I’ll be the first to admit I’ve been hooked on the Apple hype since day one. The second my older sister got the mint green iPod mini for her birthday, I was begging for the same gift for Christmas.
Do you know what my parents got me as a gift that year? They chose an off-brand MP3 player from BestBuy instead.
It wouldn’t be until 2007 when I got an iPod (nano) of my own—bright red and…completeley inadequate the second the iTouch and iPhone came into existence. As much as I begged and pleaded for the iconic phone, I made do with an LG Chocolate, followed by a LG Dare and an Android phone.
It wasn’t until senior year of high school that my parents finally caved and got me the iPhone 5 for Christmas. I waited the whole day to activate it because—of course—I needed a white iPhone instead of a black one.
Yet, after all those years of waiting, my precious iPhone instantly became obsolete the second the 5S came out. And when the iPhone 6 changed the whole look of the phone, I needed the upgrade for Christmas once again.
It’s crazy to think that Apple has their brand so on lock that they control the market in this way. The annual conference, held today, maintains unprecedented hype year-after-year. People line up outside Apple Stores days before a new iPhone is for sale; they have weeks-long backorders within minutes of release.
Competitors like Samsung have even mocked their consistent control of this enduring fad with commercials that show their phone’s superiority and still Apple makes a killing every time a new product is released. According to Forbes, Apple sold 74.8 million iPhones in the fourth-quarter of 2015, while Samsung sold only 73 million phones out of their whole product line.
Regardless of the features other competitors release, iPhones maintain that “it” factor due to the enduring simplicity of iOS and secrecy of their developments each year. But still, is it worth dropping a couple hundred bucks every time a new iPhone, iPod, or iPad comes out?
Looking back on it all, the jealous yearning and money spent were futile because that is exactly the reaction Apple is hoping for from consumers. I’m not saying, “Screw the system! Get an Android!” but maybe don’t give into the “wow factor” of new features, like touch assist on the 5S and the bigger screen on the 6 and 6 Plus.
Just like with all great things, there will always be something bigger and better than what you have. And even though I completely resented my parents for not allowing me to have what I wanted immediately, in the long run, I’m glad I wasn’t one of those spoiled middle schools with the latest model iPhone.
