Are We Buying Products? Or Status Symbols?

[Danoff]

I'll never understand the hate towards the iPhone and the love towards something like the Galaxy III. They both do the exact same things and really when you think about it

Well, the Galaxy does what the iPhone does anyway... doesn't always work the other way around. Pretty basic stuff like Galaxy has swype... and a replaceable battery. Then there's tasker, which is another level altogether.

If you're just checking your email they're pretty similar.

 

[cphbullet]

Im in pretty much the same boat as Joey, i bought my 4S because i find it easiest to use as well as my Macbook Pro however i was aware at the time i could have been coerced into buying it simply because its a mac, it bothers me now to think that i may have bought into a whole status symbol thing but i do use my mac a lot so i guess that confirms i bought it for the right reasons? Right?

Appologies if this offends any iPad owners but i do think iPads are simply do nothing that an iPhone or Macbook don't already. They seem like a massive waste of money.

 

[Joey D]

Well, the Galaxy does what the iPhone does anyway... doesn't always work the other way around. Pretty basic stuff like Galaxy has swype... and a replaceable battery. Then there's tasker, which is another level altogether.

If you're just checking your email they're pretty similar.

I don't know, I've replaced the batter on my iPhone 4 twice, I assume I can do the same thing with the 5. Instead of sliding the back off, I have to take out two screws and fumble around for a few minutes with some connectors.

You can also get an app called My Profile, which is pretty similar to tasker's, but it lacks some of the complexity. I'm sure with a jailbreak you can do whatever you want though.

But for probably what 95% smartphone users do with their phones, there is virtually no difference between the two in terms of functionality.

Appologies if this offends any iPad owners but i do think iPads are simply do nothing that an iPhone or Macbook don't already. They seem like a massive waste of money.

If you don't own an iPhone an iPad makes sense to some degree, but I agree. My MacBook is light enough for me to take anywhere I'd take a tablet and I still have a real keyboard.

 

[Danoff]

I don't know, I've replaced the batter on my iPhone 4 twice, I assume I can do the same thing with the 5. Instead of sliding the back off, I have to take out two screws and fumble around for a few minutes with some connectors.

I'm talking about carrying a spare charged battery with you for like, a plane flight or something.

You can also get an app called My Profile, which is pretty similar to tasker's, but it lacks some of the complexity. I'm sure with a jailbreak you can do whatever you want though.

Well... with a jailbreak or a root I imagine you could put linux on any of them. So that's kinda moot.

But for probably what 95% smartphone users do with their phones, there is virtually no difference between the two in terms of functionality.

You mean like type? Swype would be a great example. I also really like my slide out keyboard on my G2. I also think widgets are a huge advantage that get everyday use, and real multi-tasking for apps like latitude running in the background.

 

[Joey D]

I'm talking about carrying a spare charged battery with you for like, a plane flight or something.

They sell pocket chargers for the iPhone which I imagine would be the same price or cheaper than a new battery. I bought one off eBay for $15 and when it's fully charge and I put about 75% life back into my phone. I mean if you're carrying around a bulky battery, it's really no different than carrying around a bulky charger thing.

You mean like type? Swype would be a great example. I also really like my slide out keyboard on my G2. I also think widgets are a huge advantage that get everyday use, and real multi-tasking for apps like latitude running in the background.

I find swype to be annoying and it tends to make mistakes, at least that's my experience with it. My phone is pretty well trained so it knows what I'm typing when I make a mistake and autocorrects it. I can also just talk to the phone, the voice-to-text works decently well as long as you talk slow-ish.

Widgets are decent, I use all sorts of crap on my rooted Nook but many of them seem to function in the same way a notification works on the iPhone.

As far as multitasking, I don't really see it being a problem on the iPhone. iOS6 made it significantly better (it was pretty bad it prior OS's). But then again how many people really are going to be multitasking on their phone? Other than exiting out of a phone call to look at a calendar or e-mail I can't think of many other uses for it.

Like I said there are going to be people out there that want to do all sorts of things to their phones and if you like tinkering with things an Android OS is probably better for you. But there's no reason you have to buy a $200 Galaxy S3 (with contract) when a free Android phone would let you do the same thing. So to stay with the topic of the thread, the S3 is no less of a status symbol as the iPhone is. But like I said, if you like the S3, buy it. It's you who has to use it.

 

[Danoff]

They sell pocket chargers for the iPhone which I imagine would be the same price or cheaper than a new battery. I bought one off eBay for $15 and when it's fully charge and I put about 75% life back into my phone. I mean if you're carrying around a bulky battery, it's really no different than carrying around a bulky charger thing.

$4 (better than $15), amazon (better than ebay), tiny (better than bulky), 100% battery (better than 75%).

I find swype to be annoying and it tends to make mistakes, at least that's my experience with it. My phone is pretty well trained so it knows what I'm typing when I make a mistake and autocorrects it. I can also just talk to the phone, the voice-to-text works decently well as long as you talk slow-ish.

So of course all of those options are available on android too, but android also does swype, and some androids have keyboards (which I like).

Widgets are decent, I use all sorts of crap on my rooted Nook but many of them seem to function in the same way a notification works on the iPhone.

Not really the same thing.

As far as multitasking, I don't really see it being a problem on the iPhone. iOS6 made it significantly better (it was pretty bad it prior OS's). But then again how many people really are going to be multitasking on their phone? Other than exiting out of a phone call to look at a calendar or e-mail I can't think of many other uses for it.

I gave you one. Latitude.

So what's the real reason to buy the iphone? Because functionality isn't it. Price isn't it.

 

[Joey D]

So what's the real reason to buy the iphone? Because functionality isn't it. Price isn't it.

Because I like it? Is that really that hard to accept?

 

[Danoff]

Why?

 

[Pagey279]

$4 (better than $15), amazon (better than ebay), tiny (better than bulky), 100% battery (better than 75%).
So of course all of those options are available on android too, but android also does swype, and some androids have keyboards (which I like).
Not really the same thing.
I gave you one. Latitude.
So what's the real reason to buy the iphone? Because functionality isn't it. Price isn't it.

Dude, we get it. You don't particularly like the iPhone, do us all a favour, give it a rest and move on for god sakes

 

[Joey D]

Why?

Why does anyone like anything? I like iOS and how it functions. I like iMessage since almost everyone I text has an iPhone and I could downgrade my plan from unlimited texting to 200 message per month. I like that it's smaller, lighter and thinner than pretty much every other smartphone, although the iPhone5 is too big, the 4 was the perfect size. I even like the way it looks.

Once again, is it really that hard to accept?

 

[Danoff]

Yea, it's kinda tough.

It is what this thread is about. The OP is claiming that the "I just like it" element of the iPhone is about status.

 

[Joey D]

Yea, it's kinda tough.

It is what this thread is about. The OP is claiming that the "I just like it" element of the iPhone is about status.

I didn't buy it to show it off, the only time it ever comes up in real life conversation is when I'm trying to put our EMR on one of the Doc's iPhones. Even when I bought it I don't think anyone noticed for a week or so because I never said anything. I believe the topic is about buying crap just because it's the "in" thing to do, which I won't deny many iPhone users do, but many iPhone users do buy the phone because they like it and it works for what they want.

I honestly don't care for the Android OS even though it's on my Nook (a rooted Nook is a million times more useful than an unrooted one). I could see where people would like it, but it's not for me when it comes to a phone.

But if you can't seem to grasp the concept that someone bought something because they like it then I got nothing. Buy what you like, don't buy what you don't. I wouldn't spend my money on something I didn't like even if it was better, that won't be an enjoyable user experience.

 

[Minty]

He gets that people buy something because they like it.

The question is why do you like it more than Android.

 

[Joey D]

He gets that people buy something because they like it.

The question is why do you like it more than Android.

Because I do? Why do people like red cars over blue cars?

It's really not a hard concept to grasp that people like and dislike things for no other reason than "just because". You can always make an argument for why X is better than Y, but when it comes down to it we all have preferences and what might be better for one isn't for another.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

He gets that people buy something because they like it.

The question is why do you like it more than Android.

It's in his post directly above your's; he doesn't much care for the Android OS.

Me neither, really. I recognize there's nothing inherently wrong with it, but I just prefer the iOS layout, at least for my current usage. Every Android I've tried fiddling with in stores was less responsive and would have random app closures, and while I accept that's definitely partially down to the store itself, it still didn't fill me with confidence. Also, I should point out that was a year ago, if not longer; probably when the 4S was released. So the game has moved on, admittedly far more for the 'droid phones than the iOS options.

But that's sort of irrelevant for me; if I were one of those people buying status symbols, I probably wouldn't have got the 4, since the 4S was already a few months old. Free sounded nice, and the familiarity of the system appealed to me. That said, I don't feel any particular allegiance to Apple, and my next smartphone might well be an Android. I don't know; unless this one becomes an utter pain to use, I don't see myself upgraded when my contract's done. I kept my first cell phone over two years after my contract ended; it was only when I realized it more often failed to do what I (now) needed of a mobile than actually succeeded, that I bought a new one. Of course, that next one was a Blackberry, which was a whole other horror story.

 

[Minty]

I like iMessage since almost everyone I text has an iPhone and I could downgrade my plan from unlimited texting to 200 message per month.

iMessaging sounds like something I've heard before.


Ah, yes:
[YouTube]Ka3T0RXwIbw[/YouTube]
Only Gmail can be used on everything. And that video went up in February of 2010.

I get that aesthetic differences may be more appealing, but that all comes back to buying things because they look nice. They way I interpreted the OP is"buying things for form over function". I'm not trying to make you not like the iPhone, but you're basically saying you bought it for looks, which is pretty much the entire point of the argument.

 

[JediRage]

Then why are we using GUI operating systems like Mac and Windows? Should we just go back to DOS/UNIX because looks don't matter?

 

[Joey D]

I get that aesthetic differences may be more appealing, but that all comes back to buying things because they look nice. They way I interpreted the OP is"buying things for form over function". I'm not trying to make you not like the iPhone, but you're basically saying you bought it for looks, which is pretty much the entire point of the argument.

What the OP is saying is that people are buying X product, not because it fits their needs, but because it's the latest and greatest or the "in" thing to do.The topic is more about the status of an item instead of the functionality. If the iPhone was completely useless I think there'd be more to discuss.

And Android crap is just as trendy as iOS crap since it's now it's just as trendy to hate on Apple products as it is to actually own one. I find it just as annoying for someone to tell me how awful Apple as it is for someone to tell me how great Apple is.

 

[Minty]

Then why are we using GUI operating systems like Mac and Windows? Should we just go back to DOS/UNIX because looks don't matter?

Because GUI is just a way to interact with the system. Its not about appearance so much as making those features accessible. Try operating a UNIX/DOS system via touch screen, or with multiple programs running on different parts of the screen. Just give it a shot. GUI offers functionality no matter how you look at it, but certain ones offer more functionality than others, while some just look nice.

 

[niky]

And here I thought the OP was about whether you're buying it to project an image or whether it satisfies you.

I can buy a car based on looks for personal reasons that have nothing to do with status. Our Ford was bought because we liked the looks and the performance. Never mind that others liked it, too. Besides, most people saw Fords here at that time as garbage.

An iPhone does tweak the personal aesthetics meter, and the interface is nice. So is the interface on the Galaxy, which is why Apple sued Samsung over copying it from them.

I don't buy Apple products. But whenever I do, I can't help but admire the craftsmanship that went into designing them and the smoothness of the interface. The only reason I don't get one is that I'm perfectly fine with a clunky interface and the odd system crashing glitch, as long as my products do the work I need them to do, which is why my phone is a traditional keypad type with a 0 megapixel camera (waterproof) and my daily portable is a netbook.

Pretty funny when we are out doing fieldwork, and I have to revise spreadsheets just so the iPad users can actually work on them.

I guess it gives them a chuckle, too, when I have to flip open my netbook and look for a way to lever it against the steering wheel or dashboar while waiting for it to boot up, while they're already taking notes on their iPads. C'est la vie.

 

[Minty]

You know, now that I read back yeah. I was missing the point the OP was making for a bit there.

I need to stop posting so much when I'm on the app, its too easy to lose track of what I'm actually talking about. Sorry about that.

 

[Casio]

My girlfriend has an iPod cause it works with her iTunes Music Collection. Not because it's cool.

 

[niky]

You know, now that I read back yeah. I was missing the point the OP was making for a bit there.

I need to stop posting so much when I'm on the app, its too easy to lose track of what I'm actually talking about. Sorry about that.

Having posted that Apple defense, and noting here that The Importance of Android is that it finally, finally provides an Apple-like interface for mobile devices that actually works as well as Apple's...

I'm flabbergasted by the number of people who moan about Apple releasing a new iPhone months after they bought theirs. And even more flabbergasted by the number of people who bought the iPhone5 despite having a near new smartphone, even if it didn't offer that much in the way of upgrades over the competition or its predecessors (yes, it did, but we're talking the lack of a qualitative paradigm shift as opposed to more ticks on a laundry list).

Go figure. This is why automakers have to schedule 3rd year makeovers.

 

[homeforsummer]

Well, that's not exactly true is it - seeing as how I'm an apple owner myself. I just don't defend them as good products.

Are you saying they're bad products then? Again, I'm no tech head but mine seems to work pretty well. Sounds like a case for car comparison again - a BMW and a Mercedes go about being luxury sedans in different ways, but neither is really any "better" than the other. It just depends what elements you take from them.

I'm trying to understand why you bought them, but I don't. I'm very skeptical of your claim that you got an iphone at no cost - because contracts cost money, and which phone company you choose can cost money. But I don't want to get too deep into the details of your purchase. If you did get it for free (like I did) fine, good job, but that doesn't make it a good phone. The iPod decision is even more challenging.

The iPod (Nano, again) decision shouldn't be challenging, as I've already explained it. I was able to compare the Nano with its competitors around the £100 mark because I was showing them all to customers every day at work. After a while you demo them so much that you inevitably have preferences over the way they work - and the Nano was the better product, in so far as I could tell. It had poor quality headphones out of the box, but I changed those pretty quickly anyway.

And yes, obviously my contract costs money, but so does any other contract. There wasn't a great deal difference between getting an iPhone4 in a contract, and getting whatever else was around at the same time. And at £5/month cheaper than my old Samsung yet with unlimited internet and all those other things which I didn't have before, I was quite happy to get it.

Yup, if it makes them happy, good for them... but I'll still criticize things that make people happy (like going to the church of christ or the church of jobs) if I think it's worthy of criticism. You might think the Pontiac Aztek is the greatest thing in the world - and it makes you super happy - but I'll still criticize as there are objective reasons why it is inferior to other products out there (all of them in the case of the Aztek).

Criticism of the product isn't the problem here. The problem is your inference - right from the start, after picking apart my first post - that really I just got an iPhone because I'm a mindless drone.

And I'm sure there were several other smart phones being offered for free with a contract that were better than the iPhone. Just that when I'm given a choice a free objects I typically put the same amount of thought into as I would something I plan to pay money for. Especially when its something I'll be stuck with for two years by contract.

I mean I'm happy the iPhones working out for you and all, but it sounds like you went with it because it was advertised as being simple rather than making sure it was the best option. Accepting the worse of two free options is the same thing as buying the worse of two equally priced options. Well, if you live by the whole "money saved is money earned" thing.

There were other phones available, of course.

I had no reason to go for them though. The iPhone was the major one on offer - most of my provider's deals were on them. I wouldn't have gone for whatever Samsung was available alongside the 4, since I'd already owned a Samsung and it was rubbish. I know tech is improving quickly but that's the other element I was describing before - you're less likely to go back to a brand you've had poor experiences with.

And I honestly don't get the point of your second paragraph. It would make a whole lot more sense if you just stopped after "I'm happy the iPhone is working out for you". It is working out for me. Very well. For all the reasons I explained in my original post - loads of apps (which I get plenty of use from), a good camera (ditto) and it allows me to keep the software I used with my old Nano.

Honestly, so much of this seems like a case of this:

I'm not sure what's more fashionable, buying an Apple product, or buying the competitor's product and then acting all high and mighty you didn't buy something from Apple.

Look, it's really, mind-numbingly simple: I bought a phone contract. It came with an iPhone. The phone is working very well for me at roughly one year and counting. I know it's expensive*, but mine is £5/month less expensive than the paperweight I had before, so I don't really care. The end.

Here are some words which make lots of sense:

And here I thought the OP was about whether you're buying it to project an image or whether it satisfies you.

For me? The latter.

People can say I've made the wrong choice or hint that I own an Apple product (my only Apple product, I'll say again) because I'm a fashion victim all they like, but frankly it would make that person look like a bit of a knob.


* Seriously people: Yes, Apple products are expensive. That's why I don't own a Mac, an iPad, or anything else made by Apple right now. But I'm really not sure what purpose going on about it ad nauseum really serves.

 

[Danoff]

My girlfriend has an iPod cause it works with her iTunes Music Collection. Not because it's cool.

One of the worst reasons out there for purchasing an apple product - because you want to reward them for strong-arming you into their ecosystem. And the apple ecosystem is inferior too...

This whole thing is a big pet peeve for me.

Are you saying they're bad products then? Again, I'm no tech head but mine seems to work pretty well.

Yes, I'm saying it's a bad product. Perhaps it works well at what it does, but it is outdone. You wouldn't buy a VHS player today for $100 and say it's a good product because it works very well at playing VHS tapes. Obviously that's an exaggeration but you get my point.

The iPod (Nano, again) decision shouldn't be challenging, as I've already explained it. I was able to compare the Nano with its competitors around the £100 mark because I was showing them all to customers every day at work. After a while you demo them so much that you inevitably have preferences over the way they work - and the Nano was the better product, in so far as I could tell.

You can see why it would be challenging to me since your response is "I thought it was the better product". When I bought mine, I found some for half price that did the same thing (better even because I didn't have to use itunes).

Criticism of the product isn't the problem here. The problem is your inference - right from the start, after picking apart my first post - that really I just got an iPhone because I'm a mindless drone.

I'm not calling you a mindless drone. But you yourself just said that you didn't put much thought into it.

It wasn't a case of "not bothering" - more a case of "getting the hell rid of my old, rubbish phone, and the iPhone being a handy upgrade click away on my network's website".

I wouldn't have gone for whatever Samsung was available alongside the 4, since I'd already owned a Samsung and it was rubbish.

I actually hate Samsung myself, as they turn out a lot of junk. But HTC was available...

you're less likely to go back to a brand you've had poor experiences with.

I'm not one to recommend samsung, or recommend going back to a brand you've had bad experiences with. Having had a bad experience with the other brands is a good reason to try Apple. That being said, HTC made a better phone in every way, and I'd like to have seen them rewarded for that.

 

[homeforsummer]

Yes, I'm saying it's a bad product. Perhaps it works well at what it does, but it is outdone. You wouldn't buy a VHS player today for $100 and say it's a good product because it works very well at playing VHS tapes. Obviously that's an exaggeration but you get my point.

On this then, we disagree. Whether the iPhone is as good as an HTC or not isn't strictly relevant - the iPhone does everything I ask for it. Could it do more? Potentially, but if all my smartphone needs are being met by the one I have, I can't see an area where it could improve my life.

The VHS example isn't just an exaggeration, it's also a poor example. That would be more like me owning an old Nokia 5210 (or whatever they were called - popular one from the very early 00s). Neither VHS nor the Nokia would meet my current needs. A PS3 with Netflix and an internet connection, and an iPhone, do meet my current needs.

You can see why it would be challenging to me since your response is "I thought it was the better product".

...having tried it out alongside its competitors.

I seriously can't believe you're finding this bit hard to comprehend. If I'd bought an iPod Nano for no real reason then you could argue that I'd bought an inferior product. If I've bought it having compared it back to back with a dozen others, then surely that comes down to personal preference?

I've no idea what iPod Nano equivalent you have, but there's every chance I found it a hateful lump of crap, and hence didn't buy it.

And do you know what? That's okay. Because ultimately I bought the one that worked for me, and you bought the one that worked for you.

I'm not calling you a mindless drone. But you yourself just said that you didn't put much thought into it.

"Not putting much thought into it" isn't the same as "not putting any thought into it". I've already explained this distinction to Minty, a few posts above. I had reasons for picking the one I picked.

I'm not one to recommend samsung, or recommend going back to a brand you've had bad experiences with. Having had a bad experience with the other brands is a good reason to try Apple. That being said, HTC made a better phone in every way, and I'd like to have seen them rewarded for that.

Why does it actually matter though? It's my choice where I decide to put my money, just like it would be if I was buying a car, or a cheeseburger. There's every chance that whatever HTC was available when I got my iPhone 4 didn't even register on my radar, rightly or wrongly.

The phone I have meets my needs, and I bought it for my reasons. None of which included buying a "status symbol", as referred to in the OP.

Once again, I refer to niky's post:

And here I thought the OP was about whether you're buying it to project an image or whether it satisfies you

The latter. It satisfies me.

 

[F1GTR]

How important is the status associated with a product? Does it influence your decision on which product to purchase? Is that kind of behaviour something you've noticed in your environment? Have you been doing something like this yourself? Should or shouldn't this whole thing continue?

Depends on what I'm going to be using it for, I either buy things for their practicality or for the sole purpose of creating an image for myself (which opens doors). Practically, there's usually a correlation between the perception of a product and its quality. For example I'm happy to spend more than usual on shoes and clothes since I know that they'll last longer and they'll probably look better after a year of daily use. On a more superficial level, dressing well usually means people will treat you better and be more accommodating. First impressions are important after all.

There's a difference between paying more for quality and simply being caught up in a never ending upgrade spiral. Apple are a good example of creating a yearly upgrade cycle, but they aren't the only company that does so. I own several Apple products, but I'm not caught up in their constant upgrade cycle - I had a 1st gen iPhone last me until the 4 came out (it was stolen, I would have used it much longer if it wasn't), and my MacBook Pro was bought because I needed a laptop that was as fast, if not faster than my desktop PC (since I do a lot of graphic design, photo and video editing) but was still easily transportable - all the other Windows options had huge sacrifices in certain areas (trackpad, screen, size) while the MBP was pretty much top of the class in all those areas.

 

[Danoff]

There's every chance that whatever HTC was available when I got my iPhone 4 didn't even register on my radar, rightly or wrongly.

Not enough marketing by HTC I imagine.

 

[homeforsummer]

Not enough marketing by HTC I imagine.

Possibly. I'd not heard of HTC until fairly recently.

 

[Azuremen]

Not enough marketing by HTC I imagine.

There is a reason why Apple is the most valuable company in history. A lot of it is marketing. The other part was coming to market with the first intuitive smart phone and basically defining the current standard.

As for HTC being better than Apple, I'd say you are stretching it quite a bit. They've only just caught up in terms of fit and finish, and even then only on their top of the line models. Then the aesthetics of their devices are lacking, along with how they feel in the hand, compared to the iPhone.

Now, now, I know on paper you can do more with an Android device, and they generally can have better specs. But in the real world I have to say iPhones tend to outperform anything HTC has.

What I don't get is why you are so very hung up on this Apple hate...