Embracing the iPhone - Invention of the Year

It's no secret that the iPhone craze has struck. Your friends have them, you might even have one - or if you don't, you want one.


And maybe craze isn't the best word to describe it - it seems to imply that the iPhone could be a fad. Between the facts that Cingular wrangles customers for two years with a purchase of the product, and that the device is not only designed by Apple, but also is an extension of the iPod lineup, its staying power is as close to guaranteed as a device can be in the digital age. The iPod was the MP3 player that took the world by storm, and changed the landscape of digital music forever, the iPhone will be the device that does just that for the mobile Web.

Why, or how do we know this and how can it be proven?

The iPhone demands respect. Steve and the guys from Apple demanded a redesign of Cingular's Voicemail system in order to take advantage of the device's capabilities. Apple asked and they jumped. Other carriers would not hesitate to do so if they were so lucky.

And you know what? As the call for action for more iPhone friendly Websites comes from the ever growing population of early iPhone adopters, the Web will heed their call and meet their demand.

The move will not be immediate, but as adoption grows, those who do not embrace this device and start their action plans early will find themselves at a huge disadvantage. The early adopters will have already identified the iPhone friendly sites and be visiting them on a daily basis. Their relationships with those sites will change when they find the time to sit down with their laptops. And even more devastating to the laggards, who do not design for it early, will be that these same early adopters will be the ones who are setting up iPhones for their friends and not only recommending favorite sites, but programming them into new iPhones before they even see real use.

Before the iPhone, the mobile web was something that was talked about, but never really taken seriously. By not having a mobile-friendly site, your company was the norm, and the audience at stake was a tiny fraction that was used to having a hard time browsing mobile anyway (and wouldn't likely badmouth your company for it).

The iPhone has changed this need by addressing where other devices fell short. First, the hardware does what others failed at. It may not give the full experience of lounging with a laptop, but what it lacks in resolution (the pixels that fit on the screen) it makes up for with its touch interface. On the iPhone, you have fun just dragging the pages around with your fingertips - your experience will be positive toward the device, even if you don't get to what you're looking for.

Additionally, through Apple's marketing and keen skill of facilitating mass consumer buy-in, they have created a true single platform for developers to adopt. The iPhone has set the standard, not the Windows Mobile devices or the Palm Treos, or even your Motorola RAZR. New usability standards will be developed to make sure that the experience is tailored to work and be enjoyable and useful for those on the iPhone. Unless other manufacturers follow in their footsteps, their end users' experiences will be much like those who try and use iTunes to purchase and move music to their generic or simply non-Apple MP3 devices - not so good.

On the topic of consumer buy-in, just how many people are and how many people will have iPhones? As of last month, 1.4 million people purchased the iPhone. And how long did it take for them to reach the one million unit mark? Only 74 days - and this was at a price point far beyond most consumers' reach.

Over a month ago (which is a long time in iPhone terms), research showed that 3% of teens surveyed already own iPhones and 9% intend to buy within the next six months. These numbers may seem low, but the hugely popular Motorola RAZR only ever reached 6% penetration at its peak - and that is a phone that can be had for free from the right vendor.

Looking ahead, analysts see a bright future for the iPhone. For the 2009 calendar year, estimates for sales range from 21.1 million units sold to even as high as 45 million per year in the pockets of consumers. The higher estimate only requires Apple to capture a 7% share of the mobile phone market in North America and 2.8% share around the rest of the world.

The ease that the iPhone will have of reaching this goal will be even more apparent as it is released throughout the rest of the world. The UK and Germany just saw the release of the iPhone within the last week, and France and Canada will see theirs within the next month (Asia won't see them until next year).

Europe already has a more complex and mobile-friendly infrastructure set up to support the iPhone. It may need tweaks and whatnot for consumers to enjoy the experience to the fullest, but as they have already embraced mobile to a higher extent, it will be likely that the iPhone saturation will be even more prominent.

Contributing factors to the iPhone's success are discussed further in TIME's article which has named the device as the Invention of the Year. This blog post only scratches the surface on the discussion of the technology, adoption and standards to be developed around this device.

MindComet is serious about embracing this new device and its associated medium, and we are ready to support you in your ventures as well. Preliminary information can be found at http://mindcomet.com/iphone, but visit soon to be able to see more of our capabilities and thoughts surrounding iPhone and the future of the new mobile Web.