Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPhone 5 could have a big future as a camera. We covered that topic in depth last week based on a report from Barclays. Barclays is out with a new report today talking about the potential of Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPhone as a camera. We summarize the details below:
Analysts at Barclays state that the iPhone is not only used much more to access the web than Android phones – it is used more as a camera too. The iPhone 5 is rapidly ascending the Flickr charts – showing consumers are using it as a real camera – and is now in the top 5 cameras on Flickr. This type of behaviour is quite valuable, fostering user loyalty and higher value within the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) ecosystem.
The pace at which the iPhone 5 surpassed the Galaxy S II phone from Samsung (in early November, 2012) is quite impressive as well. The Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) iPhone 4S remains the most popular camera on Flickr.com with 5,373 average daily users as of 2/3/13. The iPhone 4 remained in second place, with 4,064 average daily users up from 4,022 last week. Apple already has four of the five most popular camera phones on Flickr, including now the iPhone 5, iPhone 4, iPhone 4S and the iPhone 3GS. This week, the iPhone 5 remains well within the top 5 cameraphone list with 2,423 average daily users. The Samsung Galaxy S III is now the fourth most popular phone on Flickr, surpassing the iPhone 3GS.
The iPhone 5 has over 3,000 average daily users compared to the Samsung Galaxy SIII and SII, which have been available longer, and only have 761 and 694, respectively. The iPhone is clearly being used as a premium device much more than are Samsung models when it comes to pictures.
The analysts believe that the iPhone is actually becoming the digital camera of choice for consumers in developed markets, reflecting its ease of use and ability to get photos online quickly. This usability helps warrant a premium for the product and creates stickiness with software that connects consumers with other Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) products. The iPhone 4S augmented Apple’s position in the higher value smart phone arena, given significant enhancements to the camera, photo editing software and sharing capabilities. In fact, the iPhone 4S has passed the iPhone 4 to become the most popular camera on Flickr.
The analysts believe that the iPhone 5 has an even better digital camera than the iPhone 4S – setting Apple up for more share gains as the device gains adoption in the months ahead. In particular the faster shutter speeds and panorama features are noticeable upgrades in the iPhone 5 – and should make it rise much faster than any other Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) device in history on Flickr.
Flickr is a leading image hosting website and is used by many photography enthusiasts to host high quality photos. According to Yahoo!, Flickr’s owner, there are over 51 million registered users that upload about 4.5 million photos daily. Flickr is integrated into Apple’s iPhoto for easy uploading and there is a dedicated app available for the iPhone for easy sharing.
If Barclays is correct, both Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and the iPhone 5 have a bright future together.
