Technology Tuesday: Apple Looks to be Industry Leader in 2013
Last week in “Technology-land”, mobile phone aficionados got their latest look at Apple’s new iPhone 5. South Floridians waited in line for hours, some even days, to get their hands on the latest gadget, and three days after the September 21 launch date, they are up to 5 million sales. Along with the last week’s iPhone 5 launch, Apple also went public with their new iOS 6 platform, which is supposed to have 200 new features, including passbook (a virtual wallet), an updated maps application, panoramic photos, and an upgrade to the SIRI platform. Let’s take a look at the new features below and see if Apple can take charge of the smart phone market this upcoming year.
The iPhone 5, compared to the previous 4S model is substantially lighter and thinner. To be exact, it is 18% thinner than the 4S and 20% lighter. As you may have noticed, screen sizes have been getting bigger and sharper on rival smartphones, iPhone 5’s new 4 inch retina display has made the screen bigger and sharper, but it still has the same width as the 4S so you don’t lose any mobility during texting, scrolling, etc. The biggest update in my opinion is that the iPhone 5 is now officially on the LTE network. That’s right people, blazing speed and wireless, without draining your battery. The iPhone 5 also adds an A6 chip, which makes it run faster and improves battery life from the 4S.
People genuinely like the new iPhone 5. It’s clearly more hi-tech, practical, and aesthetically pleasing than the previous model. However, it is not the phone design getting all the criticism; it’s the hardware that has former consumers in a bind. The new iPhone 5 comes with a new charger/computer adapter plug called “Lightning”. Although it is smaller, faster and reversible, it is not compatible with the older Apple accessory plugs like car chargers, music docks or car stereo equipment. If you want the new phone to be compatible, it’s going to cost to. That’s right…you have to buy an adapter. This leaves a bad taste in most consumers’ mouths, but it’s not a deal breaker by any means.
Here at BB Insurance Marketing, all of our agents currently do business on the iPhone. We find it easier and more efficient to be on the same platform, when it comes to sharing contacts, social media, e-mail and company wide updates. We also find it more user-friendly to the work environment than Blackberry or Android. The rest of the world doesn’t seem to agree with the iPhone as much as we do here at BBIMI. Last quarter the Android had 68% of the global smartphone market, with iOS (Apple) in second place with 17%. It will be interesting to see if Apple can leverage the market gap between Android in this upcoming quarter going into the new year. The iPhone 5 and iOS 6 launches are great starting points to try and gain control over such a competitive market, but will it be enough to lead the way?
iPhone 5 News
– The Indiana Pacers Danny Granger gets creative and uses social media to purchase his brand new iPhone 5. (via ThePostGame)
– In China, things take a dramatic and violent turn when a riot breaks out at an iPhone 5 factory. (via Huffington Post)
– Interesting article about Google and Apple’s feud that ranges from the courtroom to the consumer marketplace. (via Yahoo! Finance)
– Here’s a picture of Marlins Ballpark with the new “panoramic” feature of Apple’s iOS 6 (via Clark Cooper):
