Students and GBC computer store supervisor question if the new iPhone 6 is worth the price
PHOTO: FLICKR USER KARLIS DAMBRANS (CC BY 2.0)
As has become customary for Apple enthusiasts, September means the release of a new iPhone since the release of its first generation iPhones in 2007.
On Sept. 19 Apple released its eighth generation of iPhones: the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 plus. These two new phones marked the first significant changes in screen size since the iPhone 5.
The iPhone 6 is 4.7 inches with a 6.9 mm thickness and the iPhone 6 plus is 5.5 inches with a 7.1 mm thickness. Both are equipped with a new A8 chip, an M8 motion coprocessor, Touch ID, faster LTE wireless, an 8MP iSight camera with Focus Pixels, and iOS 8.
The price for the iPhone 6 starts at $749 and the iPhone6 plus starts at $859. The phone was sold out at the Eaton Centre Apple store location by 7 a.m. as staff took orders from people in line before doors opened at 8 a.m.
Four Li, a second-year graphic design student and part time employee at the St. James computer store says “I would continue to support Apple, I really like iCloud, it makes my life so much easier but I won’t upgrade to the iPhone 6 because it’s too big, it’s overpriced and the specs of my phone, the iPhone 4S is enough for me.”
Thousands of people lined up at Apple stores across Canada to get their hands on the new phone the first day they became available at retail stores, but not every tech fan left happy. The new phones, which haven’t even been out a month, have already hit record sales for the tech giant with equally impressive sales of accessories for the new phones.
Apple had high hopes of capturing some of their competitor’s customers by increasing the screen size of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus but many people were not amused.
“I used to have an iPhone 5S, now I’m using a Samsung S5,” said Darren Feng, the store supervisor at the St. James computer store. “I don’t like iPhones anymore because it’s overpriced, it’s very limited to usability and overall it doesn’t give me the flexibility and the openness of doing what I want to do on my device. I converted my family and everybody from iPad, iPhone, Mac to all Samsung and PC devices and now they’re much happier.”
He also added “There’s a lot of choices of different kinds of phones and my phone is waterproof so I can drop in the water. You don’t have to worry about dropping your phone in water or a drain, you can just pick it up and clean it up. I even answer my phone when I’m in the shower, so I don’t have to worry about waiting until I finish my shower so I can text message. iPhones just don’t have those kinds of features.”
Apple also suffered major criticism over the bendability of the new phones, dubbed “bendgate.” Social media and online forums have been abuzz with comments about how the new phones can bend when placed in back pockets or while wearing skinny jeans. “I don’t think I would want to spend over $1000 on a phone that would bend,” said Feng.
