Several technology brands have become part of the daily
lives of billions of people across the world, including us here in
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Apple is one of these companies. It has been reshaping our
“digital lifestyle” for decades, and reaping billions in profits as a result.
Looking back at the company’s history, you can see the big shifts in technology
consumption behavior and the products that Apple either created or picked up
and popularized better than the companies that created them. The mouse-enabled
computer in 1984 (the original Macintosh in 1984), the all-in-one colorful
range of internet-enabled personal computers (iMac in 1998), a digital music
player with its own music store (iPod and iTunes in 2001), the full touch
screen smartphone, without keys, and its applications marketplace (iPhone in
2007 and AppStore in 2008), the tablet (iPad in 2010), the smart watch (Watch
in 2015), and more products including the recently launched Bluetooth-enabled
tracker device (AirTag in 2021).
The AirTag, a long awaited product from Apple, is a small
circular “tag” designed to be attached to items like keys, wallets, bags, or
any item you could misplace to allow these accessories to be pinged and tracked
using Bluetooth alongside Apple devices in the Find My app.
To most people this will seem like an amazing new thing that
they’ve needed all their lives, but this product category is actually not new,
at all!
I read and write about technology, so I know about a company
called Tile which created this product category in 2017 and has been producing
various designs of item trackers which work very well, even better than Apple’s
tracker in that they can do two-way pinging, meaning the tracker can also ping
your phone to find it. Some users may even prefer Tile’s design which includes
a keychain hole, and therefore does not require that you buy a separate
keychain for it like AirTag.
For a couple of years, I have liked the idea of Tile and I
was planning to buy it someday, but I wasn’t overly excited enough to get one
immediately. But, such is the strength of Apple’s brand and the media coverage
of this product that I have already been “brainwashed” in the past few days and
I can’t wait to spend $30 on buying an AirTag! Perhaps myself and millions of
people around the world now think Apple has validated the importance of this product
category, and we might as well seamlessly integrate it with the rest of our
Apple products at home!
Samsung has learned this lesson from Apple, and is also
trying to capitalize on its loyal buyers with new accessories, and released its
own tracker product earlier this year before Apple, called Smart Tag, which
retails at the same price.
Tile is hitting back, launching a new tracker powered by
ultra-wideband technology and adding an augmented reality (AR) finding app. The
company is also taking legal action against Apple, who it claims engages in
anticompetitive behavior and has too much control over the app store which is
necessary for Tile, and Apple’s other competitors, to provide users with apps
for their products to work.
In the meantime, Apple has once again stolen another
company’s thunder by just being the world’s favorite brand and through its huge
marketing blitz. So users are disregarding other products, or any
anticompetitive complaints, and flocking to buy Apple’s new products.
Another product line revealed during last week’s
announcement by Apple was the new iMac desktop computer with the M1 processor,
offering a rainbow of color options! To be honest, seeing an iMac in blue does
appeal to me because it is my favorite color. Like many people, I have an
irrational attraction to my favorite color. Consumer psychologists understand
this very basic human vision stimulus, and Apple seems to be the company with
manufacturing resources and brand power to successfully roll out a $1,300+
desktop computer with these color options to tempt us all!
But, I always try to control my digital lifestyle and to
curb my tech spending! For many years, I have been resisting the lure of the
Macintosh world and will continue despite the beauty of these new iMacs. That
is although I struggle everyday with the startup slowness and crashes of
Microsoft Windows running on Intel-based laptops. But, at the end of the day,
we must set our own digital lifestyle choices and can resist the manipulation
and temptation if we want to.
However, in the mobile devices domain, I admit that I gave
in several years ago, because for me iOS devices and their store ecosystem
simply work better and make my life easier. Before you judge me, remember
that’s the grand aim of using technology products, which personifies the
ultimate goal and ongoing legacy of Apple cofounder,
Steve Jobs.
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