That Apple is going through some trying times (comparatively speaking, anyway) is no secret. The company’s stock has been getting hammered over the past couple months and recently fell below $500 for the first time in nearly a year. But the stock market isn’t the only place Apple’s numbers are dropping off.
According to some recent surveys, Apple’s numbers are also dropping off when it comes to its cool factor. Several firms that monitor young consumer opinions noted that Apple may be falling out of favour with teens. Apple is losing ground to competitors like Samsung, whose ad campaigns that portray the iPhone as the phone that used to be cool, appear to have struck a chord.
Apple’s own recent ads aren’t doing much to alter that perception either. Just look at the newest iPhone 5 commercial touting its noise-cancelling microphone or the iPad mini “Chopsticks” spot. Samsung, meanwhile, is showing everyday folks taking pictures of their pets doing hilarious tricks and couples (including Santa and Mrs. Claus) swapping presumably NSFW videos.
Figures from Smarty Pants’ “Young Love” study show that Samsung has crept up to the point where its devices are now on nearly 1 in 4 teen wishlists. Apple remains strong with a two-thirds share, but it’s no longer a given that young buyers are going to reach for an iPod, iPhone, or iPad by default.
Even stodgy old Microsoft is gaining ground with youth. The Surface is far from a runaway success at this point, but it’s beginning to eat away at iPad mindshare. There was a time when Apple products followed only cash and clothes on Christmas lists. Come December 2013, that might no longer be the case.
Why the sudden change in sentiment? It’s possible that devices like the iPhone and iPad have simply become too popular with the older crowd. Nowadays, you’d be hard pressed to throw an iPhone in a crowded place without hitting someone holding another iPhone. For teens looking to establish their own identities, it may be time to look elsewhere for a suitable electronic status symbol.
[Source: Forbes]
