Seemingly gone are the days when people would scramble to preorder the latest iPhone, or line up early at the store in hopes of snagging one upon release. In 2014, when they unveiled the completely redesigned iPhone 6, it took some people over a month to get a hold of one (it’s me, I’m some people). But lately, with fewer and fewer changes to each new version — apart from the price tag — some people don’t seem convinced.

Apple released the iPhone 16 in September of this year, with prices starting at $1,129. What was new with the design? Well, it had a new button on the side for taking photos. That was about it. The more significant changes were internal, with the launch of Apple’s new AI software. Other than that, many features were the same as the iPhone 15 — although on the website they prefix some of those features with the words “latest generation” which must mean better, right? Apparently, many people did not think that they needed the “upgrade.”

Apple analyst Ming Chi Kuo broke down the numbers in a blog post, and found that, upon release, the latest model sold about 12.7 per cent fewer phones than the previous one. Not a massive difference, but possibly a sign that Apple should slow down.

The Interrobang spoke with people at Fanshawe to hear their thoughts on tech consumerism, and whether or not they wanted to buy the latest iPhone.

“I think for some people, they’re just so obsessed with [Apple], that they’ll just buy any product,” said one man, who currently uses an iPhone 15 Pro. “I got mine around the time it got released, but I was wanting a new one for a while, otherwise I wouldn’t have bought it just to buy it, you know?”

Others said they were more likely to buy a new model upon release.

“Sometimes the new ones have really fun colours, so even if the phone is pretty much, like, the same as the last one, I just want it because they have a colour I like,” said one man, who uses an iPhone 14, but is considering buying a new one. “And I like to be the first one to have something new, so yeah, if I can afford it I’ll buy it, or maybe trade in my old one.”

Some people see the whole thing as just another form of consumerism and prefer to stay away from Apple entirely.

“They’re so overpriced as it is, and I just feel like Apple doesn’t have enough features to make it worth the price,” said one Android user. “I think Apple is like, consumerism at its worst. People just want it because Apple tells them it’s new, but it literally is almost the same product just with a new number on it.” 

He added that brands like Samsung are also guilty of a similar type of consumerism, but he feels like the new features, like folding phones, make it worth buying for some people.

“At least they’re doing things that are new or unique, and usually cheaper than iPhones.”

Another woman who said she’s been a lifelong iPhone fan said that Apple doesn’t need to convince anyone to buy their phones.

“They are in such a good position now, in the market, that they barely even advertise,” she said. “They know that the iPhone is literally the phone people want, and so they can just say a new version is coming out and they can put any price they want on it. The new one could literally be worse and I think people are going to buy it no matter what.”

She said she bought the iPhone 16 Pro a few weeks after it was released.

“Yeah, I bought it,” she admitted, holding up her newest device in Apple’s new Desert Titanium colour. “I buy, like, every other phone they release. I had a 14 Pro before this one. I know, I’m totally one of those people, but it makes me happy, so I don’t care.”