Its not secret that most Nigerians all of a sudden became vegeterians in 2007 as they gained love for Apple. Some Nigerians love to brag about the fact that they haven’t made use of any other product of mobile devices aside from the ones made by Apple. The company in turn is happy to keep feeding us with devices year in, year out. With each release being more expensive than it’s predecessor. However, certain woke ones Nigerians have come to realize that the hype around Apple is just what it is, “Hype”.
Although their phones are beautiful and they are able to add features with each release, they’re usually nothing new. Even if it is, its usually just a slight software tweak from the previous phone or a little change in the body design. Apple could drop a device today which has features that their so called rival company and Godfathers “Samsung” have had for years. But Apple fan boys wouldn’t budge. The way they would created a well crafted argument about how iPhones are the real deal would make you think they have shares with the company. My problem is that most Apple users don’t even use the devices to their fullest potential, they just want to be associated with the brand name.
Unlike Nigerians, Americans use iPhones for their security. Its almost impossible for an Apple device to get a virus because all apps are gotten directly from their official app store. Ask a Nigerian man why he wants to get an iPhone, I bet his reply is going to be “cuz it’s cool”. I’ll just go ahead and say 60% of Nigerians who own iPhones buy them to increase their social status. Yes I said it. I remember a course mate of mine who bought his first iPhone and suddenly it became too large to fit in his pocket. This guy would hold his phone in unnatural ways just so he could show his iPhone’s Apple logo when taking pictures, tragic. Back in the days, leppers and hunchbacks were the social outcast, well according to iPhone owners, I guess android users are the new hunchbacks.
So what’s the real cause of the hype around Iphones among Nigerians really? Even when other phone companies are clearly winning? What makes the fan base so loyal all these years? I have come to the conclusion that our mentality just revolves around using the latest and the the priciest things in the market. Somehow feeling that they would push us higher on the social hierarchy.
