Apple announced on Monday that sales of its newly released iPhone 4S topped 4 million in the device’s first weekend of availability.
For marketers, the new iPhone’s most critical update is the advent of Siri, iOS’ voice recognition software that has made it easier for users for to search on their smartphones. Mobile SEO will likely become even more critical in targeting iPhone users with Siri making it easier to search on their handset.
While some expressed complaints regarding the lack of major upgrades to the newest handset, the appeal of a new iPhone was too great for most people to ignore. Additionally, Apple reports that 25 million iPhone users have upgraded to iOS 5, the latest iteration of the company’s mobile operating system.
“iPhone 4S is off to a great start with more than four million sold in its first weekend – the most ever for a phone and more than double the iPhone 4 launch during its first three days,” Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of worldwide product marketing, said in a release.
Brafton recently reported that the iPhone is most popular handset in the U.S., while Android is the most popular operating system. Moving forward, these numbers may change, as the iPhone receives a boost from the 4S and new availability from mobile service provider Sprint. Regardless of whether Apple or Android reign supreme, consumers’ fascination with the latest devices indicates marketers should consider local SEO to reach mobile audiences.
