The iPhone 4S: Need vs Want
Here in the gadget heaven that is the tech-blogosphere, I’ve been spending a lot of my spare time of late poring over the rave reviews of the iPhone 4S. After blog number 138, I came to the conclusion that I absolutely had to have it. The only sensible option was to move some money around and buy the damn thing. Otherwise, how would I function in the real world? How would I speak face-to-face with friends and family? And what was I doing with a phone less than 3 inches wide, to which I could not even dictate text messages? It was a mystery.
Taking a break for a brew, however, I gained some perspective. I asked myself what was wrong with my current handset. Could I make and receive calls? Yes. Text messages? Yes. Did I have the internet? Yes. And yet, I still felt compelled to call up that loan shark and make that purchase. So what was the problem?
The problem is that the iPhone 4S (and the other iPhones before it, it must be admitted) have ushered in an era of the possible, if not strictly necessary, in communication technology. I don’t need Siri voice activation technology, but boy would it be cool to dictate texts to my phone as I drive, or sit on the train, or make spag bol. With the new iPhone you can ask questions like ‘Will I need an umbrella?’ and have Siri recognise the request, look up the forecast and respond. Truly, Apple has embraced the hands-free element of portable communications, and the iPhone 4S undisputedly takes this crown, single - or rather non - handedly. But I could have read the forecast in the paper; looked it up on the internet; watched it on the telly.
And what’s more, I was perfectly happy to do so until I heard about the iPhone 4S.
I own a digital camera. It works a treat. But the iPhone 4S has an amazing 1080p camera. It’s so good, it’s almost like my digital camera – but it’s on my phone. Never mind that I already have a perfectly functional, better quality, stand-alone camera. I was swayed by the idea of the all-in-one, the phone that would be my go-to gadget come rain or shine - the phone to guide and bind us all.Similarly, Facetime, the non-Skype version of Skype that Apple has marketed as a means for keeping in touch, may be a wonderful bit of technology. But if I have Skype already, do I need it on my phone? The answer, of course, is no, but the iPhone is not about need - it’s about want.
In an inspired move, Apple has successfully enticed a demographic of buyers that know they don’t really need an iPhone. We do, however, want to be a part of one of the most innovative and technologically inventive products our generation has ever seen. (The space programme admittedly has a smidgen more of the wow factor, but I can’t throw a rocket in my handbag.) Apple’s pervasive marketing has made me believe that their products and innovations are part of the technology of the future. While I am detached enough to write this, I am still drawn to the smartphone that tops all others.
Reader, I have a confession to make: I bought an iPhone 4S contract. I put my hands up: I am now proudly on the waiting list for the newest trick up Apple’s sleeve. I don’t need it, but I sure as hell want it.
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