What marketers need to know about iPhone 6

The hotly anticipated release of Apple’s latest update is soon upon us, and as ever it’s crawling with rumours – but what do marketers NEED to know?

Writing for Marketing Magazine – AnalogFolk’s chief technology officer, Fame Razak, highlighted two “kit” features that marketers should probably pay some attention.

What do we know?

Stripping away industry whispers and enthusiastic gossip – the new iPhone will centre on iOS8 – which has two new features that marketers should be acquainted with.

HealthKit

The new feature is part of a move to centralise users healthcare onto their everyday companion – the smartphone. The HealthKit will allow a centralised access of healthcare, with information covering blood pressure, heart rate, weight and calories to provide a birds-eye view of a patients overall health.

Apple hopes that the new tool can be synched with electronic health records to enable greater observation abilities to improve diagnostic decisions and treatment.

HealthKit is actually a software framework that developers can use in their own apps.

The new framework allows apps to utilise health data, creating a sea of opportunity for those creative marketers out there.

Razak highlighted the significance of the update in MM: “Suppose your favourite sports supplement brand releases an app that incorporates elements of the HealthKit framework. While suggesting exercise routines and monitoring your exercise levels and blood pressure, it can recommend foods that will improve your overall health, and offer relevant product discounts.

“The app could even use geolocation or iBeacon to direct you to the correct shelf position in store, saving you time and effort while shopping.”

The possibilities of merging new tech to expand marketing objectives is nothing new – yet the iOS8 update seems to be one of the most exciting advancements to date, capturing the emerging health-tech industry alongside new  iBeacon tech – we look forward to seeing what is born out of this new marriage.

HomeKit

Another kit – the HomeKit is an update designed to crack the home automation a market.

“If your customer is unavailable at the allocated delivery time, they can assign your courier a temporary “pass” to open their ‘intelligent’ door lock and leave the parcel inside,” explains Razak.

But, what PR value can you place on this kind of value-add service?

Well, HomeKit could be an industry-wide ignition to pave the way for third-party devices such as garage door locks, lighting and thermostats which could be synched with iOS devices.

“iOS becomes the ‘glue’ that allows digital devices to combine and communicate seamlessly, automating common household tasks,” said Razak.

With the possibilities seeming endless, simply imagine what eliminating online shopping’s biggest nemesis (the un-deliverable slip of doom) could do for commerce…

What now?

With around a month until the big reveal, Apple’s latest update circus could be one of the most exciting yet. The advancements in software and technology could actually improve the health of thousands across the world, by providing a centralised database of health information to help and put people truly in control of their own healthcare.

The HomeKit also offers an exciting lever into a new world of commerce and phone-operated domestic solutions.

So let’s wait for the endless queues of adoring fans to subside from the pavements surrounding the temples of Apple, and see what impact the latest updates to the iPhone has upon markets, and perhaps the world.