Whenever an Apple keynote event comes around, I get pretty excited. Beyond wanting to upgrade my phone, I know that Apple is a leader in how we consume and share information. That’s going to affect me as a social media professional.
iPhones and smartphones revolutionized our lives. Our ability to access and share content anytime, anywhere through our mobile devices on social media was a game changer. So as a social media agency, my S2 colleagues and I pay close attention to the latest news coming out of Cupertino as we know it will affect how our clients interact with their communities.
The Journey
We’ve come a long way. Back in 2008, Mary Meeker released her first Internet trends report with the bold prediction: “Mobile to overtake fixed Internet access by 2014.” In her latest report, she shared that in the U.S.A., a mobile user spends 5 hours a day on their phone and the top 3 apps are Facebook, Chrome, and YouTube.
In August 2012, The New York Times wrote how Facebook was changing their mindset to ‘mobile first’ and the struggles to master mobile. In 2016, Facebook said that the company now thinks ‘video first.’
We Are Social has reported that there are 12 new active mobile social users every second. Furthermore, comScore’s 2016 U.S. Cross-Platform Future in Focus shared that nearly 80% of all social media time is spent on mobile.
When creating images and video, the importance of creating content optimized for mobile cannot be understated.
iPhone 7 and Social
With that being said, what happens to the iPhone also happens to social media.
Better Battery Life
Even something as small as improved battery life affects things. You can get an extra two hours of battery life on an average day with the iPhone 7. That’s more time to share and checkout social without having to stop and plug-in.
Updated Camera
One of the big announcements for the iPhone 7 surrounded the camera, especially the dual lenses on the iPhone 7 Plus. Highlights include: optical image stabilization, an f/1.28 aperture, and a six-elements lens. Other advanced features include wide color capture and Quad-LED True Tone flash.
Instagram’s Role
I thought it was telling when Ian Spalter, Instagram’s head of design, took the stage to show off updates to Instagram inspired by the new camera. Social media apps are taking advantage of Apple’s technology and providing new options for brands and users to express themselves.
First, all of the photo filters will be revised to take advantage of the iPhone 7 camera’s wide color gamut so expect to see a broader range of vibrant hues.
Another exciting development is that Instagram will utilize iOS 10’s new Live Photos API. Live Photos will be able to convert into Instagram Boomerang GIFs, which play back and forth. No need to open up the Boomerang app separately.
It’s all about easy access, too. Instagram took a swipe at Snapchat with the release of Instagram Stories. New 3D Touch will allow you to jump into your Instagram Story and add a photo without missing a moment.
Finally, you can control the iPhone 7 Plus telephoto lens by dragging a finger up and down in the Instagram camera window so you can adjust the level of zoom. You’ll also know how much zoom has been enabled with Apple’s new Taptic Engine feedback.
The updated version launches later this year. Prepare to post your best selfies and sunset pics ever! For brands, take advantage of Instagram Stories and awesome user-generated content.
iWork
Another smaller announcement that peaked my interest was iWork real-time collaboration. We live by Google Docs at S2. They are sharable, collaborative, and easily accessible. Now Apple has entered the game and users can collaborate on the iWork apps (Pages, Numbers, and Keynote) across Macs, iPads, iPhones, and the web. I can already see benefits. For example, if we’re pitching to a potential client and need to make last-minute changes to the Keynote presentation, we’re able to work together on the fly no matter if I’m in the office and my colleague is en route.
The Final Word (For Now)
In conclusion, the continued evolution of mobile phones and productivity tools will keep us on toes and open up endless possibilities for reaching and communicating with people. With advances to mobile cameras, the access to sophisticated user generated content for brands to take advantage of is greater than ever.
Where exactly will Apple and mobile lead us next? How will virtual reality come into play? We’ll just have to wait and see! You’ll be able to catch me live streaming the event no matter if I’m in my home office on my Mac or on my iPhone traveling the world.