Although Apple is a country based in the United States and yesterday's iPhone 5 launch took place in California, Apple still has fans all around the world.
In jolly old England, consumers are reacting to the launch of the iPhone 5 similarly to their American counterparts. Their emotional reactions to the new technology are markedly less intense, however. Here we have a roundup of comments collections from the readers of several British news sites that have reported on the iPhone 5.
- "I like the look of [the iPhone 5] but won't be buying one because I object to being ripped off to the tune of £281.48 - that is the mark-up between the US list price for the 64GB iPhone 5 (converted into UK Stirling) and the base price that Apple Store UK are quoting. Until Apple understands how currency conversion works I shall stick with my old Apple equipment."
- "Get ready for [the] Apple bubble to burst...'cause this kind of rubbish just cannot keep being lapped up by the masses."
- "I knew it, same old boring interface, same old look and feel. Boohoo they increased the screen size by half an inch...I'll go and waste my money, NOT!!!!"
- "[The iPhone 5] is just more shiny stuff to replace the old shiny stuff that isn't quite as shiny anymore."
- "It's just a smartphone. Apple don't even make the best quality, the most advanced or the nicest to look at. They just sell one with a lot of positive cultural associations...Don't quote me on it - But I think Apple are holed beneath the water line. Tech's a funny old business, generally businesses go from apex-dominant to hasbeen almost overnight."
- "It will be interesting to see how long Apple can get away with tweaking and selling, instead of innovating and inventing. Quite a long time, I dare say - but not forever."
- "How about: Buy a decent non-Apple phone, go on holiday with the money you've saved and then laugh at all of your pretentious but stupid friends for buying an overpriced fashion item instead of a top spec fairly priced smartphone."
- "iDisappointment 5"
- "Yawn...seen it all before on Android. iPhone...so last decade."
- "In a nutshell, it's the headache and cost of marrying your wife again to see a pair of knickers that you forgot you purchased."
- "Wow if this is the jump for the generation, imaging how underwhelming the S variant will be."
- "Now we have the iPhone 5, which apart from scale and the round home button is scarcely distinguishable from a Galaxy S3."
- "Looks like a nice product but damn it's expensive!"
- "The iPhone is...like a Toyota Camry. It looks decent, it's reliable and it has good resale. Beyond that it's boring as [expletive]."
So there you have it, folks. The British are an interesting bunch with intriguing lingo and curious analogies. However, they are as tech-savvy as the rest of the world without a doubt. As you could probably tell from these comments, there are some who reacted to the new iPhone with heated contempt and others who embraced it warmly. For the most part, though, British consumer opinion on Apple and its newest devise seems to be lukewarm at best.
- Contribute to this Story:
- Send us a tip
- Send us a photo or video
- Suggest a correction
