Joseph Camp English 1103 Caruso 10 October 2012 iPhone as a Status Symbol Millions of individuals around the world

wait in anticipation for the newest smartphone -the iPhone 5. It is the thinnest smartphone to date and comes with 4G network connectivity. Compared to its predecessor, the iPhone 4S, it is lighter, boasts a longer battery life, and is packed with more than 200 new features, such as its new Maps application (Cherubim). Knowing all of these things, someone might be persuaded to buy such a device. However, an interesting issue arises when the question is asked, "Why do people buy iPhones?". More often than not, the answer does not include any of these technical specifications or even anything related to the device itself. Rather, the overwhelming majority of iPhone users bought their devices because they feel that others will see it as a "cool" phone to have and that is the only phone that anyone should ever own. All of this is done with disregard to anything about the phone itself other than the logo on the back.This pretentious attitude stems from the seemingly well-accepted notion that Apple devices, especially the iPhone, are the brand of electronics to own. The idea is that simply by owning one of these phones, others will think more highly of you. It can be said that iPhones, and in extension anything branded by the Apple logo have somehow become a status symbol, much like how owning a Rolex watch or a luxury car puts off an air of superiority. Owning an iPhone places you into an elite group of people that are, in a way, better than others. Unlike Rolex watches, iPhones are affordable to the general public, so buying one is an easy way to get into one of these popular groups. In comparison, those who

choose not buy an iPhone are seen as being in the wrong since they have, in the eyes of Apple enthusiasts, made a poor consumer choice. (Stephanie) There has been quite a bit of negative feedback from the Android and Blackberry user base in which a few arguments have been made against buying iPhones. An audience of five hundred Android users on a Google+ forum discussed their opinions about the iPhone and came up with several generally agreed upon statements. The data collected from this poll showed an overwhelming agreement in the community outside of the Apple clique that the iPhone has indeed become a status symbol. They also agreed that the iPhone, when viewed in performanceper-dollar, is extremely overpriced. The iPhone 5 without a contract can run from 750-1200 dollars depending on how much data storage the user wants. This hefty price is actually a surefire way to make the product more appealing and to sell more units. The consumers see one phone that is cheaper, and then the iPhone which is more expensive. This price difference automatically makes them assume that the iPhone is better. In many cases, this would be an accurate assumption, but it gets tricky when companies try to manipulate these assumptions to their own advantage and succeed because it ends up putting people into situations where they are essentially buying a phone for the shiny silver apple on the back. This is due in part to Apple's genius marketing schemes which they have been using even before the iPhone came into creation. The iPhone's assumed superiority is marketing-driven perception. (Elgan) Steve Jobs, Apples former CEO, was a charismatic inventor, businessman, and spokesperson. During the annual Worldwide Developers Conferences hosted by Apple, Jobs was able to intrigue everyone with all of the new technology and features that he was able to offer and were amazed at how he was able to come up with new and innovative things every year. During this time, Apple was running a fierce marketing campaign that promoted

thoughtless purchasing of their products with slogans like Get a Mac. and It Just Works and by surreptitiously adding elements to their commercial to promote the idea that Apple products are better than others without actually having anything to show for it, such as spreading the false rumor that Macintosh computers cannot get viruses. Several companies have already caught onto this campaign and have responded through their own marketing programs. Samsung went so far as to call these people out in a recent commercial for their latest smartphone, the Galaxy SIII. The commercial pictured an endless line of people outside an Apple store waiting to buy the iPhone 5. Theyre complaining about certain features of the phone, such as the new adapter that they have to buy, but then negate their complaints by saying that its a cool adapter. A man comes up to someone in the line and pulls out his new Galaxy SIII, saying that he didn't have to wait in line for his phone and proceeds to show the man all of the cool features that the phone has to offer. A friend of the Android user comes up to him and shows off the Galaxy SIIIs NearField Communication (NFC) capability that allows two NFC-compatible devices to send data to each other by touching them together. The iPhone 5 still doesnt support this type of communication. The people in line try to argue that they are getting all these new features, such as a larger screen and 4G service, to which the man replies saying that the GSIII has a much larger screen (4.8in. compared to the iPhones 4), many Android devices have had 4G for a while, and that the Galaxy SIII has advanced instant video and file sharing, another feature that the Apple developers have neglected to include. Another person with a GSIII said that he was holding someones spot in line, who we later find out are his elderly grandparents implying that the iPhone 5 is supposed to be used by old people . Overall, it was a vicious telling-off on Samsungs part, but the Galaxy SIII came out in May of 2012 and boasts better specifications

than the iPhone 5 across the board, so they have every right to joke about the iPhone 5 and those who mindlessly buy them. Does this mean that the iPhone is a bad device and that people should avoid buying them? The answer is simply no. The issue isn't with the device, but with the public's view of the device as a status symbol. They are functional, and they function well. They are appealing to many because of their ease of use with limited accessibility. Almost anyone can be shown how to use an iPhone in a matter of minutes regardless of prior smartphone experience, but the truth is that for more technologically competent individuals, there are other, most of the time cheaper devices that will perform all the tasks of an iPhone and more. It is not an inherently bad to own one, in fact they are decent, solid phones that come stock with a great warranty and lots of customer support. That being said, what cannot be stressed enough is the importance of the responsibility of the consumer to know why they are buying not just this phone, but any product (Stephanie). It is crucial to disregard claims that something is better than something else simply because of the logo on the back of the device.

Works Cited

Aune, Sean P. "Apple Is Now A Status Symbol." TechnoBuffalo. n.p., 7 Apr. 2010. Web. 19 Sept. 2012.

Summary: Aune recognizes that there are products that are bought just for the brand name. He says that there are both products that perform better for around the same amount as well as knock-offs of the popular branded product, and looks into the reasons why Apple consumers buy the products that they do. His main focuses are on Apples decision to price their products so high, and Apple consumers reasoning behind their decision to buy said goods. Aune says that while many cannot afford Apples elevated prices, there are a large number of people that can, and that for some unknown reason, they will look past any flaws in the product just to have a genuine Apple device.

Quotes: Apple products are not always sold for what they are any more, but more for what they represent. (Aune) As much as people complain about the iPhone, someone is still buying the thing. (Aune) The same can be said for a lot of car models, such as the Escalade SUV. There are a ton of SUVs on the road that look exactly like it, but yet people choose to buy that car for its name and the status it projects to others. (Aune)

Reflection: Aune gives a unique insight into the recent consumerist trend of buying Apple devices. He is very biased against Apple, but asks some interesting questions about our society such as wondering whether the question he should be asking is: What do people see in this product that makes it more appealing to them? or Why are people buying products for a logo, not for the quality of the product?. He also proposes that Apples marketing strategy is too harsh - that the prices of their products do not justify the item that the consumer is buying, which leads him to believe that he is indeed correct about Apple being a social status symbol.

Cherubim, Victor The iPhone 5 - a status symbol Sri Lanka Guardian. Sri Lanka Guardian., 18 Sept. 2012. Web. 27 Sept. 2012.

Summary: This author is excited for the release of the iPhone 5, and gives information showing that many people in the United Kingdom share this excitement. He gives consumer statistics showing that over of those that bought the previous version of the iPhone will already be buying the iPhone 5. He goes in depth into the device specifications and latest features of this iPhones. His main issue is with the pricing of the device and predicts that each version will get more and more expensive. He declares it a status symbol, but doesnt seem to think that name has any sort of negative connotation and expresses his happiness that he owns one before the general public gets access to them.

Quotes: It does not mean, it cannot be a good device as well. (Cherubim)

it signifies a trend in replacing older models at regular intervals with more expensive but better models (Cherubim)

Reflection: Cherubim gives very little insight into his opinion on the subject. Rather, he focuses on providing facts about the product, the iPhone 5. He does bring what he believes to be the publics consensus on the release of the newest Apple product. He agrees that it is a status symbol, but accepts the fact and shamelessly admits that he is actually a part of that group of consumers. Great source for those interested in specific information about the latest iteration of the iPhone.

Elgan, Mike What Android fans think of iPhone users ComputerWorld. ComputerWorld. 5 Nov. 2011. Web. 27 Sept. 2012.

Summary: Mike Elgan runs a blog for Computer World. He noticed quite a bit of negative feedback after blogging about Apple products and saw that much of this feedback was being given by Android users. He became interested in the schism between Apple consumers and Android users, so he raised the question: Why do people buy iPhones? To answer this, he opened a forum on Google+ to discuss this. To his surprise, it quickly filled up Google+s 500 allocated replies.. From this impromptu poll, Elgan took the popular opinions of these 500 Android users and listed them in his article.

Quotes: The iPhone's assumed superiority is marketing-driven perception. (Elgan)

I think iPhone users are more likely to want a phone that is a complete, polished and finished single thing. Android users want a device that is brimming with potential. (Elgan) The iPhone is a smart phone for dumb users. (Elgan)

Reflection: This is the most important and crucial source that I have found, not only because of the large audience polled, but also because of the overwhelming consensus that iPhones: 1. Have become a status symbol. 2. Have suckered in buyers due to skillful marketing. 3. Attract people that do not like technology or are not good with technology since: They are extremely simple to learn how to use. They are limited in their ability to be customized. 4. Have a very limited amount of consumer choices since all products and peripherals for their products are made by Apple.

Elgan agrees that a majority of iPhone buyers are affected by one or more of those motivations. He does a great job of looking from both perspectives and examining the situation. His response to this is to conclude that while many people are mindlessly drawn into buying an iPhone because of marketing, its ease of use, or simply because of the brand name, it can be agreed upon that both iPhones and many Android operating devices are solid products and that either is fine to use.

Jones, Dylan. Ipod, Therefore I Am: Thinking Inside the White Box. New York, NY: Bloomsbury, 2005. Print.

Summary: Jones explores the fanaticism created by the invention of Apples portable music players, or iPods, within the last decade. He acknowledges that almost everyone has an interest or an obsession with some kind of music and that because of this wide target audience, Apple was able to succeed in marketing to the masses and creating a huge fanbase that lives on to this day and shows no sign of ever stopping. Jones talks about Apple CEO Steve Jobs (source is outdated. Post-death, Jobs was succeeded by Tim Cook) and how he was able to become Bill Gates main competitor.

Quotes: In our youth, we use music as a fashion accessory. (Jones 1) Then suddenly a souped-up Altoid's case arrives that allows us to fall in love with music all over again, and with the same vigor as in our teenage years. (Jones 8)

Reflection: Jones has been a music enthusiast for upwards of 30 years. This is evident in his work and is the driving point behind his love for the music revolution brought upon by the invention of the iPod. While he provides much detail into the history of Apple, Jones loves to talk about his personal experiences, most of which do not provide any kind of usable information, as well as about Steve Jobs rise to fame in the consumer electronics industry, which doesnt concern what I am researching.

Traintheteachernz (Stephanie) Apple versus PC debate: when does a learning tool become a status symbol? traintheteacher. n.p., 7 Nov. 2011. Web. 23 Sept. 2012

Summary: This author makes it clear that she doesnt have a problem with Apple devices. When she started building her own computers, she figured out that realize that she could build a PC that both performed better and costed less than a Mac. She enjoyed having the extra money left over from her purchase and wanted other Apple consumers to consider this option. There are practical uses for Apple computers, especially with the professional graphic design and video editing scene due to Apple-exclusive software, but many schools are choosing to buy iPads for students when netbooks are more feasible. She raises the question why products by this company have become status symbols. She answers saying that since the middle class cant afford things such as Rolex watches to increase their social status, they instead use their consumer choices to make themselves seem better than others. Think before buying.

Quotes: Consuming isnt the problem, mindless consumption is. (Stephanie) Apple uses its popularity with the creative industry to fool the rest of us into thinking we can be hip through consuming their product and gets the user to do its advertising. (Stephanie) Having a dissenting opinion on food, books or clothes, or computing device is the way middle class people fight each other for status. We cant out-consume each other because

we cant afford to, but we can and do compete with each other about making the right consumer choice. (Stephanie)

Reflection: Personally, I couldnt agree more with this particular source. She hits nail on head when explaining why this brand is so appealing to the middle-class. This is important because it was one of the main questions that were raised during planning of this paper as well as during my first conference. She agrees that while Apple makes good products, there are devices out there that are better suited to many situations. In her case, she is talking about electronics in education, her field of work. Instead of buying blindly, take a bit of time to research the product and think about what you are actually going to be using it for.

Synthesis Cherubim identifies the iPhone as a status symbol and gives important information about the latest iteration of the iPhone 5 as well as the public's general opinions on its release. Elgan is an Apple-oriented consumer and blogger that wondered why Android users showed an obvious dislike for many that choose to buy the iPhone. He took a poll of 500 individuals and collected the results. The conclusion -- Apple devices are status symbols. They are appealing to many because of their ease of use with limited accessibility as well as Apple's great marketing schemes. Aune and Stephanie are under the impression that people are buying Apple products for the logo that is on the device as opposed to buying it for specific features of the device that make it applicable to daily use in their lives. While they don't discourage the purchase of the iPhone, they encourage others to make smarter consumer choices. Jones writes about Apple's history as well as the early life of Steve Jobs and doesn't contribute much to the discussion.

I would add in the new finger controls too. Apple doesnt create new technologies and software, just new, cool interesting ways to appeal to the public. Maybe add monetary value. When someone sees that the iPhone is more expensive, they automatically think its a better phone. Look up studies showing buying correlations related to pricing of products. All over, this is a good paper. There are a few grammar mistakes here and there but overall content is great. I would add how Apple is trying to monopolize this market with their phone, tablet, and laptop. Try to look up more facts and statistics about those who buy Apple products. -A

WORK ON REDUCING LONG SENTENCES -- RESEARCH/ADD MORE STUDIES

--Amanda helped a ton and offered insightful feedback and helpful criticism, while the other just corrected grammar mistakes, many of which that were not incorrect and didnt really review anything. The feedback that I received was definitely enough and helped show me where I need to go to reach a completed paper.