Unless you've been living under a rock or stuck in endless meetings for the last week, you've heard that Apple released the iPhone 3G. The new phone sports GPS capabilities, 3G network access, Exchange support, a slimmer design, and an updated operating system. But all these new features combined pale in comparison to the one thing on the iPhone that is most relevant to brands, marketers and agencies: the App Store.
The App Store is an application/interface that gives iPhone users the ability to purchase and download mobile applications via the iTunes Music Store or directly from their phone. With over one million phones sold in less than three days and over 10 million applications already downloaded, the new phone looks to be a great platform for brands that are looking to reach out to their audience in new ways. So far there are over 800 applications in the store ranging from free (everyone's favorite price) to $49.99. New applications are being added every day and they are divided by categories such as Entertainment, Games, Productivity, etc.... Major brands have already released or are working on applications. Here are a few samples:
Warner Brothers: The Dark Knight
A free application that allows you to use the iPhone's camera to take a picture and add overlay graphics to make your subjects look like the Joker. The newly created image can be shared via email.
Careerbuilder.com
This free application offers users the ability to search nearly 2 million jobs on careerbuilder.com via search or by using the iPhone's geo-location abilities. The application takes advantage of the integrated Google Maps and can display search results on a map.
Salesforce.com
Another free application that allows salesforce.com users to keep customer information on the iPhone and gives field agents greater mobile productivity.
Facebook
Facebook's iPhone application makes it easy for users to stay connected with their friends via Facebook Chat, upload mobile photos and check status updates.
EA Mobile
With games like Scrabble, Tetris and Sudoku already released and more games coming soon, EA looks to be one of the big players in the App Store games section.
These are only a few examples of how companies are using the App Store to create new content and connect with their customers and clients. Already, applications are taking advantage of the rich graphic interface to embed ads and links to additional content on external web sites. With millions of iPhone users out there, and an exciting new space ripe for development, it's a sure bet that major brands will have a need for a partner that can offer creative and strategic solutions that enhance the experience around the new platform. A partner like Jack Morton.
Below is the a link to the App Store on iTunes (iTunes software required).
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