iPhone Duo, iPhone 18 just launched: How the iPhone became the ultimate status symbol

Tell me you are rich without telling me you are rich. The easiest option is to just flash your iPhone at me. You don’t even have to tell me it’s an iPhone. If it’s sleek and has the insignia of a once-bitten apple on it, all it needs is one glance and you’ve settled any questions.

It’s not just the price point though – although that is one measure of exclusivity. It is far more famous than its more bejewelled with tech or titanium counterparts for it does two things: the first is it enters you into a club that’s large enough to be part of popular culture yet small enough to invite envy. The second is, because of various easy-to-own incentives and easy availability, it is an aspirational goalpost that is more accessible now than it has ever been. All you need to do is find the right plan.

The iPhone entered the market positioned as an indulgent buy – even the bitten Apple logo clearly alludes to a sinful choice. But that shadow only served to create momentum for the good-looking piece of machinery; when it was launched in 2007, it was sleeker than its then peers. Today, it still carries that model-like aura. Like the iPhone Duo, which is foldable. Or the recent iPhone 18s with lenses that physically contract or dilate – like a DSLR but in a much, much more compact package.

The processing speed has gotten faster – the Apple A20 Pro chip offers an over 20 per cent performance leap. But even with the new features, it doesn’t compromise on the promises of light, sleek, and easily identifiable.

With the iPhone came a bit of the chicken and egg situation – the founders/leaders/businessmen in charge of the company are techfluencers (pioneers in their field, in fact) and as it is with influencers known for a niche industry, their choices matter, their pitch matters. But did the phone come first or did the fame and reach of Steve Jobs?

The iPhone began its existence as the starting point of a journey that required much like a role-playing-game purchases that complemented the original and made it a little more complete. With the iPhone, for instance, if you had the Mac, it would make your data all part of one universe, making saving, borrowing, and storing information easy on both devices. The chargers, called lightening cables, then were also specific to the product – adding another layer of exclusivity and another way to boast without actually boasting. Just put your charger in a socket – everyone knows which device the cable belongs to. Today, the change in charger style – that move to Type-C chargers – has only added to the aspirational element of it; it’s easier than ever to charge and you only have to afford one.

Pretty tech

The aesthetic of an iPhone – all Apple products really – is chic, minimal, futuristic. It doesn’t scream but quietly announces its presence. By flaunting the latest, the owner does the same.

And because it maxes an aura so completely, it also gently sways others into wanting to do the same thing. If enough people in a group get it – and somehow they always do – it becomes more a necessity than a desire. Afterall, one needs it to seamlessly share files, take selfies, and talk about the tech. When you are faced with choices of adulation or becoming a pariah, the idea of spending a tad extra for the gadget seems less like a choice and more like inevitability.

It can get a bit annoying when you’ve just settled into your iPhone skin that the model sees an upgrade. A hotter, better version that is marketed as the thing that will make you the most popular among your friends.  Also pushing you towards the new purchase is the fact that when there’s a new phone in town, the older version comes across as a little old, a little tired gizmo.

However, not everyone gets an iPhone for status. Some are just charmed by the easy-to-use interface, the many features including reliable software, strong integration between devices, and regular security updates.

Comfort also comes into play here – once you’ve gotten used to an interface, that familiarity may cause you to return to the Apple section.

The iPhone is available everywhere - and with a call to own so ubiquitous that you may think it your own idea.

So, I guess the real question is: Have you taken a bite of the Apple pie yet?