What will the iPhone on Verizon mean for AT&T and iPhone App Developers?

According to a statement made yesterday, by a Wall Street analyst, Apple is seriously considering dropping its exclusive deal with AT&T next year.  This is great news for Verizon customers who are sick and tired of being marketed so-called iPhone killers that end up being little more than iPhone pretenders.  Now the million dollar question becomes, how will the anticipation of the iPhone on the Verizon network affect AT&T’s iPhone sales in the U.S.?  For years AT&T has enjoyed skyrocketing sales as well as unheard of new subscriber growth due to customers switching carriers for the iPhone.  Now that we’re just months away from the possibility of the best carrier network in the U.S. offering the iPhone, how will the network plagued by dropped calls (counter to their advertising claims) fair out?  I’m sure you’ve all noticed the 3G marketing push that Verizon’s been doing for the last month or two.  They’re boasting how much larger their 3G network is than AT&T’s (There’s a map for that!).  Many see these ads as an early marketing attempt to entice users into waiting to buy an iPhone until it’s available on Verizon.

Currently Apple makes somewhere in the neighborhood of $450 per iPhone sold.  It’s widely known that AT&T takes a financial hit each time an iPhone is purchased.  However, because the iPhone demands a feature rich cell plan, AT&T makes wheelbarrows full of cash after customers have owned there iPhone for a couple years.  Certainly Verizon wouldn’t ink such a deal, but Apple has eyes on Verizon’s huge market share and will probably be willing to make much less just to get some skin in the game.  Can you imagine the shift that iPhone on Verizon will do to the mobile industry in the U.S.?  It’ll without a doubt accelerate the phasing out of traditional cell phones in exchange for smart phones.  Don’t get me wrong, stats have clearly showed this trend occurring over the last two years; however the rate of change will increase tremendously.  Imagine the added impact if Apple waits until landing Verizon to launch their long awaited and widely rumored iPhone nano.

How will the introduction of Verizon affect iPhone App Developers?

With the potential for the iPhone owner community to effectively double over night with the addition of Verizon, what will that mean for app developers and the App Store?  Well, one thing’s for sure it’ll definitely have a huge impact on the number of apps available and the number of downloads.  With the current AT&T only customer base, the App Store reached two billion downloads in a year and a half.  Imagine what that number will look like after Verizon steps in.  Imagine how much of a premium that’ll put on having your iPhone app highly visible to consumers.  It’s certainly not a time for your app to be buried!

Due to its popularity the App Store has evolved in such a way that only those who take it seriously and execute continuous and effective marketing campaigns are successful.  Timely press releases, buzz generating previews, pre-release promo videos, post release announcements, demo videos, social media profiles, dedicated websites/micro-sites, and SEO for each are integral parts of an effective marketing campaign.  Equally as important are unbiased 3^rd party reviews of your app.  Having your app reviewed by popular app review sites creates much more awareness for your app than you can create on your own.  With the App Store’s sales booming, and the likelihood of Verizon coming soon, app developers everywhere need to be asking themselves, “What am I doing to maximize my app’s chances for success?”  Well, for starters we recommend you check out a recent interview that SlapApp.com Cofounder Ryan Johnson had with leading edge app marketing agency The Appency Press.  In that interview Ryan provides insider tips for developers to increase their chances of having their app selected and reviewed by popular app review sites.  As many of you already know, popular app review sites are flooded on a daily basis with more review requests than they can ever possibly fulfill.  Unless you find a respected site that guarantees to publish every review request they receive, you better make sure your review request stand out from the rest.  Think of it as if you’re review request is your resume and you’re trying to get a job.  You’ve got 10 seconds to convince someone that you’re worth it!

To request a review from SlapApp.com please go to http://www.slapapp.com/request-a-review

To learn more about The Appency Press and their custom app review advertising services, please visit http://theappencypress.com/marketing-services-2/

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