Just wanted to chime in that I pre-ordered the gold 5s and am still waiting for it, however, I did go into the Apple Store over the weekend and take a look at a gold one and, boy, it's not really that gold. It's not bling or shiny, it's really subdued and muted, more like a light champagne than anything really eye-catching. In fact, when I picked it up I actually thought it was the silver one and started looking around for the true gold iPhone. That's how subdued it really is.
Everyone I know has also ordered gold. My guess is that it's the new color so everyone wants the new stuff. Gold may become the most popular color yet.
Is he chiding the reader? I just felt that he pointed out that those things are fashionable right now, even though a lot of us in the tech crowd think they're silly - just like the gold iPhone.
buy the black/white one and you may have to actually engage in conversation. Buy the golden one, everyone knows.
It is like buying a $30k audi A1 with a custom made $500k engine and drivetrain. If you just buy the $300k R8, everyone will know you have the disposable income. the custom A1 or a spiffed up TT though will be much more fun if you actually race it though. which is not relevant here as we are only talking about style since the phones are the same.
So, everyone only wants the golden one for the smug feeling when they take it out of their pockets. And that sells, as the article proves.
Also, any fashion study will tell you that a brand can't launch a 'thing'. Gold phones are NOT in fashion. they may be if enough influential people wants to partake in the smug feeling mentioned above. But until that happens, it is just a very temporal thing that will only last until samsung launches a golden one.
>Apple didn’t release something out of style to which mindless sheep are flocking because it’s new. Apple released something in-style to which millions are flocking because it’s attractive.
I'm sure there are plenty in each camp. There are people flocking towards it because it's now. And there are people buying it because it's attractive.
Sometimes new is attractive. I know at least 3 people on my own Family Plan are getting silver or gold because they are 'tired of black'. No big deal.
I think a lot of people get too worked up over other people's personal opinions. And in the end, I'm not sure that anyone will really care about the color (gold, black, or whatever) in 2 weeks.
I think that there is a 'self definition' (whether right or wrong) that takes place with a device decision. When people choose an iPhone or Android phone, they start to identify with that brand. The same can be said of color.
Back in 2007 I remember listening to a student and his father shopping for a Mac. He refused to buy the lower cost white one because it was girly. He had to get the top of the MacBooks black model.
I think the self definition aspect of the purchase lasts much longer than a couple weeks.
Just like my bright white Sony Ericsson that I purchased 6-7 years ago, I'm looking to buy the gold iPhone mostly because it is highly visible in low-light situations.
Waking up, going to sleep, stumbling around in the dark, the gold phone will be a lot easier to locate than my current black one.
So, he's not 'mindless flocking sheep' because he wants new device from apple. He wants it because it's fashionable. I can't help it, but it sounds like 'mindless flocking sheep' to me, too.
techies don't want the bling crowd to encroach on their territory?
If anything, its a gift to the snatch and run crowd.
Sadly there is a clique out there that sees status in what type of phone or laptop you have. Its this generations 3 series. Personal expression of wealth, or pseudo wealth. Jersey Shore, Kardassians, and the ilk.
The techies reject this use of their domain, hence the disdain expressed by many. My opinion, gaudy.
It's easy to pretend that we don't care what other people think.
The gold colored iPhone is polarizing. Those that don't like it care that others do like it, and want to convince people to agree with them. (and vice versa).
Well, I waited outside the Los Gatos store for 36 hours, 1st in line and I got the ONLY gold iphone. People behind me were mad and one lady offered $100 + a 16gb Space Grey to give up the gold iPhone. I declined.
Why did I want one? It is different. It is not the typical white and black that we have come to expect. It really does look nice! A change of pace.
It's just the easiest to discuss. Everyone can have an opinion on color, even if they're not technical. Personally, after playing with it for a bit, I think the camera is the most exciting asepct of the device, but it's not nearly as entertaining (or easy, or contentious) of a subject
Desktop PCs used to be beige, or rarely black. Now they come in colors with LED lights, and all kinds of decoration.
Cars used to come in black, now they have colors.
It's like that for everything - at first you just want the thing for the functionality. Later you also want it to look nice.
I've sometimes waited to buy a new gizmo till I see it offered in colors - that's my sign that the product is "finished" and is as good as it's going to get. (It's true for games too - do you know games where you can change the color/outfit of the character?)
I got the pink iPhone 5c 'cause I like that color and they don't have purple. And it makes good conversation about how pink is "for girls" but that's just society telling you that, I'm a rebel!
The images on apple.com make it seem closer to red. Maybe it's my monitor here are work (though other colors seem fine). Nothing wrong with pink, but you're braver than I.
Edit:
I went back and some of the other pictures make it a bit clearer. Also the selection says pink in the html so I guess it must just be my eyes.
It's really hard to separate one's thinking from current trends and fashions, but I try my hardest to do it. I don't think most do, though, or even realize how influenced they are by their environment.
Even if no one wanted the gold color, the babble in the press is gold itself. I wonder how much of this was foreseen, or even instigated by the PR flacks.
I see it as common marketing strategy. It's all about shifting the conversation from "do I really need an incremental smartphone upgrade?" to "are you getting the gold or sticking with white?" I realise its significantly more nuanced than that, but at the core, its subtly changing the decision process of the consumer.
The comments in this thread, the blog post itself, and all the other media coverage, is all playing the same game; it underpins most tech coverage - be it android/ios, xbox/sony, mac/pac - its about setting up either/ors and removing the decision of none.
Why is this even significant? The OP's logic makes no sense. He claims that gold isn't for mindless fanboys who want the new thing because it's new, but then claims that gold is for mindless fanboys who want the new thing because it's shiny and gold instead.
[+] [-] flyosity|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] veemjeem|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] trevmckendrick|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] stackcollision|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Strang|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] GuiA|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ianstallings|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] JohnTHaller|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] gcb0|12 years ago|reply
You can buy the new iphone? you will show it off.
buy the black/white one and you may have to actually engage in conversation. Buy the golden one, everyone knows.
It is like buying a $30k audi A1 with a custom made $500k engine and drivetrain. If you just buy the $300k R8, everyone will know you have the disposable income. the custom A1 or a spiffed up TT though will be much more fun if you actually race it though. which is not relevant here as we are only talking about style since the phones are the same.
So, everyone only wants the golden one for the smug feeling when they take it out of their pockets. And that sells, as the article proves.
Also, any fashion study will tell you that a brand can't launch a 'thing'. Gold phones are NOT in fashion. they may be if enough influential people wants to partake in the smug feeling mentioned above. But until that happens, it is just a very temporal thing that will only last until samsung launches a golden one.
[+] [-] jkhowland|12 years ago|reply
This one really got to me: https://twitter.com/eEditor/status/381084430611144704
The iPhone is a fashion item, and is going to follow fashion trends. This includes going gold.
[+] [-] talmand|12 years ago|reply
Chromatic: Red, Blue, Green, White, Black Metallic: Gold, Silver
Bummer, Takhisis is winning.
[+] [-] r00fus|12 years ago|reply
tap Green iPhone, Regenerate.
[+] [-] kefka|12 years ago|reply
(Although if you break open a Gold iphone, you can get a Aurak..)
[+] [-] calebhicks|12 years ago|reply
I'm sure there are plenty in each camp. There are people flocking towards it because it's now. And there are people buying it because it's attractive.
Sometimes new is attractive. I know at least 3 people on my own Family Plan are getting silver or gold because they are 'tired of black'. No big deal.
I think a lot of people get too worked up over other people's personal opinions. And in the end, I'm not sure that anyone will really care about the color (gold, black, or whatever) in 2 weeks.
[+] [-] jkhowland|12 years ago|reply
Back in 2007 I remember listening to a student and his father shopping for a Mac. He refused to buy the lower cost white one because it was girly. He had to get the top of the MacBooks black model.
I think the self definition aspect of the purchase lasts much longer than a couple weeks.
[+] [-] Arkson|12 years ago|reply
Waking up, going to sleep, stumbling around in the dark, the gold phone will be a lot easier to locate than my current black one.
[+] [-] eric_cc|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] prodigal_erik|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] koudi|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] badman_ting|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] Shivetya|12 years ago|reply
If anything, its a gift to the snatch and run crowd.
Sadly there is a clique out there that sees status in what type of phone or laptop you have. Its this generations 3 series. Personal expression of wealth, or pseudo wealth. Jersey Shore, Kardassians, and the ilk.
The techies reject this use of their domain, hence the disdain expressed by many. My opinion, gaudy.
[+] [-] jkhowland|12 years ago|reply
The gold colored iPhone is polarizing. Those that don't like it care that others do like it, and want to convince people to agree with them. (and vice versa).
[+] [-] jason_slack|12 years ago|reply
Why did I want one? It is different. It is not the typical white and black that we have come to expect. It really does look nice! A change of pace.
[+] [-] fsckin|12 years ago|reply
This is not a coincidence, and as you can see[0], it is working.
[0] http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2013-09-24/china-gold-9-millio...
[+] [-] Tichy|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] siegecraft|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] ars|12 years ago|reply
Desktop PCs used to be beige, or rarely black. Now they come in colors with LED lights, and all kinds of decoration.
Cars used to come in black, now they have colors.
It's like that for everything - at first you just want the thing for the functionality. Later you also want it to look nice.
I've sometimes waited to buy a new gizmo till I see it offered in colors - that's my sign that the product is "finished" and is as good as it's going to get. (It's true for games too - do you know games where you can change the color/outfit of the character?)
[+] [-] alex_c|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] igorgue|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] hfsktr|12 years ago|reply
Edit: I went back and some of the other pictures make it a bit clearer. Also the selection says pink in the html so I guess it must just be my eyes.
[+] [-] trevmckendrick|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] andrewljohnson|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] heyitsnick|12 years ago|reply
The comments in this thread, the blog post itself, and all the other media coverage, is all playing the same game; it underpins most tech coverage - be it android/ios, xbox/sony, mac/pac - its about setting up either/ors and removing the decision of none.
[+] [-] kunai|12 years ago|reply
What the hell?
[+] [-] moogleii|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|12 years ago|reply
[deleted]
[+] [-] pm90|12 years ago|reply
[+] [-] unknown|12 years ago|reply
[deleted]