# Why is cell phone hardware such an "arms race?"

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cell-phone-hardware-such-an-arms-race/544944>\
**Category:** Factual Questions\
**Created:** [June 29, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cell-phone-hardware-such-an-arms-race/544944 "2010-06-29T15:53:45Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 3

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**Author:** ![Lemur866](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lemur866/32/434_2.png) [@Lemur866](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lemur866)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 1:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cell-phone-hardware-such-an-arms-race/544944/41 "2010-07-01T13:00:07Z")

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Nobody else watched the “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” ads and wanted to buy a PC?

Just me then? OK.

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**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cell-phone-hardware-such-an-arms-race/544944/42 "2010-07-01T18:30:07Z")

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> [@beowulff](#):
>
> “Early adopters” and “fashion conscious” are two completely different things. When you are a company which makes ground-breaking products, of course many of your customers are going to be early adopters. That doesn’t mean they are buying it to look “cool,” like **Wesley** implied.

They have both. Lots of people who are not technogeeks got excited by it. If Colbert can joke about wanting one, then there is also a style thing involved. Consider how much of the buzz about Apple products is on the look and feel as opposed to functionality. A lot of people get it from style early adopting as opposed to tech early adopting - if it sold to technogeeks only, it would never have the big appeal, or the news coverage.

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**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 6:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cell-phone-hardware-such-an-arms-race/544944/43 "2010-07-01T18:35:13Z")

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> [@beowulff](#):
>
> Are you guys clueless, or what?  
> When have you seen ANY ad where the person using the product wasn’t hip and attractive (except those that deliberately poke fun at the person)?  
> Look at Microsoft’s new campaign - a hip, attractive and _ **French** _ girl saying she invented Windows 7.
> 
> But I digress - this was discussing the iPhone, and I’m not sure I’ve even seen a person in any iPhone ads - have you?

And the old Microsoft ads had Gates and Seinfeld. Both vying for #1 hottest guy, no doubt.

And of course Apple doesn’t use people. Their message is not that hot chicks or guys make the product cool, it is that the product makes you cool. That’s why they don’t use celebrity endorsers either.

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**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 6:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cell-phone-hardware-such-an-arms-race/544944/44 "2010-07-01T18:36:19Z")

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> [@Lemur866](#):
>
> Nobody else watched the “I’m a Mac, I’m a PC” ads and wanted to buy a PC?
> 
> Just me then? OK.

No - I just thought it was cool that Hodgeman was making so much money. But I’m glad it was over if that means he shows up on TDS more often.

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<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\
**Post date:** [July 1, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-is-cell-phone-hardware-such-an-arms-race/544944/45 "2010-07-01T18:39:10Z")

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> [@beowulff](#):
>
> Once again, this says **NOTHING** about fashion.

Indirectly through the actors. However I mostly agree with you in this case. Macs are too old to be hip in the same way iPhones are. These ads were more about user friendliness and the general suckitude of Vista. Thus, a lot more words than in your normal Apple ad.

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