In this day and age, technology has come to the forefront of human innovation. Technology impacts our lives each and every second of each and every day. A huge piece in this technological hurricane that has engulfed the 21st century is the smartphone. The most popular smartphone is without question Apple's iPhone. However, there are lots of questions as to why this is the case. I am interested in the question as to why the iPhone is consistently chosen over similar smartphones of other brand names because it is a phenomenon that is in my everyday life. My whole family has iPhones, including my extended family. My friends all have iPhones, my teachers do, and the fellow South Carolinian I pass while crossing the street also have an iPhone as well. Personally, I have been confronted with this issue when I went to the store to get a new phone because my contract was up. Upon my arrival, a sales associate was trying to talk me into a newer (and more expensive) android smartphone. I was adamant that I wanted the iPhone. The sales associate was perplexed, and asked me why I was so adamant about the iPhone. To my surprise, I really had no answer. And that is why I decided to research this topic, because I have realized the phenomenon that is the iPhone being the most popular smartphone and since this affects my everyday life, I am extremely qualified to talk about this topic. This question does affect my values, because it is a question about the value that I place on a certain product and why I decide to take one product over another, and this decision making process is one that is integral to my everyday life. I believe that the iPhone is the best smartphone and consistently chosen over its competitors because of a combination of intriguing attributes, persuasive marketing, and an overall commitment to excellence that has become expected of the company and thus created a cult following.  

In "Our Guide to the iPhone 6s/6s Plus," the Wirecutter.com team of Dan Frakes and Michael Kennelly assert that the iPhone is "still the best smartphone for most people" (Frakes 1). The team explains that the iPhone is by far the easiest phone to set up right out of the box. It has simple step-by-step guides that come up on the screen to easily allow the new owner to get their phone up and running. As the team at Wirecutter says in their article, "it has the highest functionality-to-annoyingness ratio among the gadgets we own" (Frakes 1). The Apple team has also added new and cool features such as the "Live Photo" feature, which allows one to see the couple seconds before and after a picture was taken. The article asserts that the iPhone has more customizable features that are seamlessly introduced to new users in a friendly interface that allows young kids and elderly grandparents both easily use the phone. This core value of Apple to appeal to the masses could be pointed to as a reason for why they have skyrocketed past the other smartphone competition. If an iPhone is one's first smartphone, and the setup and novel usage of the smartphone capabilities are easy and seamless, then there is an extremely high possibility that when it is time to get a new phone, those who were taken aback by the simplicity of the iPhone will return to it, and thus Apple has hooked more customers for life. If a new smartphone user picks up an Android phone and finds it exceedingly complicated and gets headaches just from trying to traverse the interface, then there is also a chance that they will succumb to the iPhone after hearing others talk of its ease to master. This can be pointed to being one of the reasons that Apple and the iPhone have been able to develop such a popularity among the masses and a fervor around the world.

The adoration of the iPhone continues in the article "9 Reasons Why iPhones Are Better Than Androids."  In this article, Steve Kovach lists many ways that support the iPhone-centric community of smartphone users. He notes that Apple has a monopoly on the best apps, allowing many of the apps to come out months earlier in the app store for iPhone users to have first before all the other smartphone users. The article admits, "Yes, you can find most of the same popular apps on Android, but they don't always have the better features and designs" (Kovach 1). This notion is shared among most tech savvy indivduals. A key component of Apple's monopoly on the smartphone game is that "as developers design apps for iOS first, the resulting apps look way better on the iPhone than on any other phone." (Buzzle 1) These developers develop apps on the iPhone first for a reason. The iOS software is very easy to work with, yet at the same time has an awesome power that can be released when app developers know what they are doing. This allows apps to run the gamut from simplistic technological endeavors by your typical nerdy, "techy" kid next door to supreme technological feats attained by some of the brightest minds in the world today. Since these apps come out on the iPhone first, then the hiccups that are associated with the iPhone versions are ironed out first, resulting in the iPhone getting the perfect product faster. And, since these apps are designed specifally for the iOS software, it is no wonder that they perform best when on the screen of an iPhone. The diversity of Apple's app offerings is one of their biggest draws. So if you are looking to have the best apps first, followed along with a beautiful design layout; then the iPhone is definitely the smartphone for you. Kovach also notes that the iPhone pays extra attention to aesthetic detail, which is why  The iPhone consistently has a better designs than Android phones." (Kovach 1) Many people are drawn to items simply by how they look; it is a universal truth, and one that marketers are well aware of and try to build upon when designing and advertising for their products. However, Apple has always seemingly had the superior looking phone, no matter how hard the people who make Androids try. This almost definitely is responsible for drawing in prospective customers that then become hooked to the beautiful outside of the iPhone, not to mention the inside. Many a young girl and boy may choose their phone based on what looks the "coolest." Apple understands this, and uses this human tendency to make a killing. 

The same conclusion is made in "iPhone Competitions Comparisons: Why iPhone Is The Best." In this article, the author notes that the iPhone was the first of its kind. After the iPhone was conceived, nearly every technology giant made a smartphone to compete with it. These were all answers to the original. The iPhone is truly the granddaddy of them all. He notes that Apple found a blueprint for success that was made possible by the time they were afforded by being the first to foray into the smartphone market. After finding this blueprint, most following versions of the phone "followed the same script" (Buzzle 1) and instead of changing their product every year, the developers would only change aspects of the iPhone that were faulty in the previous version, that the consumers didn't like in the previous version, or that new technology afforded them to do. This format allowed the developers to pay attention to detail as the vast majority of their product would remain the same, allowing some to make the claim that "no other product that can surpass it" (Buzzle 1), The iPhone also owns the application market as stated in previous articles, and this is huge because a huge chunk of what makes a smartphone a smartphone is the applications on it. The layout of the iPhone is also very appealing and many people prefer it to that of other smartphones. In addition, the apps have different layouts on the different phones, and once again the most aesthetically pleasing layouts are found on the iPhone. This author values the opportunity cost of a particular item, in the case smartphones. He puts the iPhone up against every one of its competitors, and notes what you give up and what you gain when you choose one over the other. When highlighted this way, it is clear that the iPhone is the best overall package when it comes to a smartphone. If you need a smartphone to be an extreme asset in one particular area or another, then there are phone that are a better fit for you than the iPhone. But, if you don't fall in one of these niche markets, then the iPhone is the phone for you. Since the majority of the population isn't in a niche market, this explains the iPhone superiority.  

Apple's features are some of the most innovative and exciting things in the world. This is another reason why customers keep coming back to them on top of the new customers that the company hooks every single day. Apple was one of the first smartphone makers to implement a fingerprint sensor, and the first one to perfect it. Besides just being a cool gimmick, this sensor adds another layer of simplicity to the iPhone. However, this simplicity is coupled with functionality and innovation. The fingerprint sensor can be used to stabilize home security, "such as arming your system" (DeMers 1). If linked up properly, it can also unlock your car and acess cameras at home, and these functions do not just stop at security. These features allow for more simplicity in everyday life. If running late for work or when it is cold outside, the ability to turn on the vehicle from the warmness of one's home while eating breakfast is an excellent way of multitasking. In addition, the ability to check in on the kids while at work can be comforting and also help prevent harm from coming the way of innocent children. This feature also allows the iPhone to become even more like a computer. Since all humans have different fingerprints, this allows the iPhone to have different profiles for different users, much akin to the profiles of a Mac. This feature could open the door for the long-awaited ability for phones to truly take over computers in the technological universe and replace them. Another cool aspect that is still in the works is the ability to buy groceries from home using the fingerprint sensor. None of the competing Androids have any feature remotely close to this, and Apple notices this fact. That is why their marketers constantly mention the fingerprint sensor and its capabilities. They drive in the usefulness of the iPhone's fingerprint sensor, and make it seem as if you are missing out without one. Apple knows their iPhone's strengths, and makes it a point to highlight these so that the general public feels that they need an iPhone. 

Apple has made it a point to not lose the software battle on the smartphone, as they did with computers. In fact, they are the software leaders in the phone industry. And, they update their software constantly. This means that any bugs that are in Apple's system are being taken care of almost instantaneously. This is in stark contrast to that of their competitors. Androids update software at such an infuriatingly slow pace that almost the only way to get new software is to buy a new phone, unless you wait an eternity. This is evidenced by the fact that Android's new software, "Marshmallow, was officially launched last October" and now in April only 2.3 % of all Android users have the software. (Matyszczyk) That is an absurd number and goes to show just how fast Apple is with their software. This effort to please is evident in everything that Apple does. The iPhone rose to its immense popularity in part because of the popularity of other Apple products. The iCloud allows Apple products to seamlessly be used together and share information and material. The iPhone is coupled with iTunes, by favorite online music storage and purchasing site in the world. And, the phone easily works with Macbooks. Macbooks can even get texts from iPhones, which can be very helpful in case of a dead phone, or worse, a lost phone. The ability to text on the computer may also lead to students easily being able to text in class, unfortunately. But aspects such as this can be pointed to as some of the reasons behind why Apple and their iPhone are constantly considered the "cool" tech items by those who are most in touch with the technological revolution we find ourselves in. And, it distances the iPhone from Androids. Droid phones have to use countless 3rd party apps, and don't have any unique connection in any way that Apple's products do, once again making the smartphone experience much more annoying and confusing for their customers. In addition, Apple has some of the best customer service that this world has ever seen. Everyone knows of the mystic yet incredible Apple Store, and their incredibly gifted employees. Everyone knows of this retail store chain because Apple made it a priority to open them up everywhere. They were ridiculed for this, as nothing like this had ever been done in the business and it seemed almost pointless. Yet, once, again, Apple sensed that something was missing and became pioneers. It seems like such a simple idea, but the fact that "Apple retail stores only specialize in one thing  --  fixing Apple products" (Heisler 1) was such a novel idea. The closest resemblance to the Genius Bar in Apple Stores is the Geek Squad of Best Buy, and these Geeks have to know how to fix every piece of technology that is thrown at them. Because of the vast amount of technological devices and the limits of the human brain, this results in them not being able to fully specialize in any products. Enter the Apple Store, where almost any problem can be solved in minutes. They also canceled out the traditional retailer, increasing their profit margins while simultaneously making the consumer's buying experience much simpler. As we all know, there is no Droid Store. This is another instance of Apple showing that they are a cut above the rest, and shows that the iPhone is the best and most popular smartphone for a number of reasons, some of which do not include the physical phone itself. 

Android lovers and aficionados may say that the iPhone is not the best smartphone because the Android is more powerful. But, Apple does more with less when it comes to the hardware. When it comes to iPhones, "they've proven superior performance to some other Android devices with 2GB RAM or more." (Williams 1) iPhones only have 1GB of RAM, so for anyone with any knowledge of technology, the fact that these devices do better than Androids with only half the power of hardware is downright astounding. It is true that the Android has more powerful hardware. It also is fully customizable. The iPhone can only become customizable when it is jailbroken, and this voids the warranty with Apple. Phones are made for the majority of the consumer market. It is a fact that most people don't look for full customization when looking for phones, which nullifies this advantage. The vast majority of consumers want some customization, not full customization, which Apple offers. Android also has some apps on the Google store and features that iPhone users are still waiting for. However, these apps and features seem to be better on the iPhone when they do come out on that device. And, some of these apps are denied from the Apple Store, which detractors will say is "locking you out of innovation," (Pash 1) but this is simply a company protecting its brand from competitors with the almost the same product. It is a simple fact that Apple's developers do a better job, as evidenced by their previous products. This is the reason why there is no uproar for Droid phones when they have these features; only for iPhones when they are released at a later date. Apple and their iPhones consistently prove that they are the best, even when they are thrown into the fire of competition. 

Smartphones are perhaps the hallmark of the technological revolution that we live in. And, iPhones are everywhere when it comes to smartphones. This is because they are the best smartphone out there. They are the most functional yet powerful piece of technology there is. This allows them to rope in new customers while also appeasing those who need their smartphone to be exceedingly smart. They also have the best apps and most innovative features. This is why the iPhone is constantly being talked about in the news. Droids usually lag behind iPhones in easiness to use and quality of their apps and features. And there is no competition with iPhones when it comes to customer service. This enhances the product to its revered state that it has occupied for years. The iPhone will always be the best smartphone while it is the most popular smartphone, because its popularity stems from how it pleases the masses. And all iPhones do is innovate and find new ways to please. 
