These days we’re technologically spoiled. So many advances have been made within the last decade that it’s nearly impossible to choose between which upcoming tech products are worth the investment. But despite ever-increasing consumer interest in purchasing tech products — especially given the record-breaking revenue the tech industry is projected to reach — Gen Z and millennials appear to have an interesting, often unnoticed, take on tech.
When asked if they would purchase newer iPhone models, an overwhelming 87.5 percent of millennials and Gen Z said no. Perhaps they’re riding high on the very apparent nostalgia train, in which passé products have become “in” again? Motorola certainly thinks so, going so far as to re-release it’s iconic RAZR.
The results of the poll as well as the revamped RAZR release are puzzling. The latter is the push to merge technology with nostalgia for a younger audience which — according to the poll — lacks the desire to buy the latest-and-greatest from tech brands. What’s more confusing is that when asked “Would you reboot vintage tech or buy new?”, 60 percent of our voters stated they’d opt to buy new.
What’s with the discrepancy? The younger generation’s love for nostalgia has nothing to do with the nostalgic thing itself, but with what it symbolizes. When it comes to tech, many can be heard saying that although they get more and more expensive, tech products are cheaply made. This is especially true in the critiques many have of the iPhone: the innovation and quality just isn’t there anymore (something which 59.2 percent of Tylt visitors feel as well). In fact, it would appear that the more expensive a tech product is, the more likely it is to break. That, or it will be almost required for consumers to get a newer installment not even two years later.
Tech’s true nostalgia lies in a well-made machine that last for years, not in an old flip phone. If one tech brand taps into this sentiment and releases a product that emphasizes the classic elements in its craft — its long-lasting guarantee, its durability, et cetera — the beneficial relationship it would henceforth have with newer generations could be astronomical.
We may be spoiled for technology, but the choices we have are rotten. Upcoming generations seem to want newer products that reflect the long-lasting quality of the past.
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