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iPhone 12

Apple's iPhone 12 - Our key takeaways

Yesterday's Apple announcement opened with the launch of the SmartHome Mini, swiftly followed by the unveiling of the latest iPhone, the launch of four new models in one: iPhone 12, iPhone 12 Mini, iPhone 12 Pro, and iPhone 12 Pro Max. In addition, the 6.7-inch iPhone 12 Pro Max is the biggest iPhone ever released.

The evening’s event fell short of a big bang announcement with clear deliverables and action plans for business when compared to the iOS 14 unveiling at WWDC 2020 back in September. However, there are some clear indications of the direction of travel for the brand in the coming year that can be leveraged by organisations looking to enhance experiences, deliver convenience and capitalise on connectivity both within their organisations, and for their customers.

Emphasising collaboration and partnership, Apple positioned the iPhone as a medium for emerging technologies to come to maturity, and to shape the “next normal”. With a focus on real time, real-life(like) and real life experiences facilitated through Apple products, it's a fitting vision for a brand with a 50% market share across Europe and the USA. It has certainly given us a lot of food for thought, which we will continue to mull over with our clients in the coming days and weeks.

Here are four key takeaways from the hour long event, covering new technologies, a direction of travel for the future, and perhaps an opportunity for businesses to introspect.

 

The opportunity of LiDAR technology

Light Detection And Ranging technology (LiDAR) bounces pulses of light off of objects in the environment and measures their distance based on how long it takes for the light to reflect back. Within the context of the iPhone, LiDAR represents a clear direction of travel for Apple’s ambition to facilitate market leading in-app AR experiences.

Better contextualising and perceiving depth, coupled with the superior GPU and camera technologies make the iPhone 12 Pro and Pro Max the trailblazing showcases of this technology, which we imagine will be replicated in later, more affordable iPhones across the range.

Opportunity

For businesses looking to experiment with AR to deliver unique experiences, this is a step change in the accuracy and quality of what can be delivered on mobile. At Kin + Carta, we believe this development could provide tangible value and speed to the set up or optimisation of physical spaces across industries, as well e-commerce or retail experiences.

 

iPhone 12

5G as an enabler beyond 2020

5G is an evolution of 4G LTE - the current mainstream solution to enable streaming of videos, music social media and online browsing, as well as using data intensive apps on mobile. With top reported download speeds of 4 GBPS, and upload speeds of 200mbps, this represents an exponential advantage in speed and reduced latency.

However, 5G is about more than just speed. Speed delivers value, and speed regardless of location or network traffic delivers exceptional value and potential.

The arrival of 5G is an opportunity to optimise and enhance native or mobile web experiences in low connectivity or high traffic areas, while maintaining security and privacy.

Opportunity

Examples given during the presentation included enhanced experiences across stadiums and venues, airports, landmarks and campuses. However we can see a clear use case for anything requiring enhanced privacy and results close to real time, including financial services and healthcare contexts.

Downloading video content 5g

Deeper device integration in the home

Apple’s impressive statistics on increased Siri usage with the announcement of the new HomePod Mini show a commitment to leveraging voice and connected devices to deliver convenience and connectivity throughout the home.

Intricacies highlighted through the presentation included: audio, visual and haptic prompts based on device proximity, and the ability to connect everything through their central HomeKit hub.

Opportunity

The HomePod Mini release shows Apple are betting that deeper integration across more apps, from more brands and more experiences will drive adoption of connected smart home devices. This in turn will deliver enriching, personalised experiences for the whole family, across iOS devices.

 

Homepod Apple syncing

Doing the “right” thing and the “best” thing aren’t mutually exclusive

In the context of Apple’s ambitions to meet net zero carbon emissions within the next ten years, the company has decided to discontinue the lightning headphones and wall charger that were previously included in iPhone packaging.

As a result of the discontinuation, and the subsequent shrink in packaging, the organisation can cut 2 million metric tonnes of carbon emissions; the equivalent of taking 405,000 cars off the road.

This was a smart move, not only for the sustainability aspirations of the company, but also to strip back and simplify global supply chain and logistics. Big corporations continue to prove that doing the right thing for people and the planet can have a positive impact on your bottom line as well. At Kin + Carta, we think similarly about accessibility - making your digital channels and products accessible for everyone isn’t just a CSR or inclusivity move; it’s fundamentally good for business.

To conclude

This event was less a product launch and more an insight into the future that Apple is betting on, namely: AR, connected homes and delivering ever-more 'real' and 'real time' experiences through mobile devices. In addition, we saw a smart move to improve environmental impact without compromising on profitability and with an efficiency in supply chain to boot. 

We're excited about the emerging future Apple foresees and look forward to working with our clients across verticals to decipher how best to turn Apple's iPhone 12 into opportunities to thrive in years to come. 

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