Unapologetically Smart
or How I decided to get an iPhone 5c
Moving to the US brought another issue to the table that I wasn't really aware of. The frequencies our cell phones work at here, and back at home are a bit different. The result — a poor signal that was driving me nuts for months. Changing the phone was the only solution, and since I wasn't ready to join the Android crew, I had to wait for the iPhone keynote to upgrade my Apple buddy. It finally happened a month ago and I believe you are aware of the outcome. Apple stocks dropped more than 5% in a day, and the biggest fans of Apple claimed that Steve Jobs was rolling in his grave after he had seen that plastic piece of c. 5c to be more precise. They said it is unexciting, kitsch and everything Apple had never been. But is it really like that? As a proud 5c owner, I tried to be as objective as possible and explain what was the reasoning behind my decision to get this phone.
It is ugly
Whole design thinking approach has gone a bit too far in Silicon Valley. Everybody’s talking about flat design, and things are not classy anymore if they are not minimal. However, reality proves us wrong. Look at the people around you. Are all of them wearing black turtlenecks? Probably not.
Henry Ford had that idea of one car, colored in black. 100+ years later, not many cars are black or white, but rather rich in colors. People love colors, and they are one of the ways for them to express. They tested this hypothesis with iPods, and since it was highly successful it was just a matter of time when it would be applied to iPhone.
It is not really cheap
It is cheaper enough. When you are an average Joe who is deciding between a $100 and $200 buck phone for the similar set of relevant features (social networking, multimedia, camera) this difference might be a deal breaker. Same features — double the price, I guess there is quite a bunch of people who will find this unacceptable.
It is plastic
iPhone 3G and 3Gs were as well and no one really complained. The first iPod, Apple TV and the new Mac Pro. All plastic and all beautiful. Plastic might not look as fancy as glass or aluminium but it certainly has advantages. It is lighter, cheaper and more durable. Still don't like it? 5s is there to make you happy.
Functionality over form
Not everyone is a Silicon Valley geek who is drooling over the Touch ID fingerprint scanner, or a cinematographer who has been waiting for years to make a slo-mo video with his pocket device. I won’t even go that far to mention the 64-bit processor. iPhone is not a privilege of early adopters anymore, but rather in the late majority phase. Those are the people who enjoy iPhone’s above-mentioned functionalities and like the possibilities and status it provides. They want to be cool and hip, but there is also a price limit they are not likely to cross.
Unapologetically smart, or time to say goodbye?
With iPhone 5s as their high end offering for the picky ones and those who don't really care about the price tag, and 5c for the rest of people who want to have an iPhone, it seems that there is still lots of room for Apple’s growth. Cook might not be the greatest innovator that ever existed, but one thing about this guy is sure — he knows how to sell, and he is the best at it. Thus, instead of making early conclusions and saying this is the biggest failure since Steve’s comeback as many did I would rather wait for the sales figures to prove us right/wrong.
