A few years ago, Apple was the cool hip ‘alternative’ that everyone was rushing to buy. But then Apple grew and consumer sentiment about it evolved. Today, Apple faces a very realistic possibility of being replaced by Android phones, as more and more users migrate to them. Samsung has openly claimed that its phones are far superior to Apple by challenging the Silicon Valley company directly in its ad campaigns. Android phones also come in almost every price range from an array of brands, which increases the likelihood of a new buyer picking Google’s OS in store.
High school and college students were always key target groups for Apple, and the company has been meticulous about its student discounts and deals. MacBooks and MacBook Pros are pervasive across college campuses and anything less is just not acceptable. However, student perception about Apple’s phones is significantly changing, and not for the better. Richard Sloan, a professor at the University of California-Berkeley, reports that his students aren’t very likely to be too excited when the iPhone 6 comes out. This is symptomatic of the general attitude towards Apple in college.
According to a Nielsen’s report, 56% of the phones purchased last summer were Android phones. To be fair, Google has adopted a very different ideology by making Android freely available to hardware makers. For a company like Apple that cares so much about exclusivity, that kind of model would never work. On the other hand, Apple doesn’t really hold its “think different” charm anymore. Allen Adamson, managing director of branding firm Landor Associates, echoes this view and believes that the problem lies in the fact that everyone’s phone looks like an iPhone. A Survey Monkey poll generated divided opinions, but notably, 38% respondents were quoted saying that Apple’s products are now a little less cool.
Eli Blumenthal, founder of TeensTalkTech and a student at Baruch College at The City University of New York, still believes in the Apple phenomenon and claims that the iPhone maintains its position at the top in most teens’ lists for the purchase of their next phone. Jonathan Chien, a junior in computer science at MIT and an iPod owner himself, appreciates Apple products for being very well put together. Greg Voakes, general manager of HackCollege.com, asserts that the game really belongs to the OS with the best apps. iOS and Android are tied in that respect.
