Apple iPhone Turns 10 – A Book Industry Companion?

Apple’s iPhone turned 10 this January.  Not only is it a special accomplishment for one of America’s favorite products from one of the nation’s favorite companies, but it represents a sea change in global communications and commerce.  The true mobile economy was launched with the iPhone debut on January 9, 2007.

Mass adoption of smart phones and social media came about once the advent of Apple’s phone came about.  The way we shop, socialize, or conduct business was altered permanently once we started carrying portable computers in our pockets.

How has the iPhone impacted authors, publishers, and books?  Many pros and cons came about once the iPhone became a dominant force in our culture.  

The phone allows consumers to:

·         Buy books (pro)

·         Learn about books (pro)

·         Find info for free that they’d normally pay for with a book purchase (con)

·         Be distracted from buying and reading books by all of the free content phones entertain us with (con)

·         Allows authors to use social media to promote their books (pro)

·         Allows authors to self-publish, sell via a web site, and be an independent force (pro)

The smartphone can even be used as an e-reader to read a book, though this does not seem as practical or pleasurable as it may sound.  The small screen is not conducive for enjoying big books.

I recently bought my son an iPhone 7.  He just turned 12 and had lobbied hard this fall for a phone. He tried to convince me he needs it now that he takes a city bus to middle school.  Then he said he wants one because it would be fun.  Finally, he felt obligated to keep up with his peers who seemed to all have a phone.  He said, when he received it, that he now feels like a person.  He tied his identity up with having a phone.  Indeed, it does give him a communications reach that he’d lacked.  He feels pride in owning one.

I think I got my first smartphone seven or eight years ago. I bought an android from Verizon.  It worked well but upon the two-year contract renewal I was curious about Apple and its iPhone.  My first one was the 4.  Then I got a 6, and though my renewal is up I’ve decided not to plunge any further funds into getting a 7 – which would be an upgrade that gets outdated shortly.  There’s nothing the 7 does that is so much better or different than the 6 that I can’t live without.  But it’s tempting.  We are a disposable, upgradeable, shiny-toy-chasing society.

Happy anniversary to Apple on being the king of smartphones. It’s no easy feat with global competition looking to take them down. May the book world grow along with the growth of the iPhone.

All-New 2017 Book Marketing & PR Toolkit 

http://bookmarketingbuzzblog.blogspot.com/2016/11/2017-all-new-book-marketing-book-pr.html

Brian Feinblum’s views, opinions, and ideas expressed in this blog are his alone and not that of his employer. You can follow him on Twitter @theprexpert and email him at brianfeinblum@gmail.com. He feels more important when discussed in the third-person. This is copyrighted by BookMarketingBuzzBlog 2017©. Born and raised in Brooklyn, now resides in Westchester. Named one of the best book marketing blogs by Book Baby http://blog.bookbaby.com/2013/09/the-best-book-marketing-blogs