As you are probably aware, Apple announced last week that the iPhone 3G S would go on sale this Friday. Phone recycler Gazelle tells murdok that 300 iPhones were traded into its site that day alone.
Saving Money on the iPhone Upgrade
Actually Gazelle is giving people an opporunity to cash in on the upcoming 3G S already, because they’re giving people up to $200-$300 for iPhones (the average is $153). Gazelle tells us that this would cut costs to about $100 for current iPhone/AT&T customers looking to upgrade to the 3GS.
Gazelle is actually hosting a contest on Twitter this week, offering $199 for the best “iPhone Eulogy.” Those interested can find more info by searching the hashtag #RIPhone.
Demographic Research for the iPhone and iPod Touch
AdMob released new research from comScore on the demographics and behavioral characteristics of iPhone and iPod Touch users in the US. The main differences in terms of demographic makeup come in areas like age and household income.
“This research highlights how important it is for marketers to understand the mobile landscape and the characteristics of the users of a particular platform or mobile device,” said Loftlon Worth, vice president, comScore. “Putting a little extra effort into the planning process can help a mobile campaign be significantly more successful.”
Here are some highlights from that research:
– 5 in 10 consumers on both iPhone and iPod touch devices use the mobile Web more frequently than they read printed newspapers.
– Over 40 percent reported using the Internet on their mobile device more often than using the Internet from their computers or listening to the radio.
– iPhone users are generally older. 69 percent of iPod touch users are between 13-24 years of age, while this same age segment represents just 26 percent of iPhone users. 31 percent of iPhone users are 35-49 years old, while only 12 percent of iPod touch users fall in this age segment. In total, 74 percent of iPhone users are over the age of 25, compared to 31percent of iPod touch users.
– More than 70 percent of users on both the iPhone and iPod touch are male.
– In line with the older demographic composition of iPhone users, they also have higher incomes. 78 percent of iPhone users have an annual household income of at least $25,000, compared to only 66 percent of iPod touch users.
– iPhone users are more likely to have children than iPod touch users, most likely due to the age difference in the two groups. 46 percent of iPhone users have children, compared to only 28 percent of iPod touch users.
– In the next six months, iPhone users plan to purchase clothing (57 percent), entertainment (47 percent), and travel (45 percent), while iPod touch users plan to purchase clothing (61 percent), entertainment (53 percent), and cell phones (36 percent).
A New Way to Search on the iPhone
Mobile search engine Taptu today launched an iPhone app for “iPhone-friendly and relevant results.”
“With iPhone-search continuing to grow, it is vital to make search as simple as possible while providing users with the most relevant content on their devices,” says Steve Ives, founder and CEO of Taptu. “Taptu’s iPhone app allows users to quickly and easily search through iPhone-optimized results in an intuitive and visual interface. The launch of the iPhone app is a huge step for Taptu, as the app addresses a key need for iPhone users.”
Key features as cited by the company include:
– iPhone-Friendly Results: Taptu’s iPhone app only provides results that are iPhone-optimized, which eliminates the hassle of resizing, pinching and refocusing sites.
– Flick Don’t Click: Instead of scrolling down a list of search results like on a desktop, Taptu iPhone app users flick through the visual previews of the results produced by Taptu horizontally (the same way that photos are viewed on the iPhone). The visual preview slides lets users quickly navigate through results and select the one most relevant.
– Search Multiple Platforms: In addition to providing comprehensive search engine results, Taptu’s iPhone app allows users to filter search results and find information from specific source or types, for example Twitter, Wikipedia, blogs or videos.
– Share Your Results: Taptu’s iPhone app lets users to easily share results via Twitter, Facebook and email.
– Discover New Content: Taptu understands that mobile search should help users’ expand their outlook and has made discovery an essential part of the app by presenting recommended and related searches including charts, lists and “also try’s.”
The app is available as a free download from the iPhone App Store. It’s compatible with all versions of the iPhone and iPod Touch. Site owners can ensure their inclusion in results by submitting here.
Sharing on Facebook and Twitter from the Browser
ReadWriteWeb has a good write up of an interesting app called Gaggle, which is a web browser for the iPhone that lets you share links with Facebook Connect and Twitter integration.
“The concept of Gaggle is simple: browse the web and when you see something you want to share and click the “Share” button at the bottom of the screen,” explains Sarah Perez. “You have the option to post the link to Twitter or Facebook or you can choose to bookmark it instead. Setting up Facebook involves authenticating via Facebook Connect and to configure Twitter you’ll need to enter your username and password. Once that’s done, you’re able to quickly share anything you see on the web with just the push of a button.”
She goes on to note, however, that there are quite a few bugs in the app, and that it may not really be ready for prime time yet.
TweetDeck for the iPhone
Jeremy Muncy discussed this on murdok today already, but in case you missed it, TweetDeck for the iPhone will be released tonight. Features include:
– Column based friend groups! (like TweetDeck desktop)
– TweetDeck desktop syncing (make a change on the iPhone and it’s reflected back on the PC)
– Facebook toolbar like status updates
View screenshots here.
