Apple Mobile Communication Technology - Essay Example

? MOBILE TECHNOLOGY AND THE YOUTH: A CASE OF APPLE IPHONE BY Mobile Technology and the Youth: A Case of Apple iPhone ‘Apple consolidated its gains, marked its territory of 30M users+25K apps+800M downloads and built a very deep and wide moat around it. A moat so formidable that there’s not a single smartphone player capable of overcoming it.’ (Kontra, 2009) Mobile communication technology has been traversing through the traditional patterns of human behavior. The increasing variety of mobile communication devices is influencing people’s lives considerably, directly, and on a huge scale; no technology has ever been taken on so rapidly by so many people. Mobile communication has turned out to be an indispensable part of contemporary life, a need, and a way of life. Mobile media, especially, is the up-and-coming digital interconnected media form that focuses on cellular mobile networks and meets with other technologies such as the Internet and portable music and video devices. Amongst the number of mobile phone designs that have been developed in mobile media market, none of the handset manufacturers have been able to reproduce the user experience of the iPhone. Thus, it will not be wrong in saying that other smartphone possess similar features, but they do not equal the sleekness, pinching, and other features of the Apple iPhone (Faber, 2008). The present study seeks to study the different aspects of social theory, cultural history and psychoanalysis to explore the historical significance of consumption of the currently highly popular iPhone and its role in contemporary psychosocial life. These new types of mobile media and the related psychosocial meanings are such recent and dynamic phenomena that their influences on society and human behavior are yet to be observed. However, what remains for sure is the fact that the new smartphones, and especially the iPhone, have given users unparalleled connectivity, greatly enlarging their social reach and power to change remote physical circumstances. Some of the effects of mobile technology on people include empowerment and liberatiion, evading the limitations of a certain ordering in regards to blurring of the boundaries between public and private areas and domestication of the outer world (Katz, 2006). It is in light of this that the present study seeks to explore different aspects of social theory, cultural history and psychoanalysis to explore the historical significance of consumption of Apple iPhone and its role in contemporary psychosocial life of the youth. The study further aims to provide an analysis of satisfaction, fears and desires that motivate consumer behavior and the processes of individual consumption of Apple iPhone. The study aims to cover the consumption behaviors of the young adults who have bought and are using iPhone. Young adults are frequently linked with innovation (Rubicon, 2008), particularly for cell phones, and can, therefore, offer an understanding regarding the young adult’s behavior towards buying and using iPhone. Apple Inc. has surfaced from the market with its iPhone as simply the most publicized new mobile device in recent memory. Most publicized meaning, here, more than just most promoted, but also most fashionable and most talked about. This is illustrated, for example, in statistical reports, which assert that smartphones comprise of 56% of the UK mobile phone market, of which a surprising 80% is comprises of Apple’s iPhone (Admob, 2010). The iPhone is a remarkable thing to study. The reason behind this is not only its popularity, but its status as a new cultural artifact and the newest medium of contemporary culture. iPhone is has accomplished this status due to its links with a certain social behaviors such as accessing email through phone, which are particular to today’s culture or ways of living. It is cultural because it is linked with certain types of individuals such as young people who are technologically confident, with certain places such as the city, the train, the open air, the lecture room etc. It is cultural because it has been given or gained a social profile or identity, because it commonly materializes in and is symbolized within an individual’s visual languages and media of communication. In reality, the image of the iPhone as sleek, state-of-the-art, well-designed, has become a kind of symbol, which symbolizes a particular, late-modern, technological culture or way of life – a cultural artifact (Storey, 2003). Similarly, this connotation of the iPhone is also built through certain positioning strategies, in which being ‘similar to’ and ‘different from’ other related gadgets make up the mobile phone’s identity. Basically, the iPhone is a mobile phone with Internet capabilities, but so are several other smartphones, and some PDAs. iPhone is ‘similar to’ and ‘different from’ them in ways that grant it its own, particular, cultural meaning. The iPhone is a standardized product, but its huge potential for personalizing applications according to one’s own needs and preferences has attracted a number of people, resulting in huge number of differentiated uses and behaviors (Consumer behavior report: iPhone trends, 2008). Apple has been famous developing fashionable and revolutionary electronic consumer products that draw huge number of followers. Already prior to its launch, speculations were being made extensively about the outlook, the functions and about the general features of the product. The observable or at least recorded account of the Apple iPhone begins with the instruction of Steve Jobbs, CEO of Apple for engineers to begin exploring touch screens, at that point in time, most probably still had the development of Apple tablet PCs in mind. However, in April 2003, he declared that the development of conventional PDAs or tablet PCs was not the future for Apple (Kobie, 2009). Confirming early guesses, Apple CEO Steve Jobs in January revealed the iPhone at the Macworld Conference and Expo in San Francisco. As soon as it was obvious that Apple would definitely release its iPhone in 2007, analysts and commentators started guessing about the specifications of the device and whether Apple could in fact maintain its own in the competitive, merciless mobile phone market. In response to all the hype surrounding the iPhone, cell phone companies started designing their strategies for competing with Apple, in spite of of the fact that the iPhone had yet to establish itself as a true competitor (Skipworth, 2011). At last, Apple surprised the world on June 29th 2007 when they decided to fearlessly enter the mobile phone market with the first generation iPhone (2G). At the time, Steve Jobs expressed it as “a revolutionary and magical product that is literally five years' ahead of any other mobile phone.” The iPhone was supposed to stand for the integration of Apples iPod with a cell phone/wireless internet device. In spite of the phone’s widespread availability, people stood in lines through the night to be the first to buy one. Before the launch of the next iPhone, Apple revealed its third-party application plans – which ultimately developed into a major success that is the App Store. On July 11th, 2008 Apple provided the critics and users what they had been asking for, Fast 3G internet connectivity. Before the iPhone 3G even came out in the stores in July, it was selling out online. The company later released iPhone 3GS which included more features and on June 24, 2010, Apple launched the most recent generation of iPhone, that is, iPhone 4G which initiated face time calling and a higher resolution (Skipworth, 2011). The production of iPhone is a global endeavor. Manufacturers from China to US and UK to Taiwan; all join hand to bring the world one of the most innovative product of all times. Jony Ive, Senior Vice President of Design at Apple surely believes all the manufacturing processes and design innovations become obvious in the everyday use of the phone “the quality of the materials, the manufacturing precision and advanced technology, ultimately all of this becomes relevant when you hold it in your hand” (Davies, 2011). On the other hand, Apple’s suppliers not Apple itself have been involved in countless acts of humanitarian exploitation. Apple recently released a report that sought whether Apple suppliers were following the policies of the firm, and to discourage child labor and poor quality working conditions. However, this report revealed exactly the opposite of that discouragement, with a number of suppliers making use of child labor (Child labor used to manufacture iPhone, 2010). The report revealed that 3 companies had employed fifteen-year-old employees in countries which have a minimum working age of sixteen. Apple stopped doing business with one of these suppliers because of frequent breaches and insufficient measures to get their firm into order. The report further revealed 3 instances where suppliers provided inaccurate records to cover the usage of under-age workers and in furthermore, a number of companies worked their employees more than the maximum number of hour per week, and several Apple partners were found to be paying below the required minimum wage (Child labor used to manufacture iPhone, 2010). Apple for its part has done the best an organization can to deal these issues. The firm is trying to make out the source of the problem and is taking measures to overcome it. On the other hand, this is not the first controversy regarding Apple’s factories. Previously, a large number of workers were poisoned by n-hexane at a plant that supplies Apple and Nokia and a worker at one of Apple's key suppliers in Taiwan committed suicide after being accused of stealing an iPhone prototype (Child labor used to manufacture iPhone, 2010). In order to understand the hype behind this gadget, it is important to understand its marketing strategy and the individuals it targets. The iPhone’s marketing department looks to distinguish the phone from all other phones in the market. Similar to all Apple marketing, the iPhone is promoted in very clear, straightforward and intelligent manner. With the plain and simple apple logo, Apple emphasizes on its strength of innovation of their products without all the extravagance. The revolutionary style of the iPhone was publicized for months before the initial launch and has continued to be the best of the best when one talks about mobile phones in recent times. Before the iPhone's official launch, Apple ran four television commercials promoting the new mobile phone. These commercials displayed the convenience, innovation, and value of a single product which was not only a phone, or a music instrument, but a device that can, among other features, send and receive emails, take photos, browse the web and perform numerous other functions (Silverman, 2007). Along with televised advertisements, Apple also uses its official website to promote their products. This website not only offers information about the product; it is also a source of helpful tips and tricks regarding the iPhone, along with paying special attention to the apps. Apple's website is a great marketing tool for existing iPhone users and people who have an interest in buying it. These apps have been a great source of generating revenue for the company. As customers view top rated applications, they are more likely to download the app, rather than look through 25,000+ apps to hit upon one that might be of any value to them (Admob, 2010). Apple is famous for their straightforward, but catchy advertisements. In a few television advertisements for the phone, "There's an App for that" is the latest catch phrase that emphasizes on the apps offered at the App Store. Apps or applications range from games to commerce, education to leisure, economics to health and fitness, efficiency to social networking. These apps have been developed to make use of iPhone’s functions such as multi-tasking, web browsing, and many more (Admob, 2010). The company also issues a number of press releases that could have been issues in a single document (Silverman, 2007). Apple frequently utilizes this tool to amplify the buildup and leave the consumer with desiring for more (Silverman, 2007). With Apple's short press releases, providing the consumers little to move forward with, Apple utilized a law of social physics according to which news is like nature which detests emptiness (Silverman, 2007). In the nonexistence of solid information, individuals who are interested in products will grab any word that comes their way. Apple might publicly deny the rumors websites run to gather about the firm’s future endeavors, but secretly their marketing department must be pleased because it would be expensive to buy this kind of online advertising (Admob, 2010). With regards to its availability, iPhone is purchasable direct from Apple online, and from major third-party online retailers like Amazon.com. It is also available in Apple stores in U.S., Japan, U.K., Canada, and worldwide and all major electronics retailers; Wal-Mart, Best Buy, Circuit City, etc (Consumer behavior report: iPhone trends, 2008). The company initially focused on affluent younger male adults as their target market. Apple had hoped that with this target market, and the fact that 48% of this market did not previously possess an Apple iPod, would permit them to achieve their estimate of 10 million sales by the end of 2008. The reason behind this target market was Solutions Research Group’s carried out a cross-section of those aware of the phone. The firm revealed that majority of the males, in comparison to females, was most likely to explore a phone with a minimum price of $499 (Malley, 2007). Now, the obvious current target market for the Apple iPhone comprise of all young adults between the ages of 20 and 35, rich teenagers, jet-setters, and mobile workforce who work outside of the workplace. This segment of the populations needs to perform many functions without carrying multiple gadgets and more importantly style and individuality. Therefore, iPhone offers them with iPod, phone, video, TV shows, internet and PDA in one device and Apple branding as fashion statement (Rubicon, 2008). Similarly, being accessible and staying in contact are significant dimensions of young adult’s social lives, resulting in the concept of hyper-Coordination (Ling & Yttri, 2002) which usual for this age group. In addition, the usage of colloquial speech, contractions, emoticons and homophones is also distinctive of young adult’s texting behavior (Ling & Yttri, 2002). The usage of mobile technology has also redefined the boundaries of this social group by giving them a sense of individuality, affiliation, self-confidence and harmony, especially in comparison to the previous generations (Campbell, 2008). Thus, regardless of apprehensions and tensions surrounding young people’s use of mobile technology, owning a mobile phone also represents one’s independence and liberty (Matsuda, 2005). Numerous researches regarding the symbolic characteristics of mobile phone behavior have revealed that the acquiring new gadget is not the key reason behind people deciding to adopt it. These reasons can include the perception of mobile phone as fashion accessory is quite prevalent among young adults and adolescents. Wearable personal communication gadgets such as the mobile phone are deemed to be an integral part of the body, frequently like a second skin to its user and a significant part of one’s sense and presentation of self and an expression of their sense of style. The same manner in which clothing draws boundaries between different social factions, brand selection and physical appearance of the cell phone also symbolizes connection to a group and communicates messages about the self. The design, the physical outlook and tangible feel of a product are critical means of communicating with consumers, not only about function or basic use but at the same time about identity and meaning (Katz & Sugiyama, 2006). A frequent idea in the literature is the one of identity and how cell phone behavior is associated to the expression of the self and to the connections to the broader society. From this perspective, gadgets such as the cell phone appear to possess features of Crane’s cultural goods, that is, goods with ‘meaning embodied in how they circulate and into the nature of the public spaces in which they diffuse’. This paradigm of meaning brings to mind the encoding/decoding model put forward by Hall (1980), in which the process of encoding results in messages or semiotics, which are then decoded by the consumers or receivers. Such process requires mutual understanding between the sender and the receiver, or the message would not be communicated. Similarly, for the symbolic dimensions of cell phone behavior to be understood, there must be a mutual appreciation of what the message contains. Therefore, technologies such as the mobile phone have a set of characteristics linked with it; a way of using them, a set of knowledge, or competence, what is sometimes known as the social technology (Hall, 1980). A research carried out by Stanford University revealed that consumers of iPhone love their phone to an extent that they sleep with it. Majority of the users utilized the phone for purposes such as checking time and setting their alarm clock. Participants also revealed that the relationship of sleeping with their phone was not physical, rather they has developed an emotional relationship with their phone. This was illustrated from the fact that a number of participants had named their iPhone, patted it, and became anxious that their iPod was resentful of their iPhone. One of the most outstanding characteristics observed during the research was just how individuals identified with their iPhone. This identification was not merely based on the phone but the personal information that it contained which becomes a sort of an extension of the mind. Thus, the iPhone has become a huge part of their identity (Woollacott, 2010). More recently, the symbolic and emotional satisfactions of mobile phone usage have also been investigated by researchers such as Vincent (2005). Researchers have especially studied the close emotional attachment that a number of people have with their cell phones. Many of these people felt emotional about the information contained on and delivered through their cell phone and had come to depend on the gadget. Similarly, mobile phones are not only viewed as communication instruments, but as an image for the users, an expression of who they are and reflecting the users life during that specific period of time (Vincent, 2005). On the other hand, postmodern and post-structural paradigms of consumption consider it as a cultural method of being and a way of gaining acquiring identity, in which products function as instruments of identity creation. Products give the people symbolic ways to create certain identity formations where personalization is built in terms of an individual is what he/she possesses. Owning and keeping hold of a product are essential to its role possessions goes beyond the physicality of the human body and is psychologically reified through the notion that by asserting that something belongs to an individual also comes to believe that the object is them (Featherstone, 2007). Mobile phones, in particular iPhone, might be intentionally ‘acquired as a ‘‘second skin’’ in which others may see us’ (Storey, 1999), and usual behaviors related to their retention and care, such downloading apps and listening to music, serve to nurture and strengthen their position as objects of self-extension (Belk, 1995). Other actions such as buying mobile skins according to individual’s likings are more purposeful attempts at self-extension and identity formation (Belk, 1995). Furthermore, numerous researches have revealed significant gender differences surrounding the use of cell phones. For example, even as the public space is being revolutionized by individualized, convenient information and communication technology, the use of mobiles for entertainment within one’s own world, that is, music is more usual in males, while being in contact with others is usual for females (Chen & Lever, 2006). Moreover, males regard mobiles as basically a technology that makes them powerful and increases the independence from, not the connectedness with the social environment, the latter being more distinctive of female mobile communication behavior (Geser, 2006). For this reason, males are also inclined to investigate the growing new functional features of newest mobile phones, while females use a narrower range of, mainly communicational, functions (Geser, 2006). These findings have strengthened some relatively traditional gender patterns; male users are more likely to emphasize on the functional and instrumental uses of the mobile phone, whereas females are more likely to use it more as a source of personal and emotional exchange (Geser, 2006). The power of the fashion world is globally obvious, and this is a constantly growing entity. The more likely motivations to purchase fashionable items entail personal motivations that include buying for pleasure and hedonism and buying to communicate one’s character, functional motivations including buying for better quality and uniqueness and social motivations including buying for ostentatious reasons (Featherstone, 2007). The perception of iPhone is to be superior to other mobiles, because of which most of the iPhone users decide to buy it. This superiority has been illustrated based on two factors; functional and symbolic. The functional advantages include iPhone being faster, more powerful, and therefore more useful than the other mobiles. The big size of the screen is deemed more convenient, brighter, and easier to look at. Similarly, iPhone’s touch screen is an innovation in comparison to the conventional keypad, or to other touch screens. Furthermore, individuals purchasing iPhone feel they are buying more than just a phone and the fast and reliable Internet access is one of the functions people are keen to get hold of. The symbolic advantages entail the way the phone looks which is perceived to be cool, slick, appealing, fashionable, up to date and superior to the other phones. Similarly, the early people who have bought the iPhone seem to have catalytic effect on the people who bought it later. Referrals, advices, word of mouth and brand loyalty are symbolic characteristics to such gizmos (Davies, 2011). Functional aspects can be important motivations to buy fashion brands such as the iPhone, with high quality being the one of the most outstanding motive, and the ‘individual’ motivation of purchasing for hedonistic reasons. Similarly, buying iPhone holds a utilitarian explanation of high quality and value, getting value for one’s money, which would validate why individuals buy iPhone even though it is expensive (Featherstone, 2007). People are glad to pay more for products that make people envy them but only if they are encouraged by a positive, benign form of envy. Researches have demonstrated that individuals who had been envious of another individual who possessed an iPhone were ready to pay more. However, researchers made important revelations regarding the different kinds of envy: benign and malicious envy. Benign envy takes place if the benefit of the other individual is justified, and encourages individuals to achieve a desirable position for themselves. This is more motivating kind of envy that makes individuals pay an envy premium for the goods that drew out their envy. Malicious envy takes place if the other individual is considered unworthy; it results in an urge to knock down the other individual (Fitzgerald, 2011). In a comparison between benign and malicious envy, studies discovered that individuals who were benignly envious were ready to give more for goods they desired whereas, maliciously envious individuals would give more for relevant but different goods (Fitzgerald, 2011). Man is an animal who continuously wants more. This has been illustrated in 1943, by Abraham Maslow who put forward a system of human needs, A Theory of Human Motivation. At the base level, Maslow suggested that humans have physiological needs to uphold homeostasis, breathe, and so on. The theory indicates that individuals’ needs organize themselves in order based on needs. This means that for one need to occur it is important for the previous to be satisfied. Similarly, no need can be considered in isolation as each need is linked with state of satisfaction or unsatisfaction of other needs. Thus, human beings are encouraged by unfulfilled needs, and certain lower issues need to be fulfilled before higher needs can be fulfilled (Higgins, 2007). This hierarchy of needs is greatly applicable today’s world; it is definitely true that when a basic need is not fulfilled, fulfilling that need turns out to be the primary driving force in one’s life, pushing aside the stimulating work of self-actualization. Similarly, it is fascinating to explore the influences of advertising and consumer culture on an individual’s personal hierarchy of needs. Apple has managed to persuade consumers that they ‘need’ iPhone to the extent that they suspend all other needs and stand in a line for several hours (in the hot sun and the rain), just to buy a highly-priced phone. Consumers are provided with an innovative gadget, but still, not something that was a need before Apple told them it was (Aamoth, 2011). It appears that effective advertising builds an alternate, commercialized version of Maslow’s pyramid where rather than looking after real needs of oneself as a human being, everything from homeostasis to self-actualization, one buys into the desire to attain some new gadget, eat a certain type of food, overall meeting one’s needs by buying more things. In this changing world, an individual’s needs are indicated through advertisements, often at a certain time and place and their experience of satisfying those needs entails purchasing things and shifting priorities in their life in order to allow purchases (Higgins, 2007). For some iPhone users, at the top of this commercial need pyramid is the iPhone, a device that effectively guaranteed to simplify consumer’s life by lessening the number of gadgets they carried, all of which were previous commercial gadgets they decided to buy. Before the iPhone, people already owned a phone, an iPod, a laptop, and good internet access and after it, they still have those things, but they also have an iPhone. Thus, such individuals are clearly the target market because they have already bought all the other gadgets, so now their need is to buy innovative gadgets to simplify (Higgins, 2007). This experience of buying into a commercial need redirects the consumer into an experience where “must buy iPhone” is the primary need of the moment. The most remarkable and possibly appalling part is, purchasing the iPhone in fact feels like a kind of self-actualization. It feels similar to being creative, and being validated by all the people buying theirs (Higgins, 2007). In conclusion, increasing variety of mobile communication devices is influencing people’s lives considerably and no technology has ever been taken on so rapidly by so many people. Amongst the number of mobile phone designs in recent times, none of the handset manufacturers have been able to reproduce the user experience of the iPhone. The phone’s marketing strategy is being ‘similar to’ and ‘different from’ other related gadgets make up the mobile phone’s identity. The simple advertisements along with other clever marketing strategies, iPhone has turned out to be one of the most fashionable and talked about gadget of all times. People purchase the product to feel validated and go through the iPhone experience. Thus, technology is playing a vital role in individual’s lives and that one values it more and more without even being of conscious it. Along with every new innovation, individuals gradually and rapidly become more reliant upon technology to get them through the day. It gives Apple’s slogan “There’s an app for that” an insightful meaning. References Aamoth, D. 2011. Apple’s Tim Cook pits iPhone against Maslow’s Hierarchy of Needs. TechLand. [online] Available at: http://techland.time.com/2011/03/01/apples-tim-cook-tips-cheaper-iphones-says-tablets-will-beat-pcs/ [Accessed 29 March 2011] AdMob, 2010, AdMob Mobile Metrics Report [online] Available at: http://metrics.admob.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/AdMob-Mobile-Metrics-Jan-10.pdf [Accessed 29 March 2011] Belk, R. W., 1995, Studies in the new consumer behavior in Acknowledging Consumption: a review of new studies. London: Routledge, London. Campbell, S., 2008, Mobile technology and the body: apparatgeist, fashion, and function. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Chen, Y. & Lever, K., 2006. Teledensity: a study of gender differences in the use of mobile communication technology on a college campus. Handbook of Mobile Communication Studies, Cambridge, MA: MIT Press Child labor used to manufacture iPhone. (2010). WorldTech24. [online] Available at: http://www.worldtech24.com/phones/child-labour-used-manufacture-iphone [Accessed 29 March 2011] Consumer behavior report: iPhone trends, 2008. [online] Available at: https://mr.pricegrabber.com/June_CBR_iPhone_Trends_v7.pdf [Accessed 29 March 2011] Crane, D. 2000. Fashion and its social agendas: class, gender, and identity in clothing. Chicago: University of Chicago Press. Davies, C., 2011. Apple iPhone 4: how it's made. Manufacturing Digital. [online] Available at: http://www.manufacturingdigital.com/tags/apple-iphone-4/apple-iphone-4-how-its-made [Accessed 29 March 2011] Faber, D., 2008, Revisiting Apple’s iPhone Strategy. [online] Available at: http://news.cnet.com/8301-13953_3-9894850-80.html [Accessed 29 March 2011] Featherstone, M., 2007. Consumer Culture and Postmodernism, London: Sage. Fitzgerald, R. 2011. Benign envy sells iPhones, malicious envy makes people buy BlackBerries. Newswhip.ie. [online] Available at: http://www.newswhip.ie/national-2/benign-envy-sells-iphones-malicious-envy-makes-people-buy-blackberries [Accessed 29 March 2011] Geser, H., 2006. Are girls (even) more addicted? Some gender patterns of cell phone usage. Sociology in Switzerland: Sociology of the Mobile Phone [online] Available at: http://socio.ch/mobile/t_geser3.pdf [Accessed 29 March 2011] Hall, S. 1980. Culture, Media, Language. London: Hutchinson Higgins, C., 2007. iPhone versus Maslows Hierarchy of Needs. Mental_Floss [online] Available at: https://www.mentalfloss.com/blogs/archives/6824 [Accessed 29 March 2011] Katz, J. & Sugiyama, S., 2006, Mobile phones as fashion statements: evidence from student surveys in the US and Japan. New Media & Society, 8(2), 321-337. Katz, J., 2006. Magic in the air: mobile communication and the transformation of social life. New Brunswick, NJ: Transaction Publishers. Kobie, N. 2009. Timeline: a short history of Apple iPhone. ITPRO: Fit For Business. [online] Available at: http://www.itpro.co.uk/611452/timeline-a-short-history-of-the-apple-iphone/2 [Accessed 29 March 2011] Ling, R. and Yttri, B., 2002, Hyper-Coordination via Mobile Phones in Norway. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press (pp.139-69). Malley, A. 2007. Apple, AT&T neophytes to define iPhone audience - report. AppleInsider. [online] Available at: AppleInsider Website [Accessed 29 March 2011] Matsuda, M., 2005, Mobile communications and selective sociability. Mass: MIT Press (pp.123-42). Rubicon Consulting Inc., 2008, The Apple iPhone: successes and challenges for the mobile industry: a study of iPhone users [online] Available at: http://rubiconconsulting.com/downloads/whitepapers/Rubicon-iPhone_User_Survey.pdf [Accessed 29 March 2011] Silverman, D. 2007. Apple's silence helped the iPhone hype. Chron.com:Computing. [online] Available at: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4954824.html [Accessed 29 March 2011] Skipworth H., 2011. A history of the iPhone. recombu.com. [online] Available at: http://recombu.com/news/a-history-of-the-iphone_M13132.html [Accessed 29 March 2011] Storey, J., 1999. Cultural Consumption and Everyday Life, London: Arnold. Storey, J., 2003, Cultural studies and the study of popular culture, United States of America: University of Georgia Press. 136 Vincent, J., 2005. Emotional attachment and mobile phones’ in Glotz, P., Bertschi, S. & Locke, C. (Eds.) Thumb Culture: the Meaning of Mobile Phones for Society, Bielefeld: Transcript Verlag (pp.117-122). Woollacott, E. 2010. iPhone users worry about hurting its feelings. TG Daily. [online]. Available at: http://www.tgdaily.com/hardware-features/48753-iphone-users-worry-about-hurting-its-feelings [Accessed 29 March 2011] Read More