When the Apple iPhone was released in 2007 it was a revolutionary device; it changed not only the communications industry, but also the entertainment industry. The original iPhone sold 6.1 Million units, a lot for such a new and unusual product. Apple and the iPhone have evolved so much since 2007, when the iPhone 5s was released in 2013, it sold 9 Million units in the first three days.
Why is the iPhone so successful, even now, 6 years later? It's no longer the most revolutionary device, with smartphones from Samsung, Google, LG, etc. now widely available. It seems like Apple almost has a cult like following, with people camping outside of their stores to await for their newest product. This could just be enthusiasts or people seeing a business opportunity in buying the phone and reselling it, but it could be more than that.
It seems that the iPhone and Apple's brand image have embedded themselves in American pop culture. So many celebrities can be seen using the iPhone including Barack Obama, Paris Hilton, Matt Damon, Taylor Swift, and more. It seems like people could be lining up early not to get a phone, but to stay with a trend, buying a new iPhone is almost like buying the latest in fashion. We can further examine the pop cultural aspect of the phone by looking at movies and TV shows. There are many movies or TV shows with iPhones or iPhone look a likes, not because they're the best phone, but because they're easily recognized by the general public.
Even at New Trier, most of the students can be seen using iPhones, at New Trier it's become almost a requirement to have one to "fit in". It seems that the iPhone has made a wild transformation from a piece of technology to a piece of art, with a place in today's pop culture.
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