UPDATED 10:03 EDT / AUGUST 21 2013

4 Ways Gold iPhone Will Succeed : Elitism, Corporate Appeal + More

You’ve probably already heard that Apple will be launching two iPhones by September.  Apple hasn’t confirmed it yet, but sources stated that there will be a high-end iPhone dubbed as the iPhone 5S, and a low-cost iPhone dubbed as the iPhone 5C.

Apple is said to be replacing the iPhone 4 and 4S with the iPhone 5C and it will be directed at emerging markets, specifically in Asia.  Apple has a knack of knocking down older iPhones’ price by a couple hundred dollars, so instead of doing that, they will just remove the two older iPhones and replace them with a new one that costs less than the high-end version, and will probably not have all the glittering features of its premium sibling.

Aside from that, rumors have surfaced that there will be a gold-toned (more like champagne gold not glittering gold), iPhone 5S aside from the Black&Slate and White&Silver options to be offered.

The question now is, will this champagne gold iPhone 5S be appealing to consumers?

Black, White or Gold?

 

In the past, fanboys were faced with the dilemma of choosing between a black or white iPhone.  It’s easy to deem that the black version is aimed at male consumers, while the white is for female consumers.  Yes, that seemed very stereotypical, but males do tend to go for darker shades than females.  But when it comes to electronics, that may not be the case.

If you have noticed, many electronics come in black.  Why?  Because the color makes it appear more durable, less prone to getting dirty (or it won’t be as noticeable), and it looks more formal.  But with the iPhone 5, Apple has made it so that the White&Silver version deters fingerprint better than the Black&Slate and scratches are less likely to be seen.

For some users, black is the prefered color because it is less distracting.  Imagine watching a video on your device before bed — a black device is less likely to stand out in the dark while a white one can be quite distracting.  Also, when the screen is turned off, the black face blends well while the white face gives the phone a panda-ish look.

  • Still undecided, even with just 2 choices

But in a survey conducted by CBS news, it was determined that consumers were split in their color preference.   The black version were chosen by 45.41 percent of the surveyed consumers, 48.82 percent for white, and 5.77 percent for neither – which could probably meant that they were not interested in an iPhone and prefered other brands, or they are hoping that Apple makes the iPhone available in other colors.

Though that’s a small percentage of consumers possibly wanting a different colored iPhone, it still means there’s a market to sell them.

4 Ways iPhone Gold could be a success

 

  • Time for a change

Many people who chose an iPhone 4 or 4S in black opted for the white version when upgrading to the iPhone 5 simply because they wanted to try something new.  With a gold variant, this could pique the interest of these bored consumers.  So instead of looking the other way (to Android’s camp) the gold version could possibly make them stay in Apple’s backyard.

A new color would also be an automatic signal to others that you indeed own the newest of the iPhone models, a status symbol that’s happened only two times so far in the iPhone’s history, with the introduction of a white device and the new, squarer body style.

  • For the elite

Women are quite fond of dressing up their iPhones.  Just look at designers such as Marc Jacobs, Kate Spade, Diane von Furstenberg, Tori Burch, Michael Kors and others that have come up with their own lines of mobile accessories, from cases with various prints and bling options, to purses that hold your precious device.  By releasing a gold iPhone, these trendy men and women may no longer have to purchase extra bling for their device.

  • Limited edition

It is said that there are fewer white iPhones available on the market than black versions, as consumers are less likely to choose that color.  So there are fewer people seen in the wild using a white iPhone. For white iPhone owners, this gives them an extra feeling of specialness, like they are a part of a limited edition group.  If Apple want to sell the gold iPhone, it should announce that it’s a limited edition iPhone, perhaps making only one million iPhone 5S gold devices available for purchase.  That would surely get the fanboys salivating.

  • Maintains market appeal

There’s a good reason why Apple has yet to manufacture more colorful iPhones — it’s simply because they want to appeal to executives.  It’s quite hard to take someone seriously when that person is using a hot pink or a neon yellow device.  People tend to associate vibrant colors with immature personalities, so colorful phones are usually directed at the younger generation.  But with a gold-toned iPhone, though it has a splash of color, it’s still a tone that is associated with wealth and power and could maintain its appeal amongst professionals.


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