And there'll always be a Bugatti owner who'll look at you with disdain and say "So common..."
The iPhone MAY have been a status symbol once upon a time, but it certainly hasn't been for a long time (relatively speaking).
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Is it becoming less of a status symbol to own an iPhone?
- Thread starter Raggsokk
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The iPhone MAY have been a status symbol once upon a time, but it certainly hasn't been for a long time (relatively speaking).
I think there are probably people who get an iPhone or any smartphone for the privilege of having a status symbol. Those people may not even understand all of the features of their smartphones. I have tried android to see what all the fuss is about but it comes down to preference of features. Everybody and their mothers can have the same iPhone as me or I can be the only one with it, but I will always enjoy how my iPhone just works and fits in with all of my other apple products. 
LMAO
Chances are you will see a lot more iphones around than Bugattis or Ferraris
I buy new cutlery every year to keep up with the cool trends. I don't want to fork or spoon incorrectly.
There's this strange notion that, if something is easy to use and accessible to a broad range of age groups, then it automatically becomes 'uncool'
Buying a phone as a status symbol is almost as stupid as saying guys should only purchase black phones.
The thing is, the Apple endgame was always about the generations who had the cash. People who don't have time for the hassle, who want little fuss and want something elegant that got things done.
The fact kids and teens went mad for them was just the icing on the cake.
All pointers to this are pretty clear.
The skeuomorphism factor being the biggest one.
The fact kids and teens went mad for them was just the icing on the cake.
All pointers to this are pretty clear.
The skeuomorphism factor being the biggest one.
Whilst I don't agree with the idea of iPhones as status symbols I do see what the OP is getting at. They would always get people's attention whether you wanted it or not!
Speaking as an relativly early adopter of iPhones (a 3G) i can safely say my family, friends & colleagues spent more time interacting with my phone rather than me for the first year of ownership (which was annoying as hell). This didnt really start to calm down until the iPhone 4.
At that point (2008-09) you couldn't pick up an older model cheaply & there was little real competition on the market at that time. Most people still had very dumb phones & people would always comment to me how it was "the future etc etc" whilst flicking open my virtual zippo lighter app
Back then none of my friends had one, the only people I know who did were a couple of top brass in my department (An IT department of about 300 staff). In the "post iPhone 4" world things could not be more different; the majority of my family & friends have an iPhone 4, as do my colleagues. Some now have a 5 and I occasionally see some random Android or a dusty Blackberry
Speaking as an relativly early adopter of iPhones (a 3G) i can safely say my family, friends & colleagues spent more time interacting with my phone rather than me for the first year of ownership (which was annoying as hell). This didnt really start to calm down until the iPhone 4.
At that point (2008-09) you couldn't pick up an older model cheaply & there was little real competition on the market at that time. Most people still had very dumb phones & people would always comment to me how it was "the future etc etc" whilst flicking open my virtual zippo lighter app
Back then none of my friends had one, the only people I know who did were a couple of top brass in my department (An IT department of about 300 staff). In the "post iPhone 4" world things could not be more different; the majority of my family & friends have an iPhone 4, as do my colleagues. Some now have a 5 and I occasionally see some random Android or a dusty Blackberry
Rather than status symbol, think of iPhone as SNATCH objects. Seen videos of iPhone-Jacking? I dunno if thieves take your Androids as readily as an easily recognizable iPhone.
Food for thoughts: According to the news, Facebook flown upon newly riched employees driving up in a brand new Ferrari, but a $10,000 carbon fiber ultra-light racing bike cycle is OK.
Food for thoughts: According to the news, Facebook flown upon newly riched employees driving up in a brand new Ferrari, but a $10,000 carbon fiber ultra-light racing bike cycle is OK.
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Thieves only care about them because they can be moved quickly for a lot of cash. With Android, some of the desirable models might be equivalent targets. Also if they bicycle to work, that is just awesome.
Why's the OP getting so much crap? They didn't say *they* bought the phone as a stauts symbol... just asking if it's becoming a non-status symbol.
FACT: When the iPhone first came out, it was seen as somewhat of a stauts symbol. There was NOTHING else like it at the time and you immediately knew that someone who had one a) had some money to spend and/or b) was really into and up on technology. Heck, pagers were quite the status symbol when they first came out too... (except you were either a Dr., a "business man", or a drug dealer lol).
Then, for everyone to pretend that they're "...far removed and above purchasing or caring about things viewed as a status symbol" is ridiculous too. Act like you've never seen a really fancy car and said to yourself "Man I wish I had one of those!" Status symbol. Even if you don't own it yourself, you're still buying into the "status symbol" of it. If status symbols weren't popular amongst the majority of people, "rich and famous for being rich and famous" people like the Hiltons or Kardashians would not exist. The fact is, a lot of people buy into and care about some things that are status symbols... or buy products/items because of what it says about them. How many Ferrari/Porsche/BMW owners actually go out and race their sportscars? Status symbols. How many Jeeps do you see that have never seen a dirt road? It's a projection/status thing.
So on to the real question at hand: "Are iPhones becoming less of a status symbol?"
Yes. As stated above, when they came out, they were one-of-a-kind sorta thing. Now, there are way more choices and equally/better performing products that have taken away from the exclusivity of owning an iPhone.
Call it projecting (my rationale on others) if you want but when I see people with an iPhone I think "they must just want a phone that works" cause that's why I got one. Started with Android and it was junk (at the time) so I switched. Some people though... you can tell they really ARE trying to make it a status thing... you'll be able to spot them from far away with their bling cases and habit of always pulling out their phone even when they have no need to. They'll usually have some other clues that show you they want you to know they are XYZ (shoes, clothes, appearance items, etc)... but who cares? Let them think they're something special for being one of 30,000,000.... Doesn't impact me in any way.
But the answer to the direct question is YES. Just like pagers and Blackberries, the iPhone's days of saying something special about you are over.
FACT: When the iPhone first came out, it was seen as somewhat of a stauts symbol. There was NOTHING else like it at the time and you immediately knew that someone who had one a) had some money to spend and/or b) was really into and up on technology. Heck, pagers were quite the status symbol when they first came out too... (except you were either a Dr., a "business man", or a drug dealer lol).
Then, for everyone to pretend that they're "...far removed and above purchasing or caring about things viewed as a status symbol" is ridiculous too. Act like you've never seen a really fancy car and said to yourself "Man I wish I had one of those!" Status symbol. Even if you don't own it yourself, you're still buying into the "status symbol" of it. If status symbols weren't popular amongst the majority of people, "rich and famous for being rich and famous" people like the Hiltons or Kardashians would not exist. The fact is, a lot of people buy into and care about some things that are status symbols... or buy products/items because of what it says about them. How many Ferrari/Porsche/BMW owners actually go out and race their sportscars? Status symbols. How many Jeeps do you see that have never seen a dirt road? It's a projection/status thing.
So on to the real question at hand: "Are iPhones becoming less of a status symbol?"
Yes. As stated above, when they came out, they were one-of-a-kind sorta thing. Now, there are way more choices and equally/better performing products that have taken away from the exclusivity of owning an iPhone.
Call it projecting (my rationale on others) if you want but when I see people with an iPhone I think "they must just want a phone that works" cause that's why I got one. Started with Android and it was junk (at the time) so I switched. Some people though... you can tell they really ARE trying to make it a status thing... you'll be able to spot them from far away with their bling cases and habit of always pulling out their phone even when they have no need to. They'll usually have some other clues that show you they want you to know they are XYZ (shoes, clothes, appearance items, etc)... but who cares? Let them think they're something special for being one of 30,000,000.... Doesn't impact me in any way.
But the answer to the direct question is YES. Just like pagers and Blackberries, the iPhone's days of saying something special about you are over.
Yes he is. He states the iPhone used to be a status symbol, then goes on to saying he was ashamed for having one. When asking about when this change took place, he's saying that he bought an iPhone when it was a status symbol, and because he is now ashamed of it it means he bought it because it was a status symbol.
OP here. I guess I should clarify this; The post was copied and translated from a Norwegian forum. I however, was not the author.
OK -- so in a roundabout way he/she is saying that.
BUT it's unfortunate because it takes away from the actual question or point being made: "Is the iPhone losing it's status-symbol appeal?" I think that's way more interesting to discuss than "OMG Who buys a phone as a stauts symbol? I mean, like, wow, people are so shallow"
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Good.
So there we go. Let's stop focusing on "Who buys stuff for a status symbol? OMG LOL WTF?!?!" and discuss "Is the iPhone still seen as a status symbol and if so, why (if not, why not)?"
You know what? Scratch all that--everyone can have one. Now think of the people that own one AND DON'T KNOW HOW TO USE IT other than making calls and the occasional text. THAT'S a quick way to differentiate those who jumped on the status symbol bandwagon.
I'm glad to see some actual discussion here.
Just to put some ideas out; could it be that some of the success of the iPhone today is to be credited to the "status" associated with the original iPhone(s)?
I see that a lot of you believe it to be unthinkable that someone would buy a smartphone just to show that they got money to spend. Fact is, and believe this to be true, people actually do this. Although I live in Norway, I notice that kids (12-14) somewhat promotes themselves through an iPhone, and the same thing happens in urban environments. I'm sure this happens in other countries swell (also in the US), and this is also one of the reasons why the iPhone is so prone to theft.
I actually believe that a significant percentage of iPhone sales is because of the status associated with owning one. Question is, has this percentage changed the last years?
Just to put some ideas out; could it be that some of the success of the iPhone today is to be credited to the "status" associated with the original iPhone(s)?
I see that a lot of you believe it to be unthinkable that someone would buy a smartphone just to show that they got money to spend. Fact is, and believe this to be true, people actually do this. Although I live in Norway, I notice that kids (12-14) somewhat promotes themselves through an iPhone, and the same thing happens in urban environments. I'm sure this happens in other countries swell (also in the US), and this is also one of the reasons why the iPhone is so prone to theft.
I actually believe that a significant percentage of iPhone sales is because of the status associated with owning one. Question is, has this percentage changed the last years?
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I'm not big on status symbols, I choose my purchases (phones, cars, computers etc) along the lines of how well it fits my needs. If an android phone does a better job, then I'd get that. I like the iphone and all that it has to offer but it being cool is not one of my purchase requirements
If they aren't status symbols, why are iPhones still $1K and a Nokia low end dumb phone $40?
What self respecting member of one of the aspirational demographics would be seen with a $40 Nokia?
What self respecting member of one of the aspirational demographics would be seen with a $40 Nokia?
