Tag: iphone

Mobile, Trends, Uncategorized

MontBlanc and the iPhone marketing-vacuum

Tim Deluca-Smith

The Apple iPhone marketing-vacuum strikes again. Currently sat on a BA flight thumbing the High Life Shopping catalogue and it infuriates me that this sort mis-communication still exist – especially within an advertisement for a supposedly premium brand product… Just read the advertisement. A premium MontBlanc mobile phone holder, apparently suitable for 3G, 3GS and 4G models. Uh? If it wasn’t retailing for £108 I would have bought it just to try and return it and have a pedantic conversation with the returns department. “Hi I bought the mobile phone holder and it doesn’t fit my phone.” “Oh, I’m sorry. … Continue reading MontBlanc and the iPhone marketing-vacuum

Mobile, Tech, Trends

Own a Samsung? But I’m creative…

Tim Deluca-Smith

My hat is off to Samsung for their pot-shot at Apple fan-boys in their new ad-campaign. I have enormous respect for Apple, but the iPhone is becoming a de facto choice for consumers who want to simply ‘fit-in’. So often in meetings (when phones are switched to silent and placed on the table) I ask iPhone owners on their choice of device. It’s no great secret that for most business users, features such as battery and Microsoft Exchange integration are vital…and largely superior on a BlackBerry. Outside of users with a heavy hardware / software investment in other Apple products … Continue reading Own a Samsung? But I’m creative…

Comms, Mobile

Unlocked iPhones and the expectant consumer

Tim Deluca-Smith

Ian Fogg has written an interesting piece looking at how the same unlocked iPhone performs when connected to different operator networks. He has a wider angle; being that Apple’s position in the ecosystem could develop into something more threatening to operators should they look at progressing the idea of a secure embedded SIM. However, much of the piece (and certainly the reader responses) focuses on the notion that “As consumers pay the full unsubsidized price for these iPhones, buyers expect to have complete control over their devices. Network operators should have no say on how they’re used. But that’s not … Continue reading Unlocked iPhones and the expectant consumer

MobileLeave a comment

Average Selling Price of mobile devices

Tim Deluca-Smith

I’ve frequently commented about the impact of handset subsidies on the mobile operator community. It got me thinking about the expectancy of consumers for low cost smartphones and the real price paid for the device by the mobile operator. It side-tracked me a little and I spent the best part of the day trawling through handset manufacturer annual reports and quarterly statements to record what they call ‘Average Selling Price’ (ASP). This is the unit price of a device as charged to the mobile operators / distributors etc. It turned out to be a useful exercise. Other than paying thousands … Continue reading Average Selling Price of mobile devices

Tech, TrendsLeave a comment

Windows Phone 7 needs to keep the Office lights on

Tim Deluca-Smith

Cross-posted to my company blog (wds.co) The industry is awash with Windows Phone 7 right now. But of all the commentary that’s flying about, very little has really touched on Microsoft’s key motivations for the OS. Had this  ‘just‘ been about smartphone operating systems,  I don’t think anyone would have been surprised by Microsoft’s retirement from the race. Redmond’s marketshare for smartphone OSs  has been on an annual slide for many years and now sits around 5%. Given the dramatic shift in the market since it’s last major releas, from the open source trend to an app-centric experience, why is … Continue reading Windows Phone 7 needs to keep the Office lights on

Mobile, Tech, TrendsLeave a comment

Argos ‘iPhone app’ advert. Was this for the benefit of the consumer or the city analyst?

Tim Deluca-Smith

I like to imagine that this is how it went down…. ————————————————————- MARKETING: “OK, guys, we’re a major UK high street retailer and our brand is synonymous with value. Our new advertising campaign is really going to rocket us to the next level. Remember, as part of our e-retail strategy we built an iphone app that let’s consumers check stock levels and order? Well, that’s our new advert.” MANAGEMENT: “Really? An advert about our iPhone app. Are you sure? How many of our customers actually own an iphone?” MARKETING:“That’s not the point. We get to use cool words like ‘iphone’ … Continue reading Argos ‘iPhone app’ advert. Was this for the benefit of the consumer or the city analyst?

Mobile, TechLeave a comment

What Flash does to iPhone battery performance

Tim Deluca-Smith

Battery performance across mobile devices is something of an interest point for me. I think it’s largely due to the fact that almost everything in this industry conforms to Moore’s Law (doubling in speed / performance every 12 months), expect for battery performance. Any increase in efficiency is quickly sucked-up to assure the performance of power-hungry innovations such as 3G/4G radios, backlight touchscreens, wifi, more powerful processors etc. As a result, battery performance hasn’t shifted much in the last few years. In fact, poor battery life remains one of the most common criticisms of the iPhone. Most smartphones will struggle … Continue reading What Flash does to iPhone battery performance