Overall, I’m really sick of Apple. Their new smartwatch
unveiling did not ease my disgust. There are plenty of other smartwatches out
there that have similar or even the same functions, but are substantially
cheaper just because it doesn't have the Apple name. For instance, I have the
Pebble watch, which started as a Kickstarter campaign in 2012, and became the
highest-grossing campaign of the year. It isn't incredibly fancy, but it
certainly gets the job done. It has a wide variety of watch faces that you can
download, along with games, music control, and notifications from your
smartphone. The newest product from the company, Pebble Time, broke many
Kickstarter records less than two weeks ago by reaching its goal of $500,000 in
half an hour and clearing over a million in an hour. Its new colored features
and microphone make it more similar to the Apple Watch, though it maintains its
core of a simple and focused design. When it goes on the market, the new Pebble
Time will be $199 and available to iOS and Android phones alike. The new Apple
Watch will be anywhere between $349 and $10,000 and only available for iPhone 5
or later. However, this post isn't just about watches.
The only Apple products I've ever owned have been iPods. I
currently own an iPod classic that I bought in 2009. It isn't doing well and I've
been wanting to get a new one, but as soon as mine started faltering, Apple
decided to discontinue the iPod classic. The only Apple device capable of
holding 160 GB is now off the market. I’ll be honest and say that this device
lasted me well over the years, but now I will have to find another way to hold
all of my music in a portable player. My Android phone cannot hold my library
of music that is now over 100 GB, unless I use the 128 GB SD card, which isn't
even available for iPhones. Personal gripes aside, there is a much larger issue
with Apple.
As with all new technologies, there will be a social issue
with who is capable of affording them. Now that most Americans can afford a
smartphone, the next question is if they’re willing to spend hundreds of
dollars on a smartwatch? Since people have started carrying cell phones, watch
use has declined incredibly. Even within the world of Apple users, there may be
a shift between the upper-class and middle-class customers, due to this
luxurious product. What’s even worse is the mentality of many Apple users that
they must have this product, simply
because it is an Apple product. No doubt, there will be insanely long lines
outside of countless Apple stores on the day of the Apple Watch’s release.
This company’s attitudes and behaviors grow more off-putting
with each year. Apple doesn't necessarily put out the best products for their customers;
it just puts out some marked-up gadget that the customers might not even need,
but then entraps them with slick looks and brainwashing advertisements to
create this twisted and addictive culture.
I sense a lot of hate towards Apple in your post, and that's great. I had a similar blog last week about the Apple Watch, but my complaint was for slightly different reasons. I certainly agree with the social issues that will arise from this product in addition to the inevitable 'mindless sheep' who will jump on anything with an Apple logo on it. My main complaint was that this watch is not a standalone product, and requires syncing to an iPhone. I think if this watch can work as a phone itself, then it will be well worth the asking price. Otherwise, I see this watch as nothing more than a fashion statement, which ironically, is what most Apple products are to begin with. So is it really that horrible? No. But from a technological standpoint, I'd like to see this watch be more than an accessory in the future.
ReplyDeleteStan, I agree with you to an extent, but I still have some problems. I'm not going to buy an iWatch, and I'm not going to say that a good number of people aren't going to buy an iWatch because the ghost of Steve Jobs haunts their dreams at night. The asking price is way too high.
ReplyDeleteBut, I'm writing this comment on my iPhone 6+. A very long time ago I had an android phone. It didn't do what I needed it to do. The operating system was just not what it is today, and I wasn't happy with my purchase from day one. So I switched to iPhone in 2012, and I have had significantly less problems. I know I'm going to drop a lot of money on a phone, so I may as well drop it on the company I've had better experiences with.
I also own a Mac. I prefer OSX to Windows. Also my computer is really good-looking. This means nothing to you, but that's fine. I just want you to know that the company does put out products that I prefer over competitors. I don't mind paying the price for something that I know is quality. But I drew the line this week. There will be no iWatch on my wrist.