Do I need the new iPhone? No. But, I sure do want it.
It’s interesting that with the 10-year (aluminum) anniversary of the device, Apple has gone all glass around stainless steel, doing away with the aluminum frame for its flagship product.
Now that the device has been launched, organizations will undoubtedly see a quick spike in broken, lost, and stolen devices - with end-users hoping their organization will reward them with a brand new 10th anniversary edition (or at least the iPhone 8) to replace their “old” iPhone 7, or (gasp) iPhone 6.
This phenomenon happens during most iPhone launches, but this year could set a record. People have been holding on to their devices longer and are itching for something shiny and new. Plus, everyone wants to get their hands on the 10th anniversary edition.
So far we have seen among our clients that iPhone 7 sales outnumber both the iPhone 8 and iPhone X. In addition, we have not seen any significant difference in the iPhone 8 versus iPhone X purchases in terms of volume among our clients.
Before you can even consider upgrading, you need to have an understanding of your mobile environment. Organizations that do not take a proactive approach to managing their mobile ecosystem will be blindsided by enormous mobility costs. It might sound obvious, but unfortunately it’s not that simple.
The first step is to understand your inventory.
It’s critical for the organization to conduct an inventory audit to determine the types of phones people are using, what generation phone, what iOS version they are currently running, and how many devices are close to end of life.
The second reason to do this is for security. What are the
security needs? Is your organization faced with strict compliance regulations? For example, if you are in the healthcare industry, you need to ensure that all your mobile data is HIPPA compliant. While Apple’s new facial recognition feature might seem really “cool,” the jury is still out on whether it is more secure than current measures such as fingerprint-plus-PIN. The thumbprint and password are still excellent ways to get the job done. Current iPhone models offer extended PINs, Touch ID, remote wiping and app sandbox capabilities. And then for some, sometimes it’s just a matter of upgrading the software versus the entire phone.
Finally, you need to assess the organization’s productivity. Is your organization heavily dependent on filling out forms on the go? For most companies it’s a combination of the device and upgraded software that is enough to do the trick.
However, if your business relies on camera functions, the improved photo experience on the newer phones might be a reason for an upgrade.
Beyond the usual considerations when it comes to making a business decision on upgrading, there is always the “employee cool factor.” Let’s face it, Apple carries lots of cache and the newer the model, the more cache. When organizations provide their employees with “latest and greatest” technology, it helps build loyalty. So maybe upgrading to the iPhone 8 for your organization is an easier compromise than going
for the X?
While the new iPhones seem to have the latest bells and whistles, the features are really incremental, not groundbreaking. There really is no reason to upgrade immediately if the current iPhones are working for the organization. Sometimes upgrading can become an even greater hassle to the organization.