Last Updated on March 31, 2023
It is fairly easy to find Apple product users on any given day. The iPhone is one of the most popular and costly cellphones due to its attractive design and extensive App Store. While some argue that its high price reflects the high quality of its hardware and software, iPhones are not simply expensive devices that only the wealthy can purchase. While an iPhone may merely be a fantastic phone for upper-class people, it can also be a way for middle- and lower-class people to experience a part of the upper-class lifestyle. Though anyone who can afford to buy an iPhone can possess one, the association of apple products with upper-class status is what makes it so appealing to people of all social classes.
In 2014, Apple debuted the iPhone 5c, a more cheap iPhone made of plastic. People who previously couldn’t afford the iPhone could finally purchase one because of the cheaper pricing. However, the iPhone 5c did not perform as well as anticipated. Hence, the iPhone 5c was discontinued.
Originally, iPhones were associated with the higher class, and the metal construction and high price were the distinguishing features that set the iPhone apart from other, more affordable phones. The iPhone 5C lacked these characteristics and failed to convey the upper-class lifestyle successfully. As a result, some people disliked it since it diminished their ability to project a higher social level. The upper-class status that an iPhone conveys to its owner accounts for much of its value. The less expensive iPhone was a flop, and iPhones are still represented in the media status symbols.
What is a Status Symbol?
As previously said, various goods might be used to classify you as affluent or not wealthy. A status symbol is any object that is used to determine your social and economic status.
Culture and value shift status symbols. In capitalistic societies or cultures, where private enterprises and people possess capital goods, these objects are linked to monetary prosperity. Others, such as fighters, the army, or pilots, use their profession as a prestige symbol. Scars on the body are also used to indicate courage or honour, and hence serve as a status symbol.
The following are the most common status symbols:
Expensive Items: Luxury vehicles, watches, phones, jewellery, and other items fall into this category. These products are more expensive than a down payment on a property. They are status symbols because they are largely inaccessible to the lower economic groups. Because their utility is derived from their high price, demand for status symbols rises when they grow more expensive.
Uniforms: These denote membership in a group like law enforcement or the military. It could also represent the owner’s speciality, rank, tenure, and other aspects of his or her social status inside the company. These outfits may have medals, decorations, or badges that indicate the wearer’s official or heroic position.
Why Apple Products Are Seen as Status Symbols
People make financial assessments based on the phone the assessed is using. As a result, someone with an iPhone is classified as having a high income because Apple products are typically seen as status symbols. As a result, owning an Apple iPhone puts you among the wealthy and famous, as these items are marketed at exorbitant rates, raising the bar.
People use their iPhones without a protective case, thus elevating its prestige signal. It demonstrates to everyone around you that you are unconcerned with the risk of dropping it and the cost of fixing any damage. As a result, the iPhone’s worth is determined by its price. The cost of having the most recent iPhone model is considerable, indicating that it is a premium item available only to the wealthy. Just look at the iPhone 13 Pro Max 1TB which costs roughly $1,599 (almost 1 million Naira). According to prior launch dates, new iPhone 14 models could be released in September 2022. The new model will be presented by Apple’s marketing staff as the best of the previously released models. So only the wealthy can afford to upgrade to the current version.
Furthermore, Apple provides a perception of exclusivity and poshness to its customers. It’s simple to send and receive files from one Android phone to another, even if they’re from different manufacturers. This is not the case, however, with Apple devices such as iPhones. To put it another way, you can only link devices made by this manufacturer.
The more Apple products you rack up, the richer you look to society. If you see a person talking on an iPhone, typing on a Macbook, with an Apple watch on the wrist, and Airpods in their ears, you’d impulsively assume the person is wealthy… or has wealthy parents.
Having a status symbol item does not always imply wealth. Regular individuals who may not be able to afford the glamorous life of a celebrity will want to buy the latest version of the device so they can at least say “I have the same phone as Kim Kardashian.”
Will Apple Products Continue To Be Status Symbols?
Despite a long-standing rivalry between Android and Apple users, with both sides proclaiming their device to be the greatest, Android customers frequently switch to Apple goods. Apple users rarely switch back to Microsoft. Even brand ambassadors for Android Phones Use iPhone Is it because of outstanding features or because of great branding?
Apple has become the most valuable brand on the planet. It has a net worth twice that of Microsoft. According to experts, Apple is not just the world’s most popular brand, but also the most successful firm in history.
Detractors are eager to point out Apple’s shortcomings and dismiss it as a status symbol for individuals who prefer flash to cash. Apple, on the other hand, is responsible for various distinct selling factors that contributed to its early success before it became fashionable.
A Winning Combination
Apple established a digital powerhouse by combining a range of features: security, elegant design, and user-friendly interfaces. Despite being the most popular smartphone on the market, the iPhone continues to represent an exclusive lifestyle for some buyers.
Technology is the planet’s most rapidly evolving resource. In less than two decades, our phones have evolved from cumbersome, inconvenient devices to sleek, fashionable must-have accessories. Nobody knows what the future holds for the next status symbol. Will the popularity of Apple products continue to grow as more people purchase one? Or will another technological miracle arrive and toss the iPhone aside?
Our fascination with technology suggests that the gadget market is wide open for other tech companies looking to release “the next great thing.” After all, Apple has only been in business for almost 40 years. Despite the fact that our quickly changing technologies make it nearly difficult to predict which device will be the next big thing, our fascination with new technology appears to be here to stay.
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