I posted a blog back in June 2011, All you really need is just a smartphone?, where I discussed some of the benefits I had found from using an iPhone for business.
You might think that a smartphone is unnecessary, but it’s one of the ways I am able to maximise my effectiveness – particularly with regard to social media, when I can appear to be online all the time (apologies for the video and audio quality, this was one of my earlier video blogs):
Here are five key benefits to you as a business person from having an iPhone:
1) You can send and reply to emails wherever you are in the world. With wi-fi generally available too now, you don’t even need to incur any data charges. Clients will appreciate a timely response, even if it is just ‘I’m on holiday this week, I’ll respond on my return.’ You are not limited to text, as attachments are easily viewable whether they are spreadsheets or pictures.
2) Similarly you can access the web. Perhaps you wanted to get hold of someone or check out a special offer. Rather than wait until you are back in the office, the iPhone gives you a very good view of full websites rather than cut down mobile ones. The improved performance of the iPhone 5 with regards to data and processing will make this even better.
3) You always have your diary with you, so it’s easy to book follow-up meetings right then – rather than wait until you are back in the office when things may be delayed. Follow up is one of the things that many business people fall down on, with your diary always with you it will help you to increase your return.
4) The built-in sat nav can be used to take you to meetings in unfamiliar areas – I’ve even used it when walking in cities as it tells you exactly where you are, when street signage may be poor. In the past you had to work things out yourself, but the new version in the iPhone 5 will have turn by turn directions making things easier.
5) You always have a camera and video camera with you. The new HD versions in the iPhone 5, particularly the FaceTime HD camera, will make it a pocket solution for video blogging. I had a stand at a retirement fair earlier this year and shot a video, edited it on the iPhone and uploaded it to YouTube, all on the mobile network while I was at the event.
I’ll be posting further blogs and video blogs once I have mine, in the meantime you can find out more about the upcoming features from:
tiffaniekellog says
I like 4 of your 5 uses…
I happen to not like getting email on my phone, as then I end up reading it twice…
I do love the interaction between camera & video, and getting it on my Facebook page.
As I have just gotten a 4 earlier this year, is it necessary to get the 5???
Or am I okay as long as I have a SmartPhone?
JamesMcBrearty says
Hi Tiffanie
Thanks for commenting, yes email on multiple devices can be an issue. I’ve set mine up so that I can delete messages on the phone from the server, so I only receive the ones I still need to action on my desktop.
If you have a 4 then it will do most things, so you can hold off for a couple of years to get a 6 or 7.
People looking to get a new phone now could do very well with a 5.
My current phone is a 4, just updated with iOS 6, so it does most of the things that a 5 does. I’ve had it for 2 years and its still performing well.
As I am shooting quite a it of video now the HD FaceTime camera is probably the biggest advantage of the 5 over the 4 for me.