was a different kind of device. Today I read a great research summary; which while it held no huge surprises for me reinforces the iPhone’s introduction as a game changing device.
Apart from users being highly satisfied, it’s email and browsing that has really had the impact. I think theres more in the behavioral shift to text and browsing exchanges than we tend to give credit for. As might be expected users skew young and most already have experience with Apple products. The research also suggests there has been a huge $2billion additional revenue payoff for AT&T.
For anyone considering mobility and social computing the core questions they ask are relevant.
- Can Apple reach beyond its early adopters?
- What does the iPhone mean to competitors?
- What changes are likely as a result?
You can also download the Rubicon report here. While this research is very much “today” the real challenge for competitors (not just mobile phones, laptops too) is to think through iPhone 5.0. What’s neat is the iPhone has broken the shackles that restricted much of the thinking across an industry. It’s prime fodder for Scenarios. How would your current strategies play out in an iPhone 5.0 world? Add in GPS / location, social networks, apps, video calls, VoIP, advertising, and more. Then maybe it won’t be an iPhone anymore. The challenge for many many companies is huge, whether Nokia, Microsoft, Dell, HP, Samsung, Google, etc.
My advice. At the very least give a few of your curious, inquiring execs iPhones and ask them to report back with what impact, what opportunities could this provide for the business.
