The iPhone obsession

This leads to a weird phenomenon where people, for which the iPhone is obviously outside of their price range, will make sacrifices, just so they can have the latest device by Apple. Getting a piece of technology to make yourself look like you are better off might sound ridiculous to some, but the mind can be easily tricked, and people might really feel better having an iPhone to play around with while eating instant noodles. Lives are revolving so much around smartphones today that an expensive device can be an oasis you go to temporarily escape from your troubles. And what better way to scroll through celebrity Instagram vacation pictures than on the same phone they used to take said pictures?

Something even harder to explain are the lines in front of Apple stores. People sometimes spend multiple days camping on the street before the release of the latest iPhone, just to get one a few days earlier than if they’ve ordered it online. This is more similar to the release of a new Star Wars movie than to the launch of a device that happens every year.


This cult-like loyalty can’t be achieved purely by marketing. And it’s not something hardware specs can trigger either. Now Android phones can match or exceed the measurable qualities of iPhones, but the “cool” factor still weighs heavily in Apple’s favor. The combination of all the factors we talked about has made Apple more than just a tech company: it is now closer to a lifestyle company that sells technology products to support that lifestyle. The strong customer base it has created allows them not only to reap financial benefits, but also to get away with things other manufacturers would pay dearly for. People defend Apple, sometimes illogically, not because that’s the brand of their smartphone, but because that’s a tribe to which they belong. And an attack on their tribe is an attack on them.

Of course, on the Android side of things there are strong brand communities as well: besides Samsung, the Chinese brands Xiaomi and OnePlus have some of the most dedicated users. The difference is that for them, it’s more about what the device can do functionally, rather than what it represents in society.


It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when smartphones became such a factor in our lives, but thanks to their usefulness and relatively short lifespan, buying a phone has become one of the more important purchasing decisions people make. And the factors that go into account when making that decision can be so different, that people almost get into physical confrontations because of differences in smartphone preferences.

And while factors like “What would people think if I have this phone?” might seem silly and superficial to some, humans have proven time and time again that the image we’re going after has a big influence over our actions. Sometimes a slight shift in perspective can be enough to understand behavior that might seem illogical or perplexing. For some an iPhone might be an overpriced manifestation of capitalism, but for others it’s a piece of a world beyond their reach. And it’s important to remember that both states aren't mutually exclusive.