I started this post on a phone I’m reviewing currently, the HTC U11. It’s the “solar red” model, a vibrant red color that, in the right light, goes between a golden yellow and deep red, like a sunset. It’s stunning, and it was actually incredibly difficult to photograph because it has to be seen in person. Regardless, between the HTC U11 and a photo I saw of the lilac Samsung Galaxy S9, I got to thinking: why are these phones so much prettier than the iPhone?
I’m not saying the iPhone isn’t elegant; it’s like a cold silver metal and black leather chair in a room with a “modern” interior design. To be fair, I just described much of my interior decorating style, but it’s certainly not for everyone. It’s a cold, industrial kind of style, which, while striking and potentially beautiful, is not warm. It’s not pretty.
Why doesn’t Apple make anything that’s pretty anymore?
In This Article:
The iMac G3
MacBook 2006 vs MacBook 2018
Pro Desktop | Consumer Desktop |
Pro Mobile | Consumer Mobile |
The iMac was a consumer desktop. The MacBook Pro is a professional mobile computer. In 2006, the MacBook replaced the iBook, and that’s when Apple’s design language really started to change. Apple replaced the colorful consumer PowerBook with the MacBook, a device that came in white or black plastic, and nothing else. Make no mistake, the 2006 MacBook was (is, I still own mine) really beautiful. However, it was no longer pretty. There is a clear distinction between the pretty colors of the iBook and the stark beauty of the MacBook. The MacBook wasn’t a device “just for you,” it was something to aspire to own. It had a design that reminded us that Macs cost more, they’re special, and they carry the kind of design popular with wealthy, elegant people. Apple’s design language changed with the times. There was nothing “just for us,” there was only something we could dream of one day maybe possessing. Apple products became a fantasy.
From “A device just for you” to “A device you could aspire to.”
Apple started off as a company that wanted to bring tech to everyone, not just hobbyists and people in business. They wanted to make computers easy to use and understand, so people curious about them could buy one and enjoy it. Apple’s products have never been cheap, but people understood that they got what they paid for. An Apple product could last you many long years, and retain its resale value as a result. My 2006 MacBook is still chugging along, and my personal computer that I still use for work and photo editing is a 2010 MacBook Pro. But that kind of brand quality is difficult to communicate without specific designs, which Apple used to set itself apart. However, competitors finally started matching Apple’s style, even directly copying it, so Apple had to evolve.
Apple couldn’t be the computer for everyone that was also more expensive, it had to become a company whose products seem out of reach. An Apple product was always a status symbol. They were cooler, more artistic, and the people who used them were more interesting. At least, that’s what the unintentional marketing movies and media provided for Apple’s distinctive products. However, Apple needed a way to stand out once more. They ditched the plastic and went with aluminum and glass across the product line, occasionally mixing in stainless steel (the iPhone 4 and iPhone X) in the process. The result was a high-end product that looked to be worth the higher price. Apple became a greater status symbol, but their products took on what I’d call a New York color pallet: black, gray, and sometimes—for the adventurous—white. Elegance to some, drab to another.
A Sign of the Times
Pessimism about our economic futures is the hallmark of the millennial generation, one drowning in debt and stagnant wages. For the shrinking middle class, the effort to keep up appearances came in a number of ways. House remodeling, pyramid schemes on Facebook for cosmetics and vitamins, a side gig on weekends at a local fast food joint, or driving a Lyft. Suddenly the side hustle and 60 hour work week became the norm. To maintain one’s status, people looked to their electronics to serve as an indicator of their personal worth. It even became criteria in dating. Those with a new, pristine iPhone are more likely to be viewed positively than any other smartphone user, with the worst being those with outdated, broken Android phones. The smartphone became a way to show what you aspire to be. It’s the modern day equivalent of “dress for the job you want, not the job you have.” Now it’s “Share with the phone you want, but not the life you have.”
Can We Appreciate Prettiness Again?
It’s Time for Hope, Optimism, and Individuality
Sources:
- Nick Statt, The Verge