Important purchases are often those that cost the most, or perhaps which have other significance to us as consumers. We may have been led to such a purchase out of necessity, ego, or other factors. Most recently, I purchased an Apple iPhone 7 Plus Smartphone. This decision was predicated upon a number of factors, including need, market forces, and cultural issues, as discussed further herein.
First, as to the issue of need, I had been a fairly devout Samsung and Android platform user. I had contemplated making a switch to an iPhone because I already use the Apple platform for computing at home and in school. My hesitation has always been the fact that Apple is constantly rolling out the next greatest phone (Gokey, 2017) and I am always afraid to make a large dollar investment on something that might not be the latest and greatest. I finally made the switch however, out of necessity and that fact that I am not allowed to even board a plane with my former Samsung Galaxy Note 7, either on me or in my check in luggage.
Next, there is the issue of market forces that drove me to an iPhone as a purchasing decision. The Samsung product clearly had issues in terms of future viability, and the market did not react favorably towards the company and its new liabilities stemming from injuries and property loss caused by the Note 7. This made me think about the ramifications on future product research and development and made me shift my attention to a product that has continuously been a market darling, the iPhone. In the end, I felt I was making a better investment for the future with a company that had less technical issues, at least at this particular time.
Lastly, my decision to purchase an iPhone was predicated upon cultural issues such as image, ego, and self-acceptance. I was one of the only people in my social network who held on to Samsung and Android technology. Everyone else I knew was an iPhone user, and I too of course, want to be as hip, sexy, and technologically on point as the next person. These important personal factors, along with the tech and market influences helped to seal the iPhone deal for me once and for all.
- Gokey, M. (Feb. 5, 2017). “Apple iPhone 7S and 7S Plus rumors and news.” Digital Trends.
Retrieved from: http://www.digitaltrends.com/mobile/iphone-7s-news/
