As the smartphone market continues to receive an increase in
offerings, many analysts have begun to speculate about the long-term fate of
Apple’s flagship mobile device, the pioneering iPhone. With costs of $199,
$299, and $399 for various iPhone 5s models (not including the hefty two- year
contract required by most wireless carriers), consumers are increasingly forced
to compare Apple’s line to the considerably more affordable competition, with a
variety of models that come with the coveted $99 price tag. As smartphones
become more common throughout the world, there are several corresponding trends
that may ultimately weigh down the iPhone’s success:
High Turnover Rates Can Limit The Appeal Of Expensive
Smartphones
We’re currently in an age of rapid technological growth that
mirrors the home-PC explosion of the early 90’s. With mobile devices getting
outperformed by newer models on an annual basis, there may soon come a point
when the premium expense of the iPhone becomes too unattractive to the majority
of consumers.
Tablets Are Getting Cheaper And More Powerful, And Come With
Wireless Capabilities
The days are gone when tablets were nothing but luxury
gadgets that were only usable within a Wi-Fi network. Their size, power, and
wireless carrier plans now make them attractive alternatives to smartphones, a
fact that may start impacting the relatively pricey iPhone.
The Abundance Of Cloud Storage Is Making Large Storage Drive
Devices Obsolete
With the main difference between the $199 and $299 iPhone 5s
being the storage space (16 GB and 32 GB respectively), Apple seems to still be
banking heavily on a certain percentage of consumers needing extra room for
digital media storage. However, the abundance of cloud storage and streaming
media apps have rapidly reduced the need for large storage drives—particularly
for mobile devices—making the higher GB iPhones a much tougher sell in today’s
world.
Apple’s Combination Of Premium Devices And Annual Releases May
Finally Be Working Against The iPhone
Providing a high standard for premium devices while
simultaneously pushing technology forward is a tall order for any company, even
for a powerhouse like Apple. With Nokia, Samsung, and several other companies
making great inroads into the smartphone market with entry-level products, Apple
may unfortunately start undermining itself by insisting on releasing new iPhone
models as frequently as its cheaper competition.
With the overall mobile market clearly favoring newness over
premium capabilities and durability—at least for now—the iPhone 5S may have
found the price ceiling for modern smartphones, with $299-$399 tags becomingly
increasingly scarce, especially with multi-year contracts with wireless
carriers.
Author bio:
John is a blogger who recently switched wireless carriers,
and is greatly enjoying the freedom of a month-to-month smartphone contract. He
writes for gadget
insurer Protect Your Bubble, who can help protect your smartphone from
spills, drops, theft, and much more.
