Sent From My iPhone

January 6th, 2010 | by LaSean Smith

I’ve received a number of emails recently from people on their smartphones. Many have signatures that say things like ‘Sent from my iPhone’ or whatever phone they’re using. That’s fine if you think it’s cool to let everyone know you have an iPhone. I get that. Frankly that’s why many people buy Apple products. Individuals tout ease of use and beautiful industrial design as key reasons for buying an iPhone or MacBook Pro. Valid traits, but many aren’t fessing up to their additional desire to tote a status symbol. Apple delivers on that status in exchange for a premium price. The combined value from the UX, industrial design and status (regardless of each customer’s personal mix on the three) is what Apple customers are happy to pay for.

But this post isn’t about status. It’s about promotion and opportunity cost. When you send out an email that says ‘Sent from my iPhone’ you are proclaiming your status. That’s fine. But there’s an opportunity cost. What else could your email signature say? What do you care more about that might be worth attaching to every email you send from your phone? Each email is opportunity to plug your personal brand, your product/company/blog, a nonprofit organization you believe in – lots of things. That signature is valuable real estate, and you should use it wisely. Plus, it takes less than two minutes to change the email signature on your phone. If you have something more important to say in that space – say it. Especially if the phone maker is only paying you in status.

Bottom Line: Don’t wear the t-shirt for free.