Here’s the question posed in JAMM’s Question of the Day post today:
What is the basis of the of the iPhone ‘s success? Is it the brilliant device that some will lead you to believe, or is it a product of brilliant marketing on behalf of Apple?
Seriously? Ever since the iPhone hit the smartphone market as an immediate and stunning gamechanger back in 2007, there have been people who have tried to write it off as over-hyped or only successful because of clever advertising and marketing. It was a dumb argument back then, and it’s a monumentally stupid argument now.
If the iPhone’s success is all about marketing then what was it that prevented Microsoft and Nokia and RIM and Palm and everybody else from coming up with any of the brilliant innovations that the iPhone brought to the mobile arena for the decade or so before iPhone arrived?
Did Apple’s (not yet existent) marketing stop all of them from thinking of an App Store that actually worked and was compelling to both users and developers?
Was it Apple’s future advertising that stopped them from ever coming up with the unique design that the iPhone brought? That stopped them from inventing a multi-touch interface that every single major smartphone company has fallen over themselves to copy and imitate ever since the iPhone arrived? Prevented them from coming up with an elegant, easy to use interface that has helped to make the iPhone such a hit with users?
The whole idea that the iPhone platform is successful because of marketing is ridiculous. Here are just a few quick reasons why:
— iPhone transformed the physical design of a smartphone – every major rival since is a copycat to some degree.
— It did the same in terms of user interface.
— It has created by far an away the most successful mobile apps environment. Last year over 90% of mobile app sales were on this platform – the remaining less than 10% was split amongst all the other platforms.
— Every customer satisfaction survey since the first iPhone launched, has shown iPhones to achieve unheard of ratings and wipe the floor with rivals.
— Every major usage survey on smartphones – mobile browser usage, mobile apps usage etc – has shown iPhone to be way, way ahead of all other platforms.
— Each successive model of the iPhone has sold more and been more popular than its predecessor. Its momentum hasn’t let up yet after three years and that does not look like changing with today’s iPhone 4 announcements.
When has marketing or hype ever allowed a product to dominate a market and have success like this for three years? I’d venture a guess that the answer is never.
If the iPhone didn’t live up to the hype and marketing, sales would have long ago dipped, and user and expert reviews would have exposed any breakdowns between image and reality.
JAMM is a site I actually founded years ago. So it’s hard to have a crack at them like this. But since I left the site I’ve seen them underestimate the iPhone since Day 1 – it was over-hyped, it was a flash in the pan, it was all for play, not a serious device, it was no match for any number of ‘iPhone killer’ devices.
Admittedly, during that same period I’ve sung the praises of the iPhone platform. Here’s the difference though – the iPhone platform has backed up my words for me. All of JAMM’s pronouncements on the iPhone have proved wrong.
If they ever want to get anything right, they should start by no longer asking the stupidest question ever about the iPhone. It is not about marketing. It’s not about hype. It’s about a device that came into a market and did just about everything much better than all their rivals who had a 10 year headstart. Better design, better UI, better apps, better apps delivery method, and on and on.
Continue reading:
- Everything New Apple Just Announced (Septembe
- Apple Watch Pre-Order
- Apple Research Kit launches with 5 Apps
- Apple TV now only $69
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