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In spite of the continued misgivings on the part of some analysts and CIOs, the iPhone and its 140-thousand strong (gorilla of an) App Store continue to make their presence known throughout the business world and in the enterprise. In other words, the iPhone is here to stay whether IT likes or not.
IDC recently reported that the iPhone accounted for 14.4 percent of the global smartphone market last year, up from a little over 9 percent in 2008--remarkable for a mobile platform that hit the market a mere 2.5 years ago. Research In Motion (RIM), which came in second with 19.2 percent in 2009, grew its share by 4.2 percent over last year (see table below).
Nokia continued to hold an impressive lead over its two closest rivals, commanding a 38.2 percent share of shipments. However, unlike Apple and RIM, Nokia's piece of the smartphone pie shrank by nearly two percentage points from 2008.
What should be even more alarming to business-stalwart RIM is the results of J.D. Power and Associates' annual Wireless Business Smartphone Satisfaction Study. According to the survey, which poled close to 1,400 business wireless customers, the iPhone ranked higher than the BlackBerry in a number of categories, including ease of operation, operating system, design, features and battery life (see second table).
So what's IT and a company's internal development department to do to support the growing iPhone presence? And how can they leverage the iPhone itself to better perform their daily information technology tasks?
Let us know what you think.
As Apple did with the iPhone a few year ago, the company took the huge viewership opportunity of the Oscars last night to roll out its first television ad for the iPad (see above) The commercial showed viewers a number of tasks they can do with Apple's tablet. It was set to the music of Blue Van's "There Goes My Love."
The eagle-eyed out there noticed that Apple's CEO, Steve Jobs, didn't view the Oscars and his company's ad from home like the most of the rest of us. Instead, he watched the Steve Martin and Alec Baldwin-hosted show live in the Kodak Theatre.
And, as tuaw points out, the iPad ad may have revealed eBook pricing for apple's tablet PC. Not at all unimportant finding, as Apple has Amazon's Kindle eBook reader, among any number of other types of gadgets, squarely in its sights with the iPad and the device's iBooks app. The cost of eBooks for the iPad will, apparently, range from $8 to $15.
SmrtCase Glide is a nifty new protective case for the iPhone and BlackBerry that also provides "thumb-glide" access to cards, such as a credit card, metro card or personal I.D. The case, $29.99, is made of an impact resistant polymer shell that is recyclable. It can hold two cards, a credit card and an I.D., comfortably, and is available in black, white or pink. See here to learn more.
Yurtopia, maker of soft rubber tip earbud enhancers that slip over existing earbud-style headphones, called yurbuds, this week launched its "Size yur Ear!" application at the Apple App Store (available here). The application allows users to submit photos of their ear and purchase custom-sized earbuds, which comes in six sizes, directly from an iPhone or iPod touch. The yurbuds earbud enhancers, when sized using the "Size yur Ear!" iPhone App, are guaranteed not to fall out, remain comfortable for hours and deliver exceptional sound quality for $20, according to yurtopia, the company that makes the tips. The application also offers a video tutorial that teaches users how to use the application to ensure the proper custom fit is achieved.
Following its introduction, twice as many people don't want an iPad, while three times as many do want one. That's great until you see the percentages.
With all of the hype surrounding the introduction of Apple's iPad, it was practically impossible for the device to live up to the runaway expectations. While it's impossible to please 100 percent of the crowd, Apple may be finding that as time goes on, people like what they see less and less. Retrevo, an online electronics marketplace, conducted two separate surveys surrounding the iPad, one before the unveiling (conducted from Jan. 16 to Jan. 20) and one after (Jan. 27 to Feb. 3). The results are less than inspiring for Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL).Get the full story here at InternetNews.com.
A recent round of reports indicates that iPhone fans unhappy with the carrier will have to live with AT&T or consider moving to another mobile device.
Two financial analysts have issued research reports stating that they expect Apple to not only stay with AT&T, its much-maligned exclusive iPhone carrier partner, but that the deal might even be extended. For months there has been speculation and wishful thinking that Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) would abandon AT&T and its troubled, congested 3G network for the faster, wider coverage of Verizon Wireless (NYSE: VZ).
Get the full story here at InternetNews.com.
The iPad targets the business market as it simultaneously aims at the education, publishing, and gaming markets. Get the full story here at Datamation.
Apple CEO Steve Jobs today unveiled the worst-kept secret in the Silicon Valley: Apple's tablet PC, dubbed the iPad. It sports a lower-than-expected price tag (starting at $499) and a few surprises. And, in a nutshell, the iPad is potentially one of the most important, culture-changing tech products in history, because it can replace all media, according to Datamation columnist Mike Elgan. Read his informative yet concise rundown of the iPads features and specs here. You can find the video about the iPad Steve Jobs showed during his presentation and more information about the 1.5 pound, half-inch thick tablet with the 9.7-inch LED capacitive (multtouch) display that can run over 145,000 iPhone apps out of the gate here at Apple's website.
