Apple has brainwashed Americans into buying the same exact phone every year with a slightly different camera bump. They'll shame anyone who doesn't have an iPhone, despite many of those phones being vastly superior to the iPhones. At what point do we admit it's not about the product's quality anymore, but about the cult of the brand?

? Apple is popular WORLDWIDE

I don't think it's just Americans, and most people aren't doing yearly upgrades anymore.

5 minutes ago, Space Cowboy said:

Apple has brainwashed Americans into buying the same exact phone every year with a slightly different camera bump. They'll shame anyone who doesn't have an iPhone, despite many of those phones being vastly superior to the iPhones. At what point do we admit it's not about the product's quality anymore, but about the cult of the brand?

yes 

Apple are capitalist asf and rarely have innovations at this point, but they are still the best phone by omega far

1. Very few people buy a new iPhone every year.
2. Idk what else you want from your smartphone at this point.

Very few people buy new phones every year. It seemed that way for years but it was only because smartphones were new. I think laptops and computers were also replaced annually at first. 

Americans in general are really weird about brands and consumerism. They'll try to shame you about anything that isn't a recognizable brand regardless of quality.

You have a point but it's not only in America

It's not just Americans, it's worldwide.

Call me when Android's security improves. 

They definitely have and the fact that some of them genuinely get mad when you say iphones are overrated proves it  

Most people I know don't get a new phone every year, they wait their contract out and even go longer if its still working. I know for me I kept my 8 Plus for about five years, and only then did I upgrade to the 14 Plus. Not over financial reasons, but because I liked it and it worked.

 

Apple phones feel a lot easier to navigate than an Android in my experience. I've had to help my grandmother fix things on her phone and they don't seem easy to use especially for older generations. A lot of people just don't need all of the options that an Android has to offer.

 

With all of this said I'd never get a Mac over a PC, though.

I don't think anyone upgrades yearly anymore, tbh. 

 

And I'm sure other brands are better, but the way all my devices sync up so seamlessly means I'll most likely be an Apple user for the foreseeable future 

Status consciousness/anxiousness isn't exclusively an American thing though. Plus the consumption tendencies that arise from this is pretty common in different cultures and societies. 
 

 

23 minutes ago, Space Cowboy said:

Apple has brainwashed Americans into buying the same exact phone every year with a slightly different camera bump. They'll shame anyone who doesn't have an iPhone, despite many of those phones being vastly superior to the iPhones. At what point do we admit it's not about the product's quality anymore, but about the cult of the brand?

Agree, but it is not just Americans. EU has bought into this scam too and so have our leaders. It's ******* derranged and wasteful. 

That's just the smartphone market nowdays, the last 5 or so Samsung Galaxy S models look all the same. Paying premium for durability and water resistance only to get rid of the phone in a year is ridiculous. 

Edited September 12, 2025Sep 12 by Illuminati

Not just Apple but big American corporations in general like Disney, Google etc. that everything else that isn't American or European made are inferior 

every year I see worthwhile upgrades. The 15 I have now would get massive upgrades moving to 17, always on display, 10 more hours battery, stronger display, promotion, new front camera, new ultra wide camera, faster charging, better Bluetooth and WiFi chips.

 

the people who think they're selling the same phone every year aren't doing the research and you're not being forced at gunpoint to upgrade, the phones are supported for like a decade on their OS, which is more than can be said for Android

'Muricans also think that having "the newest bestestest thing" is a necessity to have when they can't afford it so they go into credit card debt for it.

 

25 minutes ago, Post Malone said:

Apple are capitalist asf and rarely have innovations at this point, but they are still the best phone by omega far

Rarely have innovations but the battery life on all 17 models is a substantial jump thanks to their new power efficient C1 modem and A19 chips

 

and the entire Mac lineup on apple silicon has substantially lowered energy use and improved battery life, you never really hear the fan kick in on a MacBook or feel heat since they switched from intel to their in house chips

 

There are innovations in every corner of their product line in the past few years  

Edited September 12, 2025Sep 12 by HexMayhem

Apple makes incremental updates to ensure that people continue buying and upgrading year after year. I'm sure they have developed incredible technological advancements in their labs, but are waiting many years to announce them. 

I don't know a single soul who is upgrading their iPhone every year 

Especially on Asians actually

 

This is silly. 
 

The entire smartphone market is incredibly mature now. Apple and Android have never been more similar. They've both stolen plenty from each other and do more so every year. Neither is improving at the rate they used to because the tech is simply mature, like computers. 
 

iPhones are also consistently reviewed to be among the best smartphones on the market by every reputable tech outlet. Thinking either Apple or Android is vastly superior to the other is cringe and weird and just tribalism…about a smartphone. Even more cringe than stans lmao.  
 

The reality is that Apple locked up the USA because America is an extremely wealthy country willing to shell out for non-budget phones. This happened over a decade ago and now Americans are locked into the Apple ecosystem of iMessage and FaceTime like the rest of the world is to WhatsApp. It's also not like iPhones aren't incredibly popular worldwide. You're comparing 3/4 Apple phones to hundreds/thousands of Android offerings. Considering that, their market share is extremely high everywhere. It's just insanely high in the US. 

Edited September 12, 2025Sep 12 by DevilsRollTheDice