By Liz Dominguez
If you're constantly running out of the office for showings or listing appointments, you need to have a reliable mobile device you can depend on. From managing your calendar to setting up clients on your database, your real estate world revolves around technology systems.
Apple recently announced its latest smartphone model, iPhone 8. It offers plenty of advanced capabilities, some of which are new to the iPhone world. Is it the right phone for you and your real estate business? Here's what you need to know:
1. If advanced tech is what you want, hold off until November. Apple isn't done just yet. The highly anticipated X model isn't being released until November. If facial recognition and a more fluid display is what you crave, then you'll have to wait. These features won't necessarily benefit your business, so if affordability and faster access appeal to you instead, go straight to the 8.
2. The new glass design isn't all it's cracked up to be. The iPhone 8 is touted as having the strongest glass back than any other mobile device. Fortunately for you, YouTuber PhoneBuff tested out this theory with a professional drop test and found it to be untrue. While the reinforced laser-welded steel foundation sounds impressive enough, a phone that cracks easily is not useful in the real estate industry. You're juggling keys, lockboxes and copies of listings—the last thing you want is a phone that cracks in a precarious situation. If you're not prone to dropping your phone, you won't have to worry about this vulnerability.
3. Sound is this iPhone's loudest feature. Apple boosted its sound presence with this model. Now 25 percent louder, the iPhone 8 uses two speakers to deliver a deeper bass. While this may not seem like a huge development, it will improve your sound quality while on speakerphone, or while you're playing music or watching videos. This will come in handy for business calls that require you to be hands-free (and when those headphones go missing, as usual). Video tours are also a better way to show properties to long-distance clients. They'll be impressed by how audible your videos are, and the sound quality won't detract from their house-viewing experience.
4. Wireless options might just slow you down. As with the last model, the iPhone 8 doesn't have an audio jack. While you can use the adapter or lightning port headphones, Apple is promoting its wireless headphones as the ideal accessory. Unfortunately, just as car keys tend to disappear, so do headphones. You won't want to rely on these when you're running out in a hurry and can't remember their last hiding place. Apple is also promoting wireless charging. and will be coming out with its own pad in the near future. For now, Qi sells one at the cost of slower charging speeds. Hopefully Apple's version will fix that problem.
5. These small changes add up. Not all new capabilities have to be huge leaps of innovation to be useful in your real estate career. The iPhone 8 features a new Oleophobic coating that lets you easily wipe off smudges and fingerprints. The last thing you want is a screen that slows you down. A smudge-proof phone will increase your productivity, which helps in building your business. In a few months, Apple will also be adding a secure payment method via Messages. This is a great way to collect credit check funds if you work with renters.
6. Keep an eye on the competition. An iPhone can certainly provide you with the necessary tools to succeed in your real estate business, but there's a good chance that competitive phone brands offer some of the same capabilities or even others that are just as useful. Faster Gigabit LTE wireless networks are being rolled out later this year, and rumor has it that iPhone devices won't support it. Make sure to compare products and choose the one that works best for your business needs.
