Wouldn't that mean that the study calling most studies BS was, in fact, also BS? LoL
Statistics is a science. Lying with statistics is an art.
Got a tip for us?
Let us know
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.
Why is Apple a status symbol?
- Thread starter cnguyen0320
- Start date
- Sort by reaction score
Wouldn't that mean that the study calling most studies BS was, in fact, also BS? LoL
Statistics is a science. Lying with statistics is an art.
It should be no surprise that a company where its product is most popular in one of the richest countries in the world looks like only rich people buy it.
You could argue that's part of your point. But doctors in some countries making good money (for that country) can't afford an iPhone.
Which only further illustrates my point. Smartphone ownership in and of itself bestows no status on the owner. There is nothing your 2-year contract offers you that is materially any different than mine at the same price.
What you get is what you paid to get. Any status inferred by owning your device is illusory. Perceived value is just that. Real value is likely identical. And yet these forums and many other just like it are FILLED with proponents of all systems claiming that ownership of their chosen device somehow negates any value for those who choose to own other devices.
This is the basis for all disagreements, whether we are talking phones, race or religion. I choose this. People I like support my choice for this. People who are too dumb/backwards/different from me don't do as I do and are therefore lesser people than am I. Posts become flames becomes name-calling becomes close-mindedness becomes intolerance becomes...,
Well we can stop there hopefully. We have enough jihads over things in this world without adding phone preferences to the mix.
I fully agree. Phones, video games, sport teams, computers, clothing... The list is endless.
They are NOT freakin status symbols, lol. They are easily attainable by almost anyone, $99 for a refurb iphone 5 with a contract isn't the hardest thing to attain for most people, assuming you are talking about "middle class" earners. They ARE desirable, they do have a reputation for making solid hardware, they are beautiful, there are in demand, but they are not a status symbol which would denote something of high monetary value or something which is difficult to obtain. Conversely I don't see many android phones priced at $99, if anything feature for feature they are more expensive than iphones.
FYI I am talking mainly about the US, I can't speak for other countries but I would assume an iphone is similarly priced to a high end android phone anywhere in the world, I'm sure with different economies, income, poverty etc in other countries BOTH iphones and android phones WOULD be considered status symbols, but I just don't see it in the US.
That's a pretty narrow view of the whole situation (and a pretty dense one to boot).
I'm sure there are plenty of superficial folks out there that only buy Apple products simply because it is some sort of status symbol, but there are many folks that buy Apple stuff for the utility. I will give you examples of how I use my stuff, which at the moment is all Apple.
My house at the moment is just me and my wife. We both have iPhones (5), iPads (hers 2, mine 4), one MBP that we share, one Mac Mini that serves as a media server, 3 Apple TVs, and 1 AEBS. All of our media is (obviously) run through iTunes.
The iPhones are with us all the time. The iPads are there for casual browsing and media around the around the house and go with us when we travel. You say it is nothing more than "a giant iTouch", but nothing really could be further from the truth. It's a great go between when you need a screen bigger than your phone, but you don't want to be chained to your desk to look it up and don't want to have to lug around a laptop. Is it a luxury? Sure....but it has it's utility.
The MBP mostly serves as a stationary computer for heavier work (video editing, ripping, etc), but can go on trips with us as well when necessary. The Mac Mini's sole purpose is running the Drobo and supplying media throughout the house.
Could we get by with another solution? Sure.....but I have yet to find one anywhere near as seamless. Android phones are great (we both really like the Galaxy Note 2), but they don't really tie into the Apple content ecosystem all that well. The Android tablets are really not all that enticing and the Surface is a non-starter. Windows laptops? No thanks. I left behind that clunky OS at home back in 2010 and have no intention of going back. I've tried out Windows 8 some and there is really nothing there that pulls me away from OS X. Then there's the media/TV solution. Could we use DLNA? I guess....but I've yet to see that implemented in a way that works as smoothly as Apple TV.
So, for me at least, the synergy of it all coupled with the quality of their products and the high level of customer service is why I use Apple hardware. Do I use everything Apple? No. On the iCloud side I don't use mail or Docs in the Cloud. I don't use any of the iWork programs or anything Thunderbolt related. I don't do any sort of high level graphic design to justify spending $1k on one of their monitors. But for the everyday in house products there is really nothing close for me.
AT&T has been offering refurb'd Galaxy S3's for $49.99 on contract. This deal just ended on 11/05/2012. We got two on the office account at that price, both in blue. Minor scratches on the battery cover, otherwise fine.
Would have thought "refurbished" meant "new plastic battery cover that costs a whopping 29 cents" but was a little disappointed this wasn't the case. Apple has spoiled me on "refurbished" meaning "like new."
True and sad/humorous story.
After Thanksgiving dinner my daughter (home from college) was talking to one of her other college friends (who spent holiday with us) about guys they knew in school. They were "e-flirting" with a few of them, sitting around on their smartphones (both iPhones) and one of the guys replied back at some point. It showed up in a green bubble, rather than the iMessage blue bubble. My daughter's girlfriend says out loud "Ewwwww....he doesn't have an iPhone."
For the young and drama-oriented, I guess it does matter.
Of course, not sure she realized but....iMessage has experienced some outages lately. Proving, as always, that people who judge based on color are losers.
Last edited:
Yeah I don't see $49 versus $99 making the iphone a status symbol lol. Don't get me wrong, I love my 4s and one reason I don't upgrade to the ip5 is it feels cheap to me after having my 4s, you can imagine how cheap anything else feels (except maybe the N4).
I may be in the minority, but I find the N4 feels far more "blocky" and "plasticky" than even the S3. The S3 form factor is reminiscent of the Apple iPhone 3G/3GS. Sort of a smooth pebble. The N4 feels and looks a bit more like a recent-gen RIM Blackberry by comparison.
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder as always.
I do think people's personal definition of status symbol is going to vary but like you I get people commenting about my Air and how thing it is. Sure ultrabooks exist but there's a bitch of extra cachet when that white Apple logo is showing.
25 years ago I remember selling odds and ends for school fundraisers and I was that young boy saying "Ooooo ahhh you have an Apple IIe" Not much has really changed.
I don't consider mobile devices as carrying that much status. They are designed to sell by the bushel. Once you get to notebook or desktops then the difference arises. No one attempts to attack the Mac at the same pricing. They always try to undercut the pricing because all things being even if people are looking at the same price they go Mac more often than not.
----------
LOL. Just two days ago someone dropped their Android in front of me and there it was on the ground in 3 pieces. I looked at him and said "thats why my phone has a sealed battery"
Have you seen HTC results? The are in the decline of declines. As much as the One X and One S are specwhore tour de force phones the problem is as always. People don't buy iPhones because the specs jump out at you. They buy them because they prefer the operating system.
Many HTC phones have sealed batteries. Besides, I would rather have the phone fall into three pieces rather than shatter, although this isn't as big a problem with the iPhone 5.
HTC is in decline but Samsung isn't.
Because iPhone here in my country is pretty expensive. Sad to say this but people will really look up to you if you have an expensive phone. Sucks big time.
Pinoy i assume you are filipino right ?
Anyway i can relate to that, around here is the same things like a phone and car are considered to mesure your wealth lol pretty sad stuff.
Anyway i can relate to that, around here is the same things like a phone and car are considered to mesure your wealth lol pretty sad stuff.
And thats why your phone can't be replenished with a fresh battery if you don't have a place to plug it in, and your phones glass will also shatter if dropped, and you'll shell out 100 bucks for a new battery.
But anyway.
I can't phantom how anyone could see a PHONE as a Status Symbol, at least in the US, the vast majority of people get 2 year contract phones, those who don't care will get a Android phoen for free, those who do care get an iPhone or a high and Android phone.
Typicall the cost is 200 dollars.
HOLY FREAKING CRAP! 200 DOLLARS! I've spent more than that on Dinner taking my GF out to a nice place.
----------
Wow, you must live in a terrible country with horrible people if they judge you over a telephone. What if you drive a half nice car, do they worship you?
Yes, I am a Filipino living in the States.
----------
Not all people are like that but majority of them are.
Yes, if you drive a car you will receive a pretty nice treatment and people will always be around because they want to hitch a ride.
Again, not all of my countrymen are like this but majority of them are (sad to say).
Since this thread has lasted for 6 pages the notion of Apple being a status symbol is clearly a plausible concept and worthy of debate.
No one would bother replying otherwise.
If I create a thread that asks "Why is Gateway a status symbol", no one would care because the idea is laughable.
No one would bother replying otherwise.
If I create a thread that asks "Why is Gateway a status symbol", no one would care because the idea is laughable.
I think it's silly to argue Apple isn't a status symbol. It certainly is. As others have said, it's precisely marketed to be a status symbol. People definitely comment on my Air when I'm out with it, and people most definitely comment on my Thunderbolt display when they come over.
Whether it rightfully deserves it or not, I think that's up for debate.
Whether it rightfully deserves it or not, I think that's up for debate.
Okay, Apple is a status symbol then.
I don't view it that way, but to each their own.
Last edited:
The stress point seems to be the volume button area. These, apparently, aren't from drops. They're just from being in pockets. Maybe making the device only longer wasn't the best idea.
http://www.tekcore.co.uk/2012/10/10/iphone-5-bend-gate/
It's official. Apple was first to make bendable displays. Samsung, prepare your lawyers.
So, are these ppl putting their phone in their back pants pocket and sitting down??
Disagree completely.
Sorry if this is controversial, but I think anybody who thinks a phone grants any kind of status is a fool.