Are you drooling yet?

Some highlights:

• Cut, copy & Paste (finally)
• 3 Megapixel Camera
• Video Cam
• Landscape Keyboard
• Native voice recording (I’ve been using apps for this)
• Native compass
• And, most importantly, it’s FASTER.

No word on improved battery life, though. Still looking.

One really cool feature, as reported by *the* unofficial source, MobileCrunch:

Anyway, a new feature that most will love is the Find My iPhone. It’s a service for MobileMe subs that, well, finds your lost iPhone and displays its location on a map. It could be a great way to keep track of your spouse too. When activated, you can message your iPhone with a number to call and it will sound a tone even if the phone is on silent. Or you can remotely erase all of the data on the phone.

Must. Have. It.

…but if I don’t have it, at least I can still get all the software upgrades.

Among other news from Burger King:

BK is also making news with its introduction of a branded iPhone app for mobile ordering. The application, which uses a platform developed by restaurant industry technology provider GoMobo, enables iPhone users to automatically log in and locate nearby BK locations for mobile pre-ordering, and generates promotions and incentives based on individual order history. (GoMobo CEO Noah Glass told QSRmagazine.com that now that the platform exists, other restaurants could create their own branded iPhone ordering apps in a matter of a couple of weeks.)

Along with Subway and other QSR chains, BK had already established BurgerKingNow.com that enables ordering online or by texting from any mobile phone, also on a GoMobo platform.

I’m always happy to see major brands diving into mobile marketing, but I’ll be interested to see what the take rate is on this one, how frequently people use it, and how long they keep it…

…and it’s good news for advertisers.  Even though iPhones make up a small-ish percentage of the mobile market today, SmartPhone giant Blackberry and others are developing iPhone-like models (like the Storm) which could drive similar behavior.

When Papa John’s International executive Jim McDonnell with business results the pizza chain had gotten from its iPhone application at the OMMA Mobile conference this week, his seemed a rare voice of dissent….mobile.papajohns.com), which includes a store locator and a shortcut to the main ordering menu. Papa John’s doesn’t offer an app through the App Store. The limitations of the site could be one reason why they have not seen better results from the iPhone…

But it turns out that when he referred to Papa John’s “iPhone app,” he actually meant its iPhone-enabled mobile site ….

Good story…

Yeah, it's sticky, all right.

When it comes to the type of applications iPhone owners use most, ones for checking the weather trump games, music, news and everything else. According to an upcoming report on smartphone usage by online market research firm Compete, 39% of iPhone users cited weather-related apps as one of the three kinds of applications they use most frequently. (The Weather Channel app specifically was cited by 13%.)

Admittedly, I only have the detail-free weather app that came pre-installed on my iPhone, but I’m going hit the app store for the Weather Channel app pronto to see what the sticky hype is all about. (I already admitted I was a geek, didn’t I?!)

Update: I downloaded it, and yeah, it’s sticky.  10-day forecasts, video forecasts…I can go to bed 30 minutes earlier now – no need to wait for Mr. G to tell me I need an umbrella.

I won’t leave you hanging: Here are the top PAID apps (of which I have only one):

1. Crash Bandicoot Nitro
2. Koi Pond
3. Enigmo
4. Bejeweled 2
5. iBeer
6. Moto Chaser
7. Pocket Guitar
8. Flick Fishing
9. Testis
10. Texas Holdem

And the top FREE apps:

1. Facebook
2. Google Earth
3. Pandora
4. Tap Tap Revenge
5. Shazam
6. PAC-MAN Lite
7. Backgrounds
8. Touch Hockey
9. Labyrinth Lite Edition
10. Flashlight

I’ve got four of the free ones, and I’m downloading the rest right now!

Rumors –  er, predictions - about the next iPhone and iPod Touch versions from InternetNews.com:

Better image and possibly video recording capabilities are said to be in the works for new versions of the iPhone and iPod Touch.

Better Wi-Fi for the next iPhone also is said to be on tap. A number of Apple rumor sites expect Apple to include the latest 802.11n wireless radio that has a better range and faster data rates than earlier versions. The same improvement is expected for a new iPod Touch. The speculation is based on information in the beta release of the iPhone 3.0 firmware which shows support for a new chip enabling 802.11n.

…ummmm…how ’bout better battery life, while you’re at it? In fact, while cut/paste and video would be great, battery life is my *only* complaint with the current version.

See the link above for CNET’s review of Yahoo’s new move to dominate the mobile world, unveiled at the CTIA show yesterday..

Yahoo is clearly taking mobile pretty seriously. The new iPhone app is nice – intuitive interface, loads of timely information. (My only peeve is that it can’t be viewed horizontally – no tilt, but I’m sure that’ll change.)  It’s as good as any other news app out there.

The new mobile site is a total winner, giving Goog a run for the money.  Screen shot pretty much says it all. There’s a lot of scrolling, but a lot of info. It’s easy to read – really well optimized for mobile. It’s so much like an app, in fact,  you might wonder why Yahoo needed to develop the app at all – the mobile site is that comprehensive and usable.  With a brand with as much recognition as Yahoo’s, the app’s a no-brainer because people *will* download it, and they will have that “desktop” visibility. And this is an app that people will continue to use, too.

Yahoo's new mobile site looks goooood.

Quick take: If it wasn’t before, Yahoo is now a serious player in the mobile space. Look out for Yahoo’s mobile messenger, which the company plans to launch soon. Can’t wait.

With the launch of app stores for RIM and Nokia now imminent, it’s probably time to start thinking a little smarter about apps. The nascent market is already getting pretty crowded, so one can’t reasonably expect to just build an app and expect every smartphone user to gasp at its novelty and download away. 

As the article points out, the battle for the top of the page in the app store is increasingly heated. There’s a lot of competition there now. And the likelihood that the app will be used for more than a month are also slim.

The average shelf life of an app is limited, with usage declining by almost a third in the first month after use, according to Pinch Media, which has studied iPhone-app usage based on 30 million downloads. By the company’s estimate, only about 1% of downloads translate to long-term use…

…Getting a top ranking requires a lot of downloads in a narrow window that can be anywhere from 24 hours to five days, according to Pinch Media. Six months ago, 10,000 downloads earned a top-25 ranking; today it takes twice as many.

Actually, what I take from that is that your app needs to be (apart from relevant to your brand)  a) useful or highly entertaining - so that people will access it on a regular basis. (Like “Flixter” which I use often since all my local theatres refuse to update their marquees anymore, vs. “Atomic Fart,” which was funny for about 5 seconds.) and b) well-marketed and tied into a broader campaign. Not that American Idol can do any wrong in the market, but creating an iPhone app that’s publicized on the show and on the site, and ties in perfectly with the show — that’s a home run. 

And apps like Shazam, which ar leverages mobile technology in a unique, entertaining and useful way? Well, that’s kind of the goal, right there.

Not every brand or every product is right for an app. As with any trend in marketing, we all really need to stay technology and channel agnostic.  Don’t add an app to your marketing plan unless you’re 100% certain that that is the best way to tell your brand’s story. Sometimes it won’t be:

… some are asking whether the functions of an app can’t be provided by the mobile web instead, particularly if the app doesn’t leverage the iPhone’s native capabilities. “It just depends on the brand objective. If you don’t need the shake and tilt experience, maybe you can have an optimized web experience,” said Jon Vlassopulos, CEO of Moderati, the branded-entertainment shop behind the Zippo-lighter app.

In the end, just keep your head. Don’t be seduced by the lure of the sexy app and the coolness of the channel.  Look at your brand, your campaign. Determine the best course to extend into the mobile space based on your brand’s personality, the goals of your campaign and the needs and habits of your audience.

And of course, don’t hesitate to ask us for  help!

Definitely my next app store download!