The new iPhone 11 pro is one ugly smartphone

by anemenemone

iPhone is a smartphone designed and produced by Apple – an American multinational technology company headquartered in Cupertino, California. Apple was founded by Steve Jobs, Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne in April 1976 and since then Apple has accomplished great things like the iPhone. Many will say the iPhone is a great smartphone, but is the iPhone designed in a “good” way?

Apple says: “Design is more than the way something looks. Apple designers understand how design defines the entire experience”. Good design is more than just the looks of the product. Design can give people value in many more ways than just buying something pretty to look at. In a book called “Economics and culture”, one of the chapters is about “Theories of value”. In this chapter the author talks about a range of cultural value characteristics which include some different value types. The aesthetic value is about beauty, harmony, form and other aesthetic characteristics. Apple might give aesthetic value for some, with the design of the iPhones. The iPhone 11 pro has a stainless steel frame around the phone, instead of aluminum that many of the previous phones had. For some people, this might be more exclusive, and pretty to look at which can give them aesthetic value.

Another type of value the author mention in this book is the social value. Social value “may contribute to a comprehension of the nature of the society in which we live and to a sense of identity and place” the author says. For many people, having an iPhone gives them a feel of “status”. Apple is a big brand, and some say their products are really expensive. Owning an Apple product in general can give people social value for this matter. It can make them feel like they are a part of the society.

On Forbes.com there is an article titled: “Apple’s iPhone 11 looks like one ugly smartphone”. At the time this article was posted, no one really knew how the design would end up but as always there were rumors. The phones were released at Apples’ September event on September 10^th. They “confirmed” that the iPhone 11 Pro would kind of look like what the rumors had said, and they had 3 lenses on the new phones. The 3 cameras will each have a different purpose: Ultra wide camera, wide camera and telephoto camera. Did Apple put the three cameras there because they thought it would look good? I do not think so. They put the cameras there to create “more value” for the users of the phone. Now the iPhone can take ultra wide photos to give you an “expanded field of view” according to Apple.com.

The iPhone 11 pro may or may not give some people aesthetic value, nor social value. Maybe it gives people a different type of value, but my point and conclusion here is that good design can be many things as long as it gives the user of the product value.