Apple Passbook: Hit or Miss?

It's hard to say whether Passbook will become something that consumers will love. Apple has been very successful in consumer reception in terms of iPods, Macs, iPhones, and software available on these devices. There wasn't and still isn't that much buzz around Apple's Newsstand, so how will Passbook fare in the public eye?

Passbook iOS6 is an app that serves as a mobile wallet minus the ability to exchange money. It stores all tickets, coupons, cards, and passes into one clean user interface on the iPhone and iPod Touch. The greatest feature is time and location settings, so the relevant pass will appear on a users' lock screen based on their GPS location (also known as geofencing). Passbook helps consumers stay organized and provides easy accessibility to passes.

For example, if you walk into a Starbucks outlet, your Starbucks retail card will automatically appear on the lock screen of your device. Simply swipe to unlock, and after placing your order, the barcode is scanned directly from your device and your balance is deducted. You'll even see the updated balance in real time.

Unlike Google Wallet or Microsoft Wallet, Passbook doesn't use NFC technology. Rather, it has adopted the use of 2D barcodes, for example QR codes to store information. This barcode is as sophisticated as NFC, can be generated easily, and readable by simple downloadable applications as well as 2D scanners. Because of the lack of NFC technology, money transfers or payments isn't possible yet with Passbook. However, it is very likely that Apple will integrate this into their devices in the near future.

In terms of features, Passbook's push notification system is of high caliber. A flight time delay can be easily translated into text and pushed to those who are affected. A business could send push notifications to those within 200 meters of his outlet detailing discounts on certain products. The ability for businesses to connect with consumers and have them stay informed of the latest updates is a powerful marketing tool.

The only concern is whether Passbook would be widely used by consumers on a day to day basis. There will definitely be buzz when Passbook is first released in the fall, but will this stay or is it simply something temporary? Passengers notified of gate changes would be pleased with this technology, but what about those who receive promotional discounts every time they walk past a store? The interaction between merchants and consumers definitely gets the message out, but pushing messages too much could turn out to be more harmful. Thankfully, Apple's Passbook provides the ability for users to switch on and off push notifications, so they can choose to filter out the unimportant messages and stay updated with those that are important.

My wallet is as thick as a college textbook (and no not on stored on Kindle): it's filled with expired coupons and passes that I don't even remember I had. Passbook helps users organize their cards and store it in a user-friendly app on their devices. From a consumer's perspective, the features of Passbook are cutting edge and will definitely make life a lot easier. But whether or not everyone thinks this way is a different question, and only when Passbook is released will we see just how consumers deal with it.

Paul Tomes invites you to experience Passbook for yourself. You can create Passbook Passes for free and see how they look on the screen, even before you have iOS6 or download a sample pass directly onto your iOS6 iPhone. Using the PassKit API you can create, design, distribute and manage your very own Passbook Pass.

To access the PassKit API for free simply visit http://PassK.it and download the free Starbucks sample pass today.



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