No, Apple won't force anyone to buy the new iPhone

Summary: As the unveiling of Apple's new iPhone approaches, the nay-sayers are out in force stating that the company will somehow coerce buyers to upgrade. That ignores one pertinent fact.

(Image: James Kendrick/ZDNet)

The new iPhone, aka iPhone 6, is getting close with Apple expected to unveil it shortly. This has the usual crowd popping out of the web like those creatures in a whack-a-mole game, claiming that Apple must somehow trick existing iPhone owners (aka iSheep) or force them to upgrade. The premise that any company can hoodwink millions of owners to do anything is absurd.

You can't take a stroll around the web without running into Apple haters who honestly believe the company does something to trick followers into buying the next big thing from Cupertino. According to some, the iSheep will ignorantly line up for the latest piece of junk that Apple forces on the masses. After all, what other reason would make millions buy an over-priced device that is so far behind the competition?

A majority of owners of Apple's products not only like them, they like them a lot.

The answer is obvious. It's called customer satisfaction. Yes, a majority of owners of Apple's products not only like them, they like them a lot. They like the design, the build quality, and most importantly they like using them. They do what they want, in the way they like, and they can't see changing for the unknown.

No matter what you feel about Apple and its products, there is no denying that its customers like the things they make. They buy them, find they do what they expect, and they are very satisfied with both the product and the user experience. That's a powerful incentive to upgrade a device to the latest model.

The upcoming iPhone may not be as rich in features as every phone out there, and it may lack some things found on other products. That's key to some tech-savvy folks, and that's OK. It doesn't matter to a lot of Apple's existing customers, however.

Go ahead and justify to yourself why Apple's customers are being led by the nose to the latest iPhone. The fact is that customer satisfaction is very important to any company, and a great reason for customers to upgrade.

You might be surprised to find that the company behind your current device might sell you out in a heartbeat if it could have the customer satisfaction that Apple's products have generated for a decade. Whatever company that may be and however much they appreciate you, they'd probably like a loyal customer base like Apple's far more.

Rest assured that Apple is not going to make anyone upgrade to the next iPhone. It won't have to, as satisfied customers will line up to do it. No subterfuge required, just good business.

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