The Apple iPhone 4 is the most popular smartphone in the world. But why is this? This article will discuss why this device has sold so many units and why users love the iPhone 4 so much. Given the sales of previous iPhone models, it is clear that the success of the iPhone 4 is no accident. Why has the iPhone 4 been so successful? Here are my thoughts on the subject …
Integrated iTunes and iPod integration
As with previous iPhone models, users require iTunes to be installed on their computer to activate their iPhone. So from the very beginning, all iPhone users have iTunes. Apple has cleverly used this to allow users instant access to virtually any music track, movie, TV show, etc. And the fact that each user has an iTunes account that can be accessed from the phone means that users are just seconds away from downloading anything available in the iTunes store, right to their phone.
The fact that the device also functions as an iPod means that users have the unique personalization and library features of the innovative iPod touch. With iPhone 4 models starting at 16GB, users can store their entire music collection on their phone. While competing smartphones offer similar systems, nothing comes close to Apple’s products in terms of simplicity and ease of use. Rival companies may be catching up when it comes to offering downloadable music, but Apple has the upper hand, as iTunes was available before the first iPhone. This has given them the opportunity to take giant strides in this regard, while others are just beginning to offer similar services.
App store
Obviously, the AppStore is one of the main selling points of the iPhone 4. The manufacturer has even dedicated television commercials to this aspect of the phone, rather than advertising the iPhone itself. The AppStore is undoubtedly responsible for most of the iPhone’s success. The AppStore offers users hundreds of thousands of applications (at the time of this writing, there are more than 350,000 available, and Apple recently announced its download of 1 billion applications), ranging from free to several hundred dollars.
Applications of several different categories are available and therefore users can enhance all aspects of their device and personalize it. In fact, it is doubtful that there are many iPhone users who only have the apps pre-installed on their device. Apps are big business; an example of a successful application is “Angry Birds”. This is a simple strategy game that only costs £ 0.59 or $ 0.99 and has been downloaded over 12 million times.
Of course, the AppStore is much more than games. There are productivity tools that can make iPhone 4 an invaluable companion in the workplace. In addition, many location-based services are available. SatNav applications can be downloaded, essentially replacing the need for a separate device, and the same can be said for standalone MP3 players and digital cameras. It would be impossible to cover the enormity of the content available on the AppStore, but there is no doubt that their contribution to the success of the iPhone 4 is enormous.
Of course, there is much more to the iPhone 4 than the ecosystem that Apple has created for it. It can do almost everything any other smartphone can do. However, I personally believe that a major factor contributing to its success is the fact that a single iPhone can replace numerous devices, such as a digital camera, MP3 player, satellite navigation unit, and to some extent even an laptop.
The question on everyone’s mind is “what can we expect from the iPhone 5?” Well, the wait is almost over as the device is rumored to be announced in June 2011. We can only anticipate how advanced the iPhone 5 will bring.