New phone, who dis?

Umaimah Adan | Contributor

Featured image: Apple’s steep price did not seem to get in the way of sales of this year’s addition of the iPhone 7. | Caleb Best

Meet the iPhone 7, the latest addition to Apple’s line of phones. Officially released in stores on September 16, particularly dedicated users had the option of preordering the phone on September 9, which pushed the phone to be sold out just one day before it was set to release in stores.

Apple’s previous model, the iPhone 6s, saw the company’s first decline in year-to-year sales, leading many analysts to declare that Apple had reached its peak level of success. However, this perception has been challenged by recent sales, particularly of the iPhone 7 Plus. iPhone 7 preorder sales were four times higher than those of the iPhone 6. Whether Apple has made a comeback, or simply had lower supply of the device is still up for debate.

Regardless of the reasons for declining or increasing sales, Apple has included some interesting features in the iPhone 7. The base storage has increased so that consumers are able to choose from 32, 128 or 256 GB of storage. The new phone comes in a variety of colours, including black, jet black, silver, gold and rose gold.

The feature that has caused the most buzz on social media, even generating several memes, is the absence of a headphone jack and the introduction of wireless headphones. Users are still able to use wired headphones through an adapter cable, but the downside of this is that they are unable to charge their phones while simultaneously listening to music.

Possibly the most innovative feature is the water and dust resistance of the phone: the new model is able to withstand up to 30 minutes of exposure in a metre of water.

Although the iPhone 7 has some new features, it is arguably quite similar to its predecessor. This lack of innovation along with the hefty price tag begs the question, why do people continue to buy into the Apple phenomenon?

According to Alan Middleton, marketing professor at the Schulich School of Business, young people do not make up the majority of iPhone sales. The main reason for this is that there are not sufficient upgrades or innovative features for young people to be compelled to purchase a new phone.

Another major factor, particularly in Canada, is the price. Considering the exchange rate, American consumers are spending $500 less than those of us up North. However, there are corporations and government organizations that pay for employee phone upgrades as soon as a new version is released, according to Middleton.

Liz Sze, second-year communication studies student, does not own any Apple products.

“I feel that Apple products are oftentimes overpriced because a large number of people are willing to purchase their products for the novelty of the brand,” she says. This speaks to the immense power that the Apple name carries; the brand name alone carries a value of $145 billion, according to Middleton.

Of course, marketing plays a major role in the willingness to fork over large amounts of money on Apple products. Consumers will not only examine the functionality and design of a phone, but they also buy into the hype surrounding the Apple brand and the status that comes with it.

Angelica Babiera, second-year English and professional studies student, is a returning iPhone user. Babiera previously owned the iPhone 4 and upgraded to the iPhone 6 Plus after her old phone began falling apart. Even though Babiera is happy with her iPhone, she recognizes the astronomical pricing and attributes it to the name and reputation of the brand.

Regardless of the features of an iPhone, the marketing techniques behind the Apple craze and the apparent need to constantly keep up with the latest technology, we all admittedly have a certain attachment to our phones.

Whether you’re Team Apple or Team Android, it is comforting to be part of a group, even if the members share something as arbitrary as an electronic brand preference.