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At its Keynote last week, Apple unveiled the iPhone XS Max, iPhone XS and iPhone XR. Apple’s latest smartphones have bigger screens and faster processors and are set to make eContent more important than ever, especially given the increasing numbers of consumers across the globe choosing mobile over laptop or desktop for eCommerce transactions.
“Mobile-First” Mindset
According to Statista, we can expect the number of smartphone users to reach 2.5 billion in 2019[1] and by 2020, 40 percent of the world’s population is projected to own a smartphone[2]. Alongside this rapid growth in smartphone use, we are also seeing ever-increasing numbers of consumers adopting a “Mobile-First” mindset. In Q1 of 2018, the number of sales transactions on smartphone devices grew 22.5% year-on-year, whilst tablet and desktop usage declined[3]. Mobile eCommerce now accounts for more than 50 percent of online transactions in most of the world’s regions.
What changes the new iPhones will bring to eCommerce
For brands and retailers, there’s a lot lying between those elegant, rounded lines but there are two innovations that really stand out:
- The A12 Bionic chip, “the smartest and most powerful chip ever in a smartphone” according to Phil Schiller, giving the new iPhone significantly faster processing speeds than ever before.
- The Super Retina Oled screens which are higher resolution and, on the Max model, bigger in size than existing smartphones. This means eRetailers will have 20 percent more vertical space and a sharper screen for eContent on their Product Detail Pages.
This is great news for eCommerce as we know that transaction speed and visual clarity are the two deciding factors that will further drive mobile eCommerce by improving the consumer experience.
AI-driven augmented reality is also given a boost by the new iPhones. The A12 Bionic chip includes a neural engine, which in essence is a specialised accelerator for advanced machine learning. This powers new immersive AR experiences including the AR Quick Look Feature, with which you can view AR objects using built-in apps. Given the growth of in-app transactions, the Quick Look Feature will give retailers and brands the ability to provide consumers with more engaging eContent and ultimately drive more sales.
With the launch of the iPhone XS, XS Max and XR, Brands and eRetailers have exciting new tools at their disposal. Now it is up to them how they use these tools. At eBusiness Institute we can advise you on how to capitalize on these changes and help you to develop:
- Mobile Optimized Hero Images
- Retail Digital Media assets
- Product eContent for Product Detail Pages on eRetailer platforms or your brand.com
- Improve your brand.com UX and ensure it is enabled for mobile first indexing
- Explore Augmented Reality (AR) on your product eContent
At the eBusiness Institute we are helping clients leverage eBusiness to their competitive advantage. Contact us to learn more about how we can enable a “Mobile-First” for your business.
Sources:
[1] https://www.statista.com/statistics/330695/number-of-smartphone-users-worldwide/
[2] https://www.statista.com/topics/840/smartphones/
[3] https://www.criteo.com/news/press-releases/2018/05/criteos-q1-2018-global-commerce-review-reinforces-the-mobile-first-consumer-mindset/
