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Is it becoming less of a status symbol to own an iPhone?

R

Raggsokk

macrumors member
Original poster
Sep 19, 2012
78
0
It used to be cool, owning an iPhone. You were a techno freak, up to date on the newest in mobile technology. You were cool, trendy, and proud!

However, at a christmas party the other day, I sat around a table with some friends, all boys. We were taking photos, and they all pulled out their android phones. And there I sat with my white iPhone.. Further down the table there were two girls. They both had white iPhones, one with a "diamond" back cover on it.

For the first time I was somewhat embarrased of owning an iPhone. I tried a friends Samsung phone, and quickly realized that this was advanced stuff. Had I gotten so used to my user friendly iPhone, that I'd lost the ability to quickly understand new technology, as I did before?

Today at the university, it seams like the "cool" boys use android phones. The ones who loves new tech, and knows what they want. While the iPhone is reserved for the technological impaired.

Point is, has the sociological aspect of owning an iPhone changed that much the last years?



This is copied from a Norwegian forum, with the original title "Is iPhone becoming a girls phone?" (didn't want to get too flamed..)

EDIT:
To clarify: I was not the author of the original post.


This post was not to discuss whether or not forum users care about the status of their iPhone. But how a change in this will affect the iPhone/iPhone sales, or other topics.

The iPhone today is in many ways a safe phone. For people who know nothing it's cool, it works and the world of (iPhone-prized) android devices can be quite intimidating for many.

But what would happen if the iPhone lost it's "coolness"?
 
Last edited:
If you buy an iPhone, or any smartphone as a status symbol, there is something wrong. People who do that are, in my book, an idiot.
 
wxman2003 said:
If you buy an iPhone as a status symbol, there is something wrong.
Click to expand...

I agree, but that's what _a_lot_ of people do today. And also with previous iPhones, but back then it was a different group of people who did so, and for different reasons. Which is what I find interesting.
 
He tried a Samsung and he quickly realized this was advanced stuff?
dude if you want an excuse to get a 5-inch phone you don't need one okay?
most tech dudes i know go with android because they can pirate games and apps.
 
depends where you are. where I live majority are iphone owners including family. everyone I text and know has imessage
 
Smartphones are pretty much the standard now. You used to buy one only if you needed to be able to email, etc. on the go, but it's pretty much the definition of the cell phone now.
 
If you live in or frequent any major city, you see smartphones constantly. If someone reaches for their phone, it's actually uncommon to see anything else.
 
why buy a certain smart phone because its a status symbol. People should buy the phone that fits their needs. After using android for almost 2 years and will be switching back to the iPhone I can now see that its not as cut and dry saying get one phone or another people should purchase the phone that works for their needs as a phone.
 
You can buy a new iPhone 5 at Walmart with 0% financing. WALMART! WITH 0% FINANCING. That is an immediate red flag that tells you the iPhone is the opposite of status symbol. The iPhone ceased to be cutting edge back with the iPhone 4 and instead is now like a Dodge Caravan, common and nothing special if you have one.
 
Yeah, they are getting pretty common now. I wouldn’t call it embarrasing to own one, but it’s now just the symbol of a decent phone, rather than the holy grail it was 2 or 3 years ago.
 
Perhaps it was when it first came out and a year or two after when having ANY smartphone was still a novelty, but I don't really think the iPhone ever was that much of a status symbol. It's been the same
Price as other flagship phones for ages. That being said, I see everyone and their mother (literally) with an iPhone. Although recently, that number has been dropping where I live. With this recent update cycle, I'm seeing more and more android phones. Particularly the galaxy s3 and some of HTCs recent offerings. I think the apple hype is dying down slightly. Not a bad thing, just something I noticed.
 
12dylan34 said:
Smartphones are pretty much the standard now. You used to buy one only if you needed to be able to email, etc. on the go, but it's pretty much the definition of the cell phone now.
Click to expand...

Yeah. I'm waiting for the day we stop calling smartphones smartphones and just start calling them phones...
 
In my eyes, I bought my first iPhone to check my email and merge the iPod and Phone into one. I found it brilliant.

My mates on the other hand bought them to show off to the high school girls. Made them look like fools.

I have never found it to be a status symbol, but just a very useful part of day by day life.
 
In manhattan where i live 'm only slightly exaggerating when I say that EVERYONE had an iPhone. AND an ipad. AND a MacBook.

iPhones really became common with the 4 here.
 
I guess I really didnt know that it means that much to people. I really enjoy my Apple products but I dont think they make me better than anyone, just smarter than most. lol.
 
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