By Sean Spencer | Staff Writer
On Sept. 7, Apple revealed the new iPhone 7 and 7 Plus to mixed reactions. Many people, including Audrey Guskey, associate professor of marketing at Duquesne University, are wondering, “Are we over the iPhone?”
Controversially, the 3.5mm headphone jack is no longer on the iPhone. Instead, the Apple iPhone has a lightning connector for the new Apple EarPods. There will also be an adaptor for traditional headphones.
Guskey asked 70 of her students if they plan to get the new iPhone. Only one said yes. She also didn’t sense any energy or buzz from the students about the product.
Some even said they’re waiting for the iPhone 8.
She said, though, that Apple “wrote the book” on marketing. They know how to read the market and the consumers, and they know the technology.
Guskey said that Apple succeeds in trying to be different by separating itself from the competition, for instance, in the way they launch their products.
According to USA Today, Amazon accidently “launched a specialized iPhone 7 accessories page hours before Apple made the actual announcement.” They also reported that Apple or Twitter released a tweet giving an update on the iPhone 7 shortly after 10 a.m. — it was quickly taken down.
Guskey was surprised that there was not as much pre-hype for the launch.
“[Apple has] a huge impact on everything from the consumer to the stock market,” Guskey said.
However, Guskey said that Apple does have some negative aspects.
She said that the company uses a marketing strategy involving the creation of a limited number of phones to create more hype on the product. This strategy makes the consumer feel the need to have the phone, even willing to camp overnight for the product.
Guskey voiced her displeasure of how people have grown too attached and dependent on technology and lost social touch, saying Apple is one of the main causes of it.
Students who attend schools in the area have different reactions to the new reveal.
Tara Craig, a freshman at Duquesne University, said she wants the iPhone 7 but that the phone is too similar to the iPhone 6s. She also said that “they’ve got to do something about the headphone jack not being attached to the phone.”
“Overall I think it’ll be a great add-on to Apple’s collection,” said Zachary Majors, a freshman at Point Park University. “The new headphones and charging ports will cause future problems for Apple.”
Majors also said the new color Jet Black is “sexy.”
According to techradar.com, the iPhone 7 and 7 plus are available for pre-orders and shipping will begin Sept. 16. Prices start at $649 for the 7 and $769 for the 7 plus. The memory storage options are now 32, 128 and 256 gigabytes of memory.
The phones have a brand new four-core, 64 bit A10 fusion power and will support iOS 10.
There are two new colors, “Jet Black” and “Black,” available for both phones. Additionally, the phones are now water and dust resistant.
Apple claims the iPhone 7 has the longest lasting battery ever, lasting two hours longer than the iPhone 6s.
Despite some believed setbacks, Guskey still thinks people will buy it. The “innovators” will purchase it solely because they feel like they have to.
The hype is still there regardless.
