Are the new Apple products really worth it?

Anna Oluyomi, Contributing Writer

Have you heard about the new iPhone 6? This is the most recent topic on everyone’s mind. Apple has updated its devices once again, this time not just with another iPhone but also with a variety of other products and services including the Apple Watch and Apple Pay.

According to USA Today, “pre-orders for the new Apple iPhone 6 and larger iPhone 6 Plus began Friday [Sept. 12] and many outlets sold out quickly.” What makes the new iPhone and the other Apple products so popular among Americans? What makes Apple outshine their competitors?

Apple beats other digital companies when it comes to its physical appeal. The aesthetic design as well as its unique, multi-platform software functionality lures customers to empty out their wallets. Apple also offers a variety of colors and styles that can be personalized to fit each individual’s taste. After watching videos about the new Apple products, I myself wanted to buy them. However, there is more to a digital device than its physical appeal, right?

The technical capability of the device matters as well. Apple claims that the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus have faster connectivity, a better camera, 20 percent more CPU power, better battery life (11 hours vs. 10 hours in 5S model), and up to 128GB of storage. The Apple Watch holds multiple apps, can make calls, allows for conversations with friends, and can track the amount of exercise performed during the day. The Apple Pay simply offers a medium to make payments with a single touch. Of the three, the Apple Watch and Apple Pay products seem much more innovative than the new iPhones. In my opinion, Apple seems to be holding out on better iPhone designs in order to maximize profit.

From a business perspective, this “holding out” method is a good move. If you give out the most prized products at once, there will be none left for future years. Apple’s CEO, Tim Cook, has definitely maintained the company’s platform of innovation and mystique. Apple’s reputation as a chic and cool product has increased and made it harder for its competitors to run on its playing field. Apple has also gained such a high level of social status that people use its product as a way of fitting in with the popular crowd.

From a buyer’s perspective, I weigh the cost of the products with the services and benefits Apple promises to give me. Would it make sense for me to pay $200 to $500 dollars with a contract or $600 to $900 without a contract for the new iPhone? No! In my honest opinion, with the constant updating of Apple products, it will be a waste of money to buy a product whose version would die out within the next year. I suggest that you keep your money in your wallet until a much better or radically different iPhone comes out. These products have a temporal buzz surround them–remember when the iPhone 5 was cool?

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