Twenty five percent of all American cell phone users currently own an iPhone as of September 2013 (Bosic). IPhones have become a sense of status to the American people. By owning an iPhone it makes a statement of class, a statement the iPhone has been making since its unveiling. When the iPhone first debuted in 2007 it was priced at $599 and considered a piece of luxury (Kelly). While iPhones can now be subsidized with a two-year contract, the iPhone is still considered to be luxurious (Kelly). Apple’s iPhone has transformed the way American culture communicates, how productive they can be and even their mental capacity, simply by changing the way American view cell phones.
The very first iPhone was released on June 29, 2007. Although
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Ryan Block of Engadget said of the first iPhone,
“To date no one’s made a phone that does so much with so little, and despite the numerous foible of the iPhones gesture-based touchscreen interface, the learning curve is surprisingly low. It’s totally clear that with the iPhone, Apple raised the bar not only for the cellphone but for the portable media players and multifunction convergence devices in general (Ritchie).”
Block had a very valid point when speaking about the learning curve of the iPhone’s, which allowed the iPhone to be used by nearly everyone. Apple also raised the bar by creating tougher competition for the smartphone market. Before the iPhone, only Blackberry, Palm and Nokia were in the smartphone market. When the iPhone came into the market, though they had a few bumps and software mishaps, the device was unlike anything before it. Since iPhone has come out, Palm no longer exists as a smartphone company, and Nokia and Blackberry are almost no more.
As Apple advanced its iPhone hardware, they also updated its software and features (Sarwar and Tariq). As of recent, Apple’s iPhones advanced communication features include Face Time, Picture Message, iMessage, and social media apps such as Facebook, Instagram and Twitter. Apple’s iPhone has made it almost impossible for someone not to be able to contact others. Before the iPhone there were limited ways to contact someone; now there are
The functionality of the iPhone’s operating system is so smooth and advanced, it out performs Android operated device. Apple’s innovation and creativity has helped it to become the best mobile operating system on the market, “Because Apple makes both the hardware and the operating system for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch, everything is designed to work
When Steve Jobs unveiled the iPhone at the Macworld convention in January of 2007, a tidal change in the way users communicate with one another was unleashed. The phone, which combined the already popular attributes of an iPod with the traditional cell phone, was an instant success, selling millions of units even at the initially haughty price of $599 each (Vogelstein, 2008). The theory behind the creation of the phone was deceptively simple: combine an MP3 player with a Blackberry, camera, and regular cell phone operating on a sleek touch-screen controlled software system. Consumers were finally freed from carrying separate devices to perform all they tasks they now wanted to away from home. In one simple hand-held device they could take pictures, listen to music, play games, communicate with friends and family, and even surf the Internet. This one device changed the way that people began sharing information, allowing them to instantly access information anywhere in the world while also transmitting it just as quickly. The iPhone is now universally recognized and has become a cultural artifact in our times.
Technology has advanced at a rapid rate over the past decade. We can now do things on the go, including social networking, shop, check email, not to mention, make a call. As technology develops, electronics get smaller and smaller. Over 10 years ago, cell phones were the size of (if not larger than) cordless house phones. We would only see them being carried by business men or lawyers. Now there are 8 year olds with blackberry’s. Cell phones are a huge part of most of our lives, But what effects have they had on American culture?
“More than three billion people worldwide now use the internet (Time), and 80 percent of them access if from their smartphones” (Smart Insights). A smartphone is a mobile phone that performs many of the functions of a computer, typically having a touchscreen interface, and much more. There is an abundant amount of smartphone brands out there in the world and while they all cost different prices, they all perform the same job. Each person uses their smartphone for various reasons, whether it’s for work or to make calls or texts. Smartphones have changed society in various ways, both good and bad. Although countless individuals think that smartphones have ruined American society, smartphones have actually benefited society because of more safety precautions, information on hand, and entertainment.
There is no debate that our generation is the most technologically advanced generation to ever inhabit the Earth. In the last few decades we have literally changed almost every aspect of our way of life. What took people days or months to do can be done now in seconds. There are many new advancement that have had major effects on our society, and (probably) one of the most popular of these advancements is the iPhone. A smart phone that is seemingly capable of almost anything. From instantly messaging and calling people, browsing the internet, playing games, taking pictures/video, buying apps that make life easier, etc. The list goes on and on. This critique will look at current sociology research to see exactly how this
New top-end mobile phones such as the Apple Iphone are allowing a new class of mobile to emerge in the world today. Combined with its ease of use, rich design, and well-organized application system through Apple App Store makes the Iphone an appealing platform for development of other smartphones. The Apple IPhone was released on June 29, 2007 by CEO of Apple Steve Jobs (Honan). The IPhone offers many of the innovative features found on competing devices, but it also differs from other smartphones on the market.
With 87 percent of American adults owning a cell phone (Jerpi, 2013), it becomes obvious that cell phones have become a staple device in today’s society. Although cell phones offer convenience, they arguably come with negative affects. Cell Phones have become one of the fastest emerging technologies (Campbell, 2006). With 87 percent of American adults and teenagers owning a cell phone (Jerpi, 2013), it becomes obvious that cell phones have become a staple device in today’s society. Since the release of the first cell phone, they have immensely evolved and some would say, have become an essential to everyday life. Although cell phones offer convenience, they arguably come with negative and impactful effects on our social
Over the last decade, electronic-based companies such as Samsung and Apple have collaborated with cellular-phone carriers, and have studied the average consumer to find endless ways to improve the cellular phone. As a result, the smart phone was born. With their ability to provide users with instant access to communication, entertainment, Internet access, calendar, news, social media, and much more, the smart phone revolutionized and shifted the path of modern technology. In 2006, Apple began this revolution with their release of the iPhone. Being the first proper smart phone, many other companies attempted to mimic the unbeatable features and technology that Apple had included with the iPhone.
This past weekend, Apple launched the new iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus smartphone line to the public. Approximately 10 million devices were sold in three days, and this did not include any sales in China. Since their original release in June of 2007, an over 500 million devices have been sold worldwide (Rogowsky, 2014), making this gadget common in nearly every home across the United States. The iPhone is practical and makes some daily tasks easier to accomplish; however, some social psychologists believe social interactions are significantly changing due to this obsessive use of cell
Over the past decade, advancements in communication technology have rapidly surpassed our wildest dreams. A particular branch of communication technology known as smartphones, more specifically the iPhone, has encompassed all social demographics with its amazing capabilities. However, through the iPhone’s technical abilities merging with social dynamics creating a socio-technical ensemble; its portrayal in four different forms in the media, as well as becoming naturalized in society and its affects on human anxiety, it is evident that the iPhone has many helpful intended capabilities, but also un-conceived repercussions.
Without saying, the iPhone does no less of a job than any of the smart phones out in the market. More importantly, Apple has re-demonstrated to the world that their logo represents innovation and reliability. The advantages of having a big brand name means that people know your product, and believe in it. What Apple has over small companies and startup companies is a financial leverage over them. Instead of mass advertisement, apple can feed more of its money into R & D which can allow them to fuel the economy with new innovating idea’s and products. Strengths: 1) Brand name- Highly recognized name from previous products like Apple computers and iPod & iTunes. Known for offering multi-functional, reliable and cutting edge products- that is design capabilities of products. 2) Capital- profits from its long established operations give iPhone financial leverage or R & D Startup Company’s lack. Weaknesses: Like almost all products, the iPhone is not entirely flawless. Its major weakness is its limited channels of distribution. Unlike the IPod, which are sold through many retailers, the iPhone canonly be sold in AT&T stores, T-mobile, and Apple stores. Although AT&T is the largest phone service provider in the United States, they only currently serve 58 million out of 2.14 billion cell phone subscribers. Besides for their poor channels of
At first, I was going to analyze and write about smartphones, however I found it more efficient to write also about a particular smartphone to narrow it down from such a broad technological artifact, such as answering who designed it, what for, what their position and the impact they want to have on society was, and their future visions. Therefore, I chose the iPhone as the centerpiece of smartphones I will be analyzing and an emphasis on applications. However, some of this information is relevant and interchangeable to all other smartphones. IPhones and smartphones allow us to access constant information and offer it the way we want it, as it is completely customizable now to fit our learning style. They keep us organized, send information to us in different ways, even shape and offer solutions such as for politics, economies, problems whether individual ones or globally. Smartphones capitalize on shared knowledge and has opened the door to inventors and those who have the knowledge to make our world a more connected place and lives easier by sharing it with us to use. We are able to communicate with other people far off, through space-time compression or shrinking-space to gather news and information.
The willingness of people to buy the iPhone X despite its exorbitant price proves the severity of the consumerist nature of the modern capitalist society. In the past, Apple produced iPhones that were priced to appeal to the upper middle class consumer. However, the iPhone X has a starting price of $999 which clearly indicates that it is a high-end smartphone that is meant to cater to the affluent and higher classes of the modern capitalist society. Thus, Apple’s iPhone X is instrumental in promoting social fragmentation by creating a division between those who can afford it and those who cannot. This elevates the iPhone X from a mere smartphone to a symbol of social status. People’s readiness to spend thousands of
With Apple being so far ahead of their competition, the only problem one can foresee in Apple’s future is how long they can sustain such innovation before they plateau. Apple does a phenomenal job at releasing their innovative products before their competition, but if their innovation cannot hold steady, this may lead to changes in demand for their products considerably. This can be seen with their release of the iPhone, the first successful touch screen cellular phone. Although people swarmed to the iPhone when it was first released because of its advanced technology, as the years have passed, other similar designs, including those with android and windows based operating systems, have drawn a considerable portion of the market. A clear representation of Apple’s attempt to regain some of this market can be seen when the iPhone was released to Verizon Wireless’ customers in
Pew (2017) examined the change in ownership of smartphones over time in the United States, the relationship to owning other mobile devices, and the prevalence of smartphone dependency. American are increasingly connected to the “digital” world via smartphones and other mobile devices. According to Pew research surveys in 2017 over 95% of Americans own a cellphone of some kind while 77% own and operate a smartphone. The percentage of smartphone ownership has increased tremendously compared to the first survey conducted in 2011, where only 35% of Americans had a smartphone. Smartphone ownership also exhibits a wide variation based on age, household income and educational attainment while maintaining a correlation with ownership of other mobile devices.