It is hard to find a student that does not possess an iPhone or some sort of smartphone these days.
Every time a new version of the iPhone releases,there are a select few students who are already lining up to order the latest iPhone.
“Apple comes out with new phones all the time,” senior Kunnica Kou said.
For the past few years, Apple has been releasing new iPhones, iPods, iPads and laptops on an annual basis. The reason for the rushed production is because other major companies, such as Samsung, have been catching up to Apple both in sales and production. The iPhone and Samsung Galaxy are practically identical phones, besides the design and software. The difference of both phones mostly comes down to preference and cost.
“When I was shopping for my last phone, I noticed that the Samsung Galaxy was cheaper,” English teacher Julia Hanneman said. “My brother also jokingly said he would disown me if I ever bought an Apple product.”
This year, Apple has produced, not only one, but two new versions of the iPhone. The iPhone 5c, which has a plastic colored cover; and the iPhone 5s that is much like the original iPhone 5 that was released last year but in a new color, champagne.
It seems that Apple has finally realized that their profits will double if they made their phones slightly cheaper with the introduction of the iPhone 5c. The new plastic cover on the 5c lowers the price by using inexpensive plastic for the back, instead of stainless steel. However, they did not just change the look of the iPhone.
Tech savvy students will be happy to find that the new phones include a faster processor as well as a fingerprint scanner.
The fingerprint scanner makes it so that the owners of the iPhone will be able to unlock their phone, buy apps and purchase anything from iTunes and iBooks using only their fingerprint. For those who are skeptical, they still have the option of setting up a password.
“I don’t really plan on using the finger scanner,” senior Brian Abedi said. “It doesn’t seem that great.”
It also seems like Apple has heard what the whole world had been saying for years: a longer battery life. Nowadays, people practically live on their phones, requiring a need for a lengthy battery life. Apple has finally made the new iPhone’s battery life longer. According to Apple CEO, Timothy Cook, in a recent meeting, the iPhone 5c and iPhone 5s include an A6 chip that has ten hours of LTE browsing time, ten hours of talk time and ten hours of video playback time.
For some students, buying the new iPhone is a waste due to rumors that Apple will release the iPhone 6 around June next year.
“I don’t want to get the iPhone 5s or 5c because they are always making new phones,” Kou said. “I might as well wait for the iPhone 6 to come out to buy a new phone.”
Adding to the many new updates, Apple released the new software update iOS 7 on Sept. 18 that completely transformed the look of the iPhone. With all new app designs and easier navigation throughout the phone. It includes AirDrop, a service that makes it possible for iPhone users to share files.
Despite the new advances by Samsung, people are still lining up to buy the next big thing.
“I am tired of the iPhone 4s that I have now,” Abedi said. “I am ready for something new.”