Due to the successful uptake of the iPad and iPhone versions of iMaverick, the iMaverick team has unveiled an Android version of the publication.
Research carried out in the US by digital trends publisher eMarketer, estimates that smartphone usage by Americans grew 25% year on year and will by 2016, represent 60% of the entire US market. Whilst lagging behind in overall numbers,South Africa is set to follow this growth trend closely.
This new kind of consumer is referred to as the ‘Smartphone Class’. In its report The Smartphone Class: Connected Consumers Transform US Commerce and Culture, eMarketer has found that for these consumers their phones have become their workplaces. They watch videos, shop and use email and social media wherever they are, proving that spare moments can also be productive moments – transforming communication and media consumption in the process.
The ‘Smartphone Class’ already in exists in South Africa, with consumers taking to their smart mobile devices as they embrace the convenience to shop, play and read.
Extending iMaverick’s offering
Styli Charalambous, CEO of Daily Maverick & iMaverick, says, “With Android a major player in the smartphones and tablet market in South Africa, it was a logical step for us to roll out onto this platform.
“Coupling the popularity of Android operating system and the large screen areas on many of these phones, it made sense for iMaverick to be able to publish to these devices. Our intention is to make iMaverick as accessible and pleasurable to read on as many devices as economically possible.
“The Snapplify team has been great in making this move possible by releasing updates to V1.0 that only catered for iPad and now includes any iOS device and Android devices.”
iMaverick’s rollout into the Android market is a smart business move as the global ‘Smartphone Class’ is set to grow. According to the eMarketer report, this kind of consumer behaviour can be as lucrative for brands as it is gratifying for the consumer – the two minutes of video in the grocery store, or the ten minutes of news in the waiting room, offer gold-standard opportunities for brands to get their message across.