The Apple iPhone is a smart cell phone that has a variety of applications and features that make this phone fully customizable. Because of the technology that the iPhone uses, some users may need detailed information about their iPhone and others may need help to make it function properly.

In order to accommodate the needs of every customer, you must keep a varied selection of Apple iPhone accessories and information in stock. Consider these suggestions:

1. Provide information, including reviews, about the Apple iPhone for customers who own or are considering purchasing an iPhone.

2. Help customers personalize an iPhone by offering iPhone accessories.

3. Appeal to customers who need to replace parts of an iPhone.

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Offer information about the Apple iPhone

The Apple iPhone, like any cell phone, has advantages and disadvantages. Provide your customers with detailed information about the iPhone, including customer reviews and help with the features and functions of the iPhone. This information shows that you care about customer satisfaction before, during and after the sale.

I recommend: Apple.com and CNet.com both have detailed information about the Apple iPhone. Apple.com is an Apple iPhone vendor as well as the iPhone manufacturer. It offers a variety of iPhone applications and software available. This website also has a detailed troubleshooting list for the iPhone. CNet.com has price comparisons and detailed reviews about the iPhone.

Sell iPhone accessories

Customers who own an Apple iPhone will usually add accessories to make the iPhone fit their lifestyle. Selling Apple iPhone accessories, such as protective cases, car chargers and Bluetooth devices, allows you to meet the needs of iPhone users.

I recommend: Apple Store is the official Apple iPhone online shopping center. All of the iPhone accessories have an unconditional warranty. Orders meeting certain requirements qualify for free shipping. You will find a wide selection of Apple iPhone accessories, including protective cases, data transfer cables and full accessory kits at eForCity.com. This company offers wholesale prices and sometimes has special online coupons that will give you a discount on top of the wholesale prices.

Stock iPhone replacement parts

Replacement parts, such as batteries and screens, for an iPhone allow iPhone users to fix a phone that is malfunctioning or one that has cosmetic defects that are unappealing. Offering these parts allows you to meet the needs of customers who want to fix their iPhone.

I recommend: Cellular-Blowout offers a variety of replacement parts for the iPhone for sale, including chargers and batteries. This company offers wholesale prices and discounted shipping. This company has an easy to use search service to help you find parts for iPhones. Kokopelli Music is an iPhone supplier that carries a full line of replacement parts, including screens, for the Apple iPhone. This company offers special rates to iPhone vendors who order products in bulk.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  Keep a cross referenced and indexed Apple iPhone list that includes what accessories, applications, parts and software are compatible with each model.

Until recently, iPhone’s suitability for businesses was a raging debate. But by now the verdict is near unanimous - it is too beautiful, user friendly and powerful a device to be merely the end consumers’ baby.

Apple, iPhone’s creators, too has woken up to this fact, and the ability to download powerful 3rd party applications onto the iPhone device is slated to be introduced soon. Until then, iPhone allows equally powerful web 2.0 applications to be played through its Safari web browser.

The advantages of using iPhone for your business are:-

1) A powerful computing device which keeps you connected with business information, but fits in your pocket.
2) Get rid of those heavy laptops.
3) Reports show that people are ever more open to use iPhone to access the internet than any other mobile device.
4) iPhone’s beauty and power wins it many hearts. Employees with iPhone’s will gladly use it for business purposes when theyre on the road.
5) Quicker decision making and speed to market, since employees can access and collaborate on critical information when they need it.

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Buy your iPhone device

Assuming you don't have iPhone already; this obviously is the first step. Since the iPhone distribution market is very organized, there wont be many price differentials.

I recommend: Visit the official Apple instruction page on the subject. The three places you can buy your iPhone are official Apple Stores, AT&T outlets, or the Apple Online Store. If you are looking for a bargain, eBay could be another option.

Get a Messaging Solution

According to a recent Rubicon study, the major reason for iPhone internet usage was mail access. Even otherwise, the foremost business use of a computing device is the ability to access and send official mail. Secondarily, the ability to access official contacts, calendars and tasks. For a majority of small businesses this means the ability to access Outlook information. Unfortunately, iPhone does not provide native MS Exchange support at this time and there is no direct way to access Outlook information. But there are some powerful web applications which surmount this difficulty and allow easy Outlook access.

I recommend: The first option to access Outlook on iPhone is Outlook Web Access (OWA). But some drawbacks of this are that OWA’s appearance is chunky on iPhone, full feature access is not available, and you need Exchange to be installed. Powerful web applications like HyperOffice, on the other hand, are optimized for iPhone, offer near full access to Outlook on iPhone, go further and allow Outlook calendars, tasks, and contacts to be shared with colleagues, and work even if Exchange is not installed on the company servers. Alternatively, if you don’t want to go the MS Outlook way at all, you can use purely web based email solutions like Gmail.

Get a Collaboration Solution

Corporate email access is the bare bones necessity if iPhone is to be used as a business tool. But it neednt stop there, and there are many web applications that allow iPhone to be used as a full fledged collaboration tool wherein users can share and work togather on information right from their iPhone devices - documents, contacts, calendars, tasks etc.

I recommend: One approach could be to buy ad-hoc solutions for different needs. Google Apps or Zimbra are a purely web based Office suite which let you collaborate in real time on documents. If youre looking for an all in one solution, HyperOffice in addition to its messaging capabilities, allows sharing of tasks, calendars, contacts and documents. It also fits well if you use MS Office to manage information at your office. Alternatively you could browse Apple’s webapp directory and look for suitable solutions.

Tips & Tactics

Helpful advice for making the most of this Guide

• •  No matter what web-app you opt for, make sure it is optimized for iPhone specifically.
• •  The ability to operate the application from various platforms - PC, Mac, and different mobile devices in addition to iPhone offers a great added benefit.
• •  Integrated solutions are always better than stand alone ones from a business standpoint.

When the iPhone hit the market in 2007, it revolutionized portable communication. It also spawned a series of new terms. So if your business plan is to get involved with iPhones, it's important you understand the meaning of phrases such as 3G and apps. Additionally, you should also be familiar with terms used to describe popular iPhone accessories, such as crystal film, power slider, dock and stylus pen. With these iPhone key terms, you'll be set to use your iPhone to its full potential.

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3G technology

The iPhone's 3G technology lets you use cellular phone networks to quickly surf the web and send emails. With 3G, you can also talk on the phone and browse the Internet at the same time. 3G's speed is faster than 2G EDGE networks, but not as fast as a Wi-Fi connection.

I recommend: Check out Apple, the iPhone's manufacturer, for much more information about 3G technology.

Apps

Apps is short for 'applications,' a number of programs that you can download to your iPhone to perform various tasks, play games and get information. Apps work specifically with iPhones and take advantage of the iPhone's GPS, touch-screen and wireless features. Some apps are free, but there are some you may need to purchase. All apps are available through Apple's App Store.

I recommend: Appsafari.com has thousands of examples of iPhone apps.

Crystal film

Crystal film is a thin clear cover that you can place over the screen of your iPhone to protect it from scratches, dust and dirt. You can use the touchscreen with the crystal film on it. Crystal film is an accessory for the iPhone that you must purchase separately.

I recommend: Power Support describes crystal film and its features. The website also details the installation instructions.

Power slider

A power slider lets you double the battery life of your iPhone and protects it from damage at the same time. It is an accessory that consists of a hard-shell case with a built-in rechargeable iPhone battery.

I recommend: To see pictures of a power slider and to read more about it, visit Engadget.

Dock

An iPhone dock is a stand for your phone that you can use to charge the battery and sync it with your computer. You can also connect the dock to speakers to play music.

I recommend: Smartphone Experts has a picture of an iPhone dock and a review of its pros and cons.

Stylus pen

A stylus pen is a pen with a soft tip that you can use to type or push buttons on your iPhone's touch screen. Using a stylus pen instead of your fingers allows you to type faster and eliminates smudges on the screen.

I recommend: Visit YouTube to watch a demonstration of an iPhone stylus pen.

Purchasing an iPhone is an investment that can benefit your business. The technology of this phone makes it easy to check competitor prices on the Internet, order parts you need for your business or keep in contact with your clients and vendors.

When you decide to purchase an iPhone, you have to consider both the immediate costs and long term costs of owning this phone. Use the following suggestions to help you determine your iPhone pricing and costs.

1. Consider the cost of purchasing the iPhone.

2. Factor in the cost of adding accessories and applications to your iPhone.

3. Prepare your budget for the cost of replacing parts on your iPhone.

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Price the iPhone units

The Apple iPhone offers touch screen smart phone technology. This is useful in business because there are a variety of options and services that can help you stay in contact with your clients. Email, instant messaging, text messaging, voice services and Internet services are some of the features of this phone.

I recommend: Cellular-Blowout is an iPhone supplier that has the Apple iPhone for sale for under $600. This company offers service plans that add from $50 to $80 to your total, depending on the plan chosen. Great iPod Exchange is an iPhone vendor that offers used iPhones for sale. These are priced under $400 for good condition phones. You can find display model iPhones priced at under $600 from AV Instruments. These iPhones may have some minor cosmetic defects from customers handling the phone, but they have never been used.

Add in the cost of iPhone accessories

Accessories for the iPhone add function and ease of use to your iPhone. Speakers enable you to use the iPhone for an impromptu conference call. Headsets make it easy to use your iPhone while driving. Applications add more programs to your iPhone. Some of these are specifically designed for business, such as a B2B iPhone directory.

I recommend: You can find a varied iPhone list of accessories at eForCity.com. Speaker kits start at under $20, while cases start at under $10. The Apple Store, which is the store of the iPhone manufacturer, offers various accessories and applications for the Apple i Phone. Some apps are free; others cost around $3 to $5. Some specialty apps may be higher. Speakers start at around $50 and headsets start around $30.

Factor in the cost of iPhone replacement parts

Your iPhone may need replacement parts, even with only normal usage. The most common replacement parts are antennas, batteries and touch screens. While antennas and batteries are relatively inexpensive, touch screens are more costly.

I recommend: We Love Macs! is an Apple iPhone products vendor that offers a varied selection of iPhone replacement parts. A replacement antenna or camera lens from this company costs around $30, while an LCD screen is over $150. Kokopelli Music sells iPhone replacement parts. You can expect to pay around $20 for a replacement battery or $25 for a main board frame. This company offers wholesale pricing to iPhone vendors if you call the company.

Since the inception of the iPhone, it's taken the telecommunications industry by storm and right along with the growing sales, iPhone education and training became a necessity. The training and education for an iPhone can be for using the phone, the hardware or the software. The use of the phone requires some technical skill but the training opportunities are somewhat limited in this area. However, the hardware and especially the software development have become an industry unto themselves.

With the software application development for the iPhone open to anyone with the requisite programming skills, there's now a mad rush to create the next great application for the iPhone. In addition, with the rapid sales growth, the iPhone educational and training opportunities are just now catching up with demand. Whether it's through Apple or a third party trainer, there are many iPhone educational opportunities available, you just need to know where to find them. Before you start the research there are few items to consider:

1. Review iPhone education and training through Apple or third party trainers.

2. Check college and universities for iPhone training classes.

3. Hire an iPhone training consultant to educate you or your company.

Action Steps
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Examine the Apple and third party training solutions for iPhone education assistance

The Apple website has some excellent training information available at their development center. You can use these tools to begin your iPhone development and training. There are also third party training companies that offer the various levels of training and education for the iPhone.

I recommend: Use the iPhone Development Center utilities to begin training for the different aspects of the iPhone. Unbounded Solutions is a third party training education solution for the iPhone.

Enroll in college courses offering iPhone training classes

Many colleges throughout the United States are beginning to offer iPhone training for download and for university students. Many of the courses require enrollment in the university but some are available for free or over the Internet.

I recommend: The University of Chicago is offering iPhone training to its students. Stanford University offers an iPhone training course available for download at the iTunes store.

Employ an iPhone training consultant to design and conduct a class

Developing an iPhone training course or attending a class may not be feasible for your company. Therefore hiring a consultant may be your best option.

I recommend: E-String Technologies offers customizable iPhone educational courses. Review the Training Brain iPhone training and education resources.