Apple has successfully garnered a massive following over the years with loyal fans anticipating every new release. The undying dedication and fervent enthusiasm of Apple users imitate that of a cult. First and foremost, one of the main reasons for the strong devotion to the iPhone lies in the Apple ecosystem. A customer seldom owns a singular Apple product but falls prey to the rest of the lineup: AirPods, Apple Watch, Mac computers, and more. Apple has created an ecosystem in which there exists almost no way out. Once in the Apple realm, the user inevitably finds the necessity to invest in other products to receive the full experience. For instance, your flashy expensive Apple Watch will be useless if you switch to an Android. How about your MacBook? Have fun not having the advanced features like AirDrop or copy pasting from phone to computer. The infamous Apple price tags prove absurd considering the fact that you are paying to be stuck in Apple’s rickety fake-gold cage, the origin point for Apple’s cult-like nature. Customers willingly discount other brands and splurge on these pricey devices in order to own a bitten apple. Adding to the rickety fake-gold cage statement, Apple continues to find ways to outmaneuver their customers. Apple was the first tech company to pinpoint the detrimental effects of e-waste. In response to that finding, they decided to remove the charger from new boxes, making billions of dollars in the process. Instead of forcing customers to purchase a separate power adapter, they simply could have worked towards a common port. Despite the obvious shortcoming of the praised company, the puppetry that we have engaged in has led to easy manipulation of our time and money. Apple continues to add more locks to the cage, performing a circus in front of us—and maybe an Apple a day does not keep the doctor away.
