Distinguish between the core, actual, and augmented products of Apple iPhone 4s
Make a list of the range of features offered by the iPhone 4s and then consider how many different devices you might use to achieve the same level of functionality in your daily life.
Identify the possible stage of iPhone 4s in the PLC curve and justify the characteristics of this stage and potential development strategy.
Core Product
iPhone 4S offers the core benefits of the basic functions of the phone like the phone calls, SMS texting, alarm, time setting, etc. Furthermore, the iPhone also provides the functions of capturing images, recording voices and some other useful applications. The ability to keep contacts in one device is another important core product feature that the iPhone offers.
Actual Product
The brand name of the iPhone 4S is quite popular in the world. It has many features which exhibit high technological functions like perfect sliding technology, great design, its brand worth, its quality level, packaging, and features. The apple logo on the back of the device is also the actual product feature (Hill, 2012).
Augmented Product
The Genius Bar is a service offered by Apple which would be considered the augmented product feature. The iPhone 4s has complimentary support that helps with technical support within the first 90 days of purchase. The customer receives a One Year Limited Warranty, which is another augmented feature. The after-sale service, the delivery and credit service, installation and service are all part of the augmented product.
| iPhone Features: | Devices needed to match the features of iPhone 4s: |
| Siri | Google Now/Vokul |
| iCloud | Google Drive/Dropbox |
| iMessage | WhatsApp/Telegram |
| Notification Center | iLauncher Application |
| AirPlay Monitoring | Porthole |
| Find my Friends App | GeoZilla, Glympse |
| Phone storage | Google Drive |
| Voice Calls | Landline Phone |
| Internet | Computer |
| Camera | Digital Camera |
| Mobile Torch | Torch |
(Apple.Com, 2012)
PLC
The iPhone 4S after its launch is in the growth stage of the PLC. In this stage, the iPhone at this stage focuses on aggressive advertising and pursues market development strategies. However, after the introduction of the new iPhone 5, the iPhone 4S would undergo the maturity phase in which it had to face many competitors including its own latest version (Bhattacharya, 2014).
References
Apple.cOM, 2012. Apple IPhone 4S. [Online] Available at: https://support.apple.com/kb/sp643?locale=en_US [Accessed 4 October 2018].
Bhattacharya, S., 2014. Operations Management. 1st ed. PHI Learning Pvt Ltd.
Hill, S., 2012. iPhone 4: Everything You Need to Know. [Online] Available at: https://www.digitaltrends.com/apple/apple-iphone-4/ [Accessed 4 October 2018].
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