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It always concerns me when people look at the highest end phones and then assume that this will have an impact on the masses.
The iPhone, according to M:Metrics, does indeed have the highest proportion of internet usage, and so presumably the iPhone users are being exposed to the highest numbers of banners. However it is also the 97th most popular phone in this country, behind more than 10 Symbian devices and 3 Blackberries and selling a fraction of any of the top ten phones. Also it is only marginally better for mobile internet use than the N95, which is number 4 in the top sellers, and shifting 15 times as many phones.
So in itself, it is raising banner consumption, although with user figures so low, it is not really generating the numbers that would be necessary to have any impact. Also, isn't this just normal web advertising, rather than mobile advertising? The N95 has better usage stats for mobile applications and rich messaging, which can all be used very effectively in advertising.
On the whole though, I think that there is something behind the hype. There are many phones that are offering easy access to rich mobile services - almost all of them, in fact - and the simple fact that you can now do these things is driving a huge exponential take-up of mobile services, and therefore mobile advertising, despite the restrictions placed on usage by Networks.
So, the real reason why the iPhone is something to take note of is that it is
the first decent phone (apart from the Blackberry) that has managed to keep clear of the networks' control of data services. This is the area that really excites, as it shows that, given the freedom and opportunity, people will use internet services on their phone. Networks are sitting up and taking notice. Users will be getting a better deal and becoming more adventurous... and the advertisers will win.
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