Jacob

Amezcua
COMMS 235, Section 6
10/22/13
Forward Thinking- the iPhone 5s
Description/Overview
The status quo for Apple since 2007 has been unveiling an iPhone to the public, and then
releasing an upgrade of that phone roughly a year later. September of this year, Apple released its most
powerful phone known to date, (Peters, L.) the iPhone 5s, the successor of the iPhone 5. The 5s has
been labeled the biggest s upgrade an iPhone has ever seen, (Epstein, Z.) and its debut has been
impressive, even by Apples standards.

In what has been labeled a record-shattering debut, (Epstein, Z.), over nine-million models of

the upgraded iPhone had been sold just three days after the initial release of the 5s (Brewer, T.). This
number is more than impressive; the regular iPhone 5 had five million sales in its first three days of
being released, and its demand still exceeded the supply of phones available (Muller, T.). Comparing the
release of the 5s to a competitor, the 5s averaged over twice the amount of sales per day in its opening
weekend than the Samsung Galaxy SII, SIII, and S4 combined (Heine, B.). The Wall Street Journal and
USA Today state that the 5s is currently the best smartphone on the market, and TechCruch has given
the title to the 5s as the best smartphone currently available. (Mossberg, W., Baig, E., Etherington, D.)
With sales still soaring through the roof, it is apparent that Apple did something right in regards
to the release of this phone. What was the driving factor behind the effective release and sustained
success of this product? Ultimately, their objectives were clear, the correct key publics were targeted,
and the precise messages for those targeted were delivered through effective channels of
communication.

Apples objectives for releasing the iPhone 5s

1. Hold a press release September 10, 2013 having CEO Tim Cook announce the release date for
the iPhone 5s, a PowerPoint demonstration of the upgrades and specs of the 5s, and the
pricing of the phone (Ngak, C.).
Apple successfully held the press release on the planned date, and went above and beyond in
providing a complete demonstration of the new 5s. The event was streamed nationally over blogs and
websites and pictures appeared in the social media world instantaneously following the event
(Kumparak, G.). Pictures of CEO Tim Cook and celebrities playing with the new iPhone are testimony of
the excitement that was kindled by the event (Kumparak, G.).
I think that Apples press release conference was ultimately a success; I wouldnt change
anything about the way the actual event was handled. That being said, it could have been publicized
better in various ways. Having an iPhone myself, I would have been interested to know more details on
the release date and details of the new iPhone 5s. Apple could have sent an email to iPhone users
publicizing the event more. Apple could have bought out TV time and made a program out of the event.
There also could have been better publication about the event via social media.
2. Launch the iPhone 5s September 21, 2013 nationally and to Australia, Canada, France,
Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore and the UK.
The launch went extraordinarily well- a record amount of phones were sold during the first
three days of availability. The variety of countries that the phone was sent to is a reason for success; the
availability of the 5s is still continuing to become more widespread.

Although the launch was an enormous success, I still advocate that publicity of the launch could
have been improved. Since Apple does have a loyal following, they could have utilized their current
customer base more effectively. The release of the final book in the Harry Potter series and the final
movie of the Lord of the Rings trilogy were surrounded by excitement to the point of mania by the fan
base that existed for those products. Apple could have taken a similar approach with their fan base by
hosting more events, creating more excitement and increasing popularity for the release.
Apples key publics
1. Current smart phone users.
Currently there are over 1 billion smartphone users in the world, and that number is predicted
to be at 2 billion within the next three years (Mitchell, L.). In the U.S. alone, 45% of adults are
reported to be using smartphones (Mitchell, L.). With such a huge market for smartphones, it is no
wonder that there is intense competition regarding who the best in the business is. Apple strives to
not only claim themselves as having the best smartphone, but at having viable sources vouch for
them that they are the best that money can buy. Plastered on Apples website are testimonies of
credible media sources such as the NY Times, The Wall Street Journal and Time magazine all
claiming that the iPhone 5s is the best thing out there.
I think it is very wise of Apple to target current smart phone users. Dominating the market on
smartphones is beneficial for them now and for the future. With all the publicity Apple has
generated for the 5s, it is safe to say they are doing a great job at it.
2. Business people.

In Apples release of the iPhone 5s, one of the main target audiences was the business clientele that
uses iPhone. A whole section of Apples website is dedicated to the slogan The Business Standard, and
displays how the 5s can streamline business responsibilities. The main draw for the business
professionals who use this phone are the apps, the platform, and the simplicity of the system.
Again, I support Apples decision to make business people a key public in releasing the 5s. In
business smartphones are essential to complete almost all tasks, and it is very savvy of Apple to direct
their efforts towards the business market.
3. Technology buffs.
On numerous blogs and websites the 5s has established itself as the most advanced smartphone on
the market available (Epstein, Z.). Technology fanatics have expressed their joy at the specs of the new
iPhone all over the internet, and have been won over by its capabilities (Peters, L.). Apples website is
also complete with a thorough explanation of what the 5s is capable of.

I feel like although the iPhone 5s may be the most technologically advanced phone on the

market, Apple should have done a better job explaining to the normal person why they should buy the
phone. I consider myself normal; I didnt understand any of the technological jargon that was used by
Apple to describe their product.
The messages sent about the 5s/the channels Apple used to send them
1. The iPhone 5s is the best Apple product yet.
Apple displays this message through their website, through quotes from credible sources and
through accounts of key publics who have used the 5s. Twitter accounts are also spraying the web of

celebrities that have used and loved the 5s (Webber, S.). Apple has mostly displayed this message
through credible media sources other than their own.
In my opinion, I love Apples approach of using credible media sources to back up this claim.
Although Apple has developed credibility, the customers do want to see a credible source other than
Apple itself give authentication to the product.
2. The iPhone 5s is the best smartphone on the market.
This message is displayed mostly through sources other than Apple as well, through the channels of
blogs, websites and newspapers. Analysis, reviews and ratings of others are the channels through which
this message arises.
Again, this message is best portrayed through the eyes of credible sources other than Apple to give
more credibility to the product. Loyal fans of bloggers and newspaper readers will appreciate the
reviews given to the 5s more than a review from Apple.
3. The iPhone 5s is the most technologically-advanced phone that exists for the public.
Apples website is the dominating portrayer of this message. Its website is filled with facts, figures
and specs of why the iPhone 5s is superior to anything else currently. This is the proper channel for
Apple to use when talking about the precise technology their phone contains.
Works Cited
1. Peters, L. (2013). iPhone 5s review. T3. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from
http://www.t3.com/reviews/iphone-5s-review
2. Epstein, Z. (2013). A month with the iPhone 5s. BGR. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from
http://bgr.com/2013/10/18/apple-iphone-5s-review-one-month

3. Brewer, T. (2013). First weekend iPhone sales top nine million, sets new record. Apple Press Info.
Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2013/09/23First-WeekendiPhone-Sales-Top-Nine-Million-Sets-New-Record.html
4. Muller, T. (2012). iPhone 5 first weekend sales top five million. Apple Press Info. Retrieved
October 22, 2013, from http://www.apple.com/pr/library/2012/09/24iPhone-5-First-WeekendSales-Top-Five-Million.html
5. Heine, B. (2013). iPhone 5s launch performance compared to other iPhones and Samsung. Cult
of Mac. Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://www.cultofmac.com/246842/iphone-5slaunch-performance-compared-to-other-iphones-and-samsung-chart/
6. Mossberg, W. (2013). A new touch for iPhone. Wall Street Journal. Retrieved October 22, 2013,
from http://online.wsj.com/news/articles/SB10001424127887323527004579081192462456798
7. Baig, E. (2013). New iPhones and IOS 7 team up for a winning combo. USA Today. Retrieved
October 22, 2013, from
http://www.usatoday.com/story/tech/columnist/baig/2013/09/17/iphone-ios-7review/2823545/
8. Etherington, D. (2013). Iphone 5s review; apple goes for the gold and gets it. TechCrunch.
Retrieved October 22, 2013, from http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/17/iphone-5s-review-apple/
9. Ngak, C. (2013). Apple announces new iPhone 5s release date. CBS News. Retrieved October 22,
2013, from http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57602236/
10. Kumparak, G. (2013). Live from Apples iPhone 5s announcement. TechCrunch. Retrieved
October 22, 2013, from http://techcrunch.com/2013/09/10/live-blog-from-apples-iphone-5sannouncement/
11. Mitchell, L. (2013). Smart phone users, by the numbers. Visual.ly. Retrieved October 22, 2013,
from http://visual.ly/smart-phone-users-numbers

12. Webber, S. (2013). Celebs react to latest smartphones. US Weekly. Retrieved October 22, 2013,
from http://www.usmagazine.com/celebrity-news/news/iphone-5s-iphone-5c-celebs-react-toapples-latest-smartphones-2013119