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Just received this message from a friend looking for a new phone and was surprised by the iPhone

Brad9753

Brad9753

macrumors member
Original poster
Jun 7, 2012
75
13
Brisol, UK
just received this via Facebook:
"I'm looking at buying a new phone. I knew iPhones were expensive, but not 7x the price of their rivals! That's an increase of like 700%! Insane. Are people £600 just to have a picture of an apple on the back of their phone?
I genuinely don't understand how they are so popular.
Sure, they are 'good', but not 7x the price good.
Although they are 'cool', they aren't impressive anymore, as everyone has them. No more cool than phones much cheaper than them. If anything, having an iPhone that expensive makes people think you are gullible to being financially raped.
I know lots of intelligent people have iPhones, so there must be reasoning behind it.
I don't think any of my iPhone owning friends have such low self-esteem they would be desperate enough to buy an iPhone to look 'normal'.
As you are a highly intelligent person, with a good self-esteem, and a rational mind, please help me overcome my ignorance".

My answer will cover:

Samsungs nearest rival is not 7x cheaper. And if a phone is 7x cheaper then it is not a near rival

The way the software and hardware are designed by the same company, making it more secure and smoother

No need for virus software

The way it syncs with my other apple things (he doesn't have anything else so this will not mean much)

Regular and free updates to the software

What would you guys cover off?
 
I don't know which phone you're referring to but there are several other phones that have about the same pricing as the iphone.

I chose to go with the iphone because I don't like Android. I've always found it less intuitive and I've always had to look for the things I wanted to do. Another thing is that there are not many other phones in Aluminum and that is something important to me :D
 
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Brad9753 said:
just received this via Facebook:
"I'm looking at buying a new phone. I knew iPhones were expensive, but not 7x the price of their rivals! That's an increase of like 700%! Insane. Are people £600 just to have a picture of an apple on the back of their phone?
I genuinely don't understand how they are so popular.
Sure, they are 'good', but not 7x the price good.
Although they are 'cool', they aren't impressive anymore, as everyone has them. No more cool than phones much cheaper than them. If anything, having an iPhone that expensive makes people think you are gullible to being financially raped.
I know lots of intelligent people have iPhones, so there must be reasoning behind it.
I don't think any of my iPhone owning friends have such low self-esteem they would be desperate enough to buy an iPhone to look 'normal'.
As you are a highly intelligent person, with a good self-esteem, and a rational mind, please help me overcome my ignorance".

My answer will cover:

Samsungs nearest rival is not 7x cheaper. And if a phone is 7x cheaper then it is not a near rival

The way the software and hardware are designed by the same company, making it more secure and smoother

No need for virus software

The way it syncs with my other apple things (he doesn't have anything else so this will not mean much)

Regular and free updates to the software

What would you guys cover off?
Click to expand...
I wouldn't worry too much about your reply back to him. I'm sorry to say but your friend is clearly ignorant and probably still won't understand once you explain it to him. He's got a lot to learn.
 
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Yea that's my point. I don't know what he is comparing against. He has never had a high end phone. I think he thinks most phones do the same sort of things nowadays. Games, Facebook app, calls ect. He has just come from a windows phone to give you an idea.
 
Brad9753 said:
Yea that's my point. I don't know what he is comparing against. He has never had a high end phone. I think he thinks most phones do the same sort of things nowadays. Games, Facebook app, calls ect. He has just come from a windows phone to give you an idea.
Click to expand...

"Please help overcome my ignorance"...?

I've found that smartphones are very much a personal preference thing. Some like to spend time customizing their phone. Some use only the most basic features and are happy with them. Some use it mostly to watch TV dramas during their daily commute.

Different features delight different users. Ultimately you should use whatever suits you, and respect the choices made by others. Is there really a point in convincing him? You can provide a million reasons, but I find his response pretty condescending and somewhat self-centered (his viewpoint = the only reasonable viewpoint for intelligent, rational people). It just sounds humble with that last line.

Frankly I would just respond with "Use whatever you like. That's all that matters isn't it?"
 
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It's like Ford vs. Chevrolet or Xbox vs. PlayStation.

You like what you like and Apple customers exhibit one of the greatest cultures of brand loyalty in the world.

Why waste your time trying to convince or convert people? Spend more time enjoying what you buy.
 
Your friend's focus seems to be primarily on the idea that people choose iPhone based on the "cool" factor. That might be true in some countries but not most. I choose iPhone because of great design combined with ease of use. Followed quickly by solid operating system and an overabundance of useful apps.
 
Maybe he's comparing on-contract prices of the "rival" vs. the full-price of iPhones?
 
I think a main reason to go iPhone outside of ecosystem advantages is the fact that you get updates. This can potentially be true if you go with a pure Google experience, but I hated that when I had an Android there were essentially no updates and if they happened I was always behind where Android actually was. I like tech and I like being at the front of it and I couldn't on my old Androids without rooting or exposing the system in ways that could be dangerous.
 
16Paws said:
I think a main reason to go iPhone outside of ecosystem advantages is the fact that you get updates. This can potentially be true if you go with a pure Google experience, but I hated that when I had an Android there were essentially no updates and if they happened I was always behind where Android actually was. I like tech and I like being at the front of it and I couldn't on my old Androids without rooting or exposing the system in ways that could be dangerous.
Click to expand...

Even the "pure" Google Android updates were frustrating. They rolled them out (seemingly randomly) to select phones over the course of WEEKS. Even manually finding the patch file on the internet and manually applying it was frustrating too.
 
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For most people (including me) the only reason they still use iPhones (and/or iPads) are exclusively made (and great) apps for iOS, not possible to create and even to port onto other platforms and OSes. It is becouse of iOS design (great co-operation between hardware and software). But overall design (in meaning of devices body, assemblation and materials) of iPhones is not so great (in comparision to the expensive price).
 
Sounds like you're being trolled.

If you aren't, and your friend is really open to discuss, ask them why people might buy a BMW 3-series instead of a Suzuki Alto.

Just remember you can't argue against emotion with facts.
 
My goto explanation is usually Apple customer service/Genius Bar.

What happens when your Android phone has an issue, manufacturer defect or user-inflicted? With Apple I just drive 10 minutes (I realize not everybody is this close but the people I'm talking to have the same advantage), let them know what the problem is and it's fixed on the spot, more often than not for free.
 
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Surf Donkey said:
Your friend is obviously trolling or an idiot. Why bring their stupidity to the rest of us?
Click to expand...
One must be trolling or an idiot to not understand the price discrepancy and differences of mobile phones? Hardly. He already said his friend doesn't know much beyond calls, texts, and Facebook, so maybe mobile devices aren't that important to him. Maybe those things are all his friend needs in a phone, so any old phone will do.

Simply not being as well-versed in the same fields as you doesn't make one an idiot or a troll. Judgemental much?
 
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Brad9753 said:
just received this via Facebook:
"I'm looking at buying a new phone. I knew iPhones were expensive, but not 7x the price of their rivals! That's an increase of like 700%! Insane. Are people £600 just to have a picture of an apple on the back of their phone?
I genuinely don't understand how they are so popular.
Sure, they are 'good', but not 7x the price good.
Although they are 'cool', they aren't impressive anymore, as everyone has them. No more cool than phones much cheaper than them. If anything, having an iPhone that expensive makes people think you are gullible to being financially raped.
I know lots of intelligent people have iPhones, so there must be reasoning behind it.
I don't think any of my iPhone owning friends have such low self-esteem they would be desperate enough to buy an iPhone to look 'normal'.
As you are a highly intelligent person, with a good self-esteem, and a rational mind, please help me overcome my ignorance".

My answer will cover:

Samsungs nearest rival is not 7x cheaper. And if a phone is 7x cheaper then it is not a near rival

The way the software and hardware are designed by the same company, making it more secure and smoother

No need for virus software

The way it syncs with my other apple things (he doesn't have anything else so this will not mean much)

Regular and free updates to the software

What would you guys cover off?
Click to expand...

Actually your friend is referring Apple to a flip dumb phone at 7 + times cheaper. Think about it
 
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Show him how much junk the carriers stuff onto Android. Which is usually on top of the junk manufacturers load over Android. I know there is a massive thread complaining about us not being able to remove stock Apple apps from our iPhones but that's world's different from having AT&T all in your face controlling your experience.
 
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Brad9753 said:
Yea that's my point. I don't know what he is comparing against. He has never had a high end phone. I think he thinks most phones do the same sort of things nowadays. Games, Facebook app, calls ect. He has just come from a windows phone to give you an idea.
Click to expand...
Your friend should buy the cheapest phone he can find. To him price is everything. Explaining where he is wrong won't convince or help him. One person's reason is another person's excuse. From his perspective he is not wrong. He may be perfectly happy with a low end phone, doesn't need all the bells and whistles.
 
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willmtaylor said:
One must be trolling or an idiot to not understand the price discrepancy and differences of mobile phones? Hardly. He already said his friend doesn't know much beyond calls, texts, and Facebook, so maybe mobile devices aren't that important to him. Maybe those things are all his friend needs in a phone, so any old phone will do.

Simply not being as well-versed in the same fields as you doesn't make one an idiot or a troll. Judgemental much?
Click to expand...

I am judgmental towards people acting helpless and they are being an idiot. I am sure they know how to use a web browser and Google. If someone sent me this crap I would block them.
 
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