• by Gene Keenan , September 11, 2013

It's probably not news at this point that Apple has some new iPhones. But what is news is that Cook and company spent most of the time talking about the hardware and not much about iOS7. To put it in perspective, there are over 200 new features in iOS7 but barely a handful were covered yesterday. 

You have to wonder if Apple was capitulating to a market that is obsessed with speeds and feeds -- or was Apple highlighting these new hardware functions because they are laying the groundwork for some revolutionary products? I propose it’s the latter.

But in the meantime, what are the possibilities for marketers with this new hardware and software configuration?

1. Apple Owns Your Big-Screen TV

The new iPhone will have a 64 bit processor powering it -- and depending on the task, it’s hyped to be 5-20x faster. If you remember, Apple announced back in June that iOS7 would have support for external game controllers! Imagine, connecting your phone up to your TV, adding in an external game controller and…BOOM! Up, up and away.  

This is killer news for marketers. This means big-screen advertising opportunities, in the living room, powered by the iPhone.

You probably think I am crazy, but check out this demo of the new hardware with the game "Blade 3." It's like watching the latest trailer for "Iron Man," except it wasn't because it was a game being played in real time. We're talking almost console-level quality here. Check out the demo here (The game demo starts at the 39-minute mark.)

2. What The Phone Knows

In addition to the new A7 processor that powers the phone, there is a NEW chip called the M7 Coprocessor. This tiny little beast constantly measures data from the accelerometer, gyroscope, and compass even when the phone is not being used: meaning it's passive (think FitBit or Nike Fuel Band). In practical terms, this means the phone is constantly measuring everything. Where you are, what you're doing, where you're going and where you want to be. This is big news in and of itself. But what I am personally excited about is a world where the M7 combines with wearables. This could make for some very interesting new product lines, including a multitude of robust health and fitness apps. Still, there is so much more. Just so much more… Keep reading!

3. mPassive Crowdsourcing

I said the M7 was a beast and here is a real-world thing it could do: Apple now has the necessary tools to build a better WAZE. The Apple “WAZE” will not require user input, but instead rely on information gathered automatically though mPassive crowd sourcing. Imagine all the location based marketing opportunities here including opportunities through iOS in the car.

4. Shopper Behavior and Location Ads

Okay -- let’s get even crazier! Let's combine that M7 with iBeacon, and a little inclinometer action to get in-store mapping even across multi-story buildings. Your head is probably spinning because there is a lot to digest there. First off, what is iBeacon? iBeacon is a low-power, low-range Bluetooth device that provides micro-location information. They can run for years on a single battery. It's Apple's replacement for NFC and arguably cheaper than NFC (about $20 each and dropping). It matters because stores can put these Beacons in and send out notifications that matter to users entering a store and also do commerce (PayPal already announced a new service).

But that's not why I am excited. What's really exciting is because of this M7 chip we can measure shopper behavior within stores. Remember, it basically knows what you are doing. So imagine it being able to tell you how long that shopper lingered in the shampoo isle before making a purchase. This sounds like fantasy, right? It's not -- and check out this app that was already doing this. The big difference is now this function is integral to the hardware and available to any marketer to use via API’s.

5. We're Always Running and We Make You Smarter

The last thing with all this passive running in the background stuff is another iOS7 feature called Apps Near Me. Apps Near Me is a contextually relevant App Store. So imagine you are in Macy's and you hit the Apps Near Me button. Boom! The Macy’s app automatically comes up. A retailer at this point would have to be insane not to have an app available in the App Store. Consider all the other sick you will be able to do like locations based experiences and ads for starters by combining iBeacons, and the spatial awareness M7 affords. So many opportunities…

6. Security

Apple previously mentioned in June that with the iCloud and Keychain security update a user would have single login across all domains. Meaning, I log in to iCloud and I am logged in to all my password sites that I give keychain access to like iTunes, iWork, Mail, credit cards, third-party sites, etc. The fingerprint sensor called TouchID theoretically would apply to this feature also. Scan your finger and it unlocks everything in your digital universe. No more lost passwords -- and just imagine how easy it makes ecommerce? Just authenticate the purchase with your finger!

7. Enterprise

Apple has made great inroads to the enterprise through the iPhone. Two things at work here. With TouchID Apple has provided some great security. But we also have iWork. iWork is the most popular mobile productivity tool and It is now free to all iOS7 users. This will continue to drive Apple in the enterprise and also challenge Google Docs and MS Office. Imagine connecting a keyboard and mouse to your iPhone. You have a powerful mobile computer to take on the road or at home for work. Think also again about that device being connected to a larger screen. I keep saying it -- but it's true, this will continue to blur the line between what is mobile and what isn't.

Generally Speaking

For marketers, iOS7 will continue to give massive reach across a single OS, which will continue to give Apple the advantage for brands seeking strong ROI. Brands would be remiss to not continue building to iOS first.

The markets may have been disappointed by the announcement yesterday but for smart marketers the news is monumental. It's been a while since we have heard the One More Thing line -- but I believe that's because the One More Thing will come from smart marketers who dig down and exploit the multitude of possibilities that come from this awesome new hardware/software combination. I have only touched on a few here -- there are hundreds more.