The most valuable American company, trillion-dollar electronics manufacturer Apple is no longer worth the high prices due to their lack of innovation. Although they still have high quality products that work smoothly, buying the newest edition of everything is not necessary, as the markets Apple sells in have reached saturation.

The company has long dominated mobile technology markets , due in part to its influence in pop culture. Apple’s highly loyal customers applaud them for their sleek design and accessible software, leading the company to become a favorite among American people young and old.

“Apple is the best. It’s simple and straightforward, and the design makes it easy to use in my daily life,” junior Simal Mann said.

Apple charges high prices, creating a luxury brand image circling around it being the pinnacle of technology. Being the first company to sell a thousand dollar cell phone successfully, people seem to justify the steep cost with the unique features that make Apple special.

“Do I think buying Apple products for the sake of the brand is worth it? Absolutely not,” junior William Mahoney said. “But I do enjoy things like FaceTime and iMessage that I don’t think Android has.”

Apple releases a new iPhone each year, and in recent releases, not much has changed in the design and functions of the phone. In fact, it has become a long-running joke that Apple is simply selling the same phone each year with an improved camera being the only upgrade. The iPhone 12 is no exception.

“The one feature that’s different on my iPhone 12 is that it has wireless charging. To be honest, I don’t even use it that much. Otherwise, it’s pretty similar to the 11 and the X,” Mann said.

The iPhone 12 costs upwards of $800, and moves into the $1,000s if upgraded to “Pro” or “Pro Max.”

With the price point being so high, there is simply no need to upgrade every year to the new phone, as not much is changed to justify it.

Apple also has other products that are extremely pricey. Airpods, Apple’s sleek and small wireless earbuds, are hugely popular as they allow users to listen to music or talk on the phone with ease.

“Airpods are an essential item for me. I use them everyday. I know they can be expensive, but to me, they are very much worth it” Mann said.

On the other hand, there are many other wireless earphones that cost much less than Airpods or deliver superior sound quality. Although they don’t have the same sleek design, the product quality is very similar or better.

“I use Bose wireless earbuds. I’ve also used Airpods before, and the sound quality on my Bose headphones are noticeably better. They cost around the same as Airpods as well.” Mahoney said.

For many, owning Apple products is a status symbol, and people buy into the company because of the polished, minimalist design, such as the signature white Airpods.

Overall, it is an individual preference on whether you choose to buy Apple or another product, but it also depends how big your budget is.

“I think whatever brand you choose for your cell phone doesn’t really matter.” Mahoney said. “Apple’s super expensive, and I don’t think their features are good enough to give them the upper hand against any other brand.”