Gadgets

Category: Gadgets

Gadgets trade-in promotion launched by Best Buy

Lucy | September 3, 2013

The electronics retailer is offering this opportunity to iPhone owners over the Labor Day weekend.

Best Buy ran a new promotion over the weekend that allowed the owners of certain Apple gadgets to be able to bring in their old version of the iPhone devices in order to take part in a trade-in that would allow them to purchase the current version of the device, the iPhone 5.

The event ran for the length of the holiday weekend and gave a considerable discount on the current Apple device.

The electronics retailer offered people who brought in their old iOS gadgets the opportunity to purchase the current iPhone 5 – in either the 16 GB or 32 GB version – at a discount of 50 percent. It was focused specifically at individuals trading in their functional iPhone 4 or their iPhone 4S.

This gadget trade-in trend is growing among retailers and has been over the last few months.

Gadgets trade-in promotion - Best Buy The reason that gadgets retailers are promoting the current iPhone 5 with massive discounts through old iPhone or other devices is that it is expected that the next version of the Apple smartphone will soon be released, and they are hoping to clear the older version of the product off their shelves before that happens. This type of promotion is starting to happen quite routinely as some of the leading manufacturers release upgrades to their previous generations of devices.

It has also been suggested that Apple, itself, has certain programs up its sleeve to encourage the exchange of old gadgets for their latest devices. For example, they have already created programs through carrier partners such as T-Mobile, AT&T, and Verizon Communications. However, it is also expected to begin an in-store program that would allow consumers to trade in their old iOS devices so that they would be able to obtain a discount when it comes time to purchasing a newer model.

The latest rumors are suggesting that Apple will be unveiling both an iPhone 5S, as well as an iPhone 5C, on September 10, 2013. The speculations about the new device are soaring and have already even suggested that T-Mobile and AT&T employees have been told that they will not be allowed vacation time during the time on and surrounding September 20, suggesting that that may be the weekend in which the products will be officially launched.

Gadgets dependencies are leading to nomophobia

Julie Campbell | September 2, 2013

A study in the United Kingdom has revealed that many people fear having to live without mobile devices.

The results of a brand new study regarding the dependence that people in the United Kingdom have on their mobile gadgets has just revealed that over half of the population of that country suffers from a condition called “nomophobia”, in which the individual feels actual fear when thinking about having to live without his or her device.

This new anxiety condition goes well beyond simply thinking about a world without smartphones.

In fact, there are a number of different elements of being out of touch with the gadgets that can lead to symptoms of nomophobia. These can include having the battery run out, losing a cellular signal, or simply losing sight of the device. The term itself was developed as a short form for “no mobile phone phobia”. This term was originally coined in the United Kingdom following a YouGov study in which the anxieties related to mobile device use were examined.

This latest study only underscores what has previously been determined about dependencies on electronic gadgets.

Mobile Gadgets - Nomophobia The latest survey was commissioned by AppRiver, which is a security analyst firm. This research found that among the respondents, 42 percent brought their mobile gadgets with them to the beach when they were on vacation, and that one fifth of them used their devices for checking their email when they were in bed.

One in every four of the participants in the mobile gadgets study also used their devices for checking emails and texts while they were out on a dinner date. It also revealed that it was women who were more likely to do this than men, by a difference of ten percent. Women were also 17 percent more likely to actually experience nomophobia.

Beyond those figures, the study also underscored the fact that while people seemed highly reliant on their gadgets, and they experienced fear when faced with situations when they would not be able to use their devices, they still had a notably low interest in the actual security of their device in terms of protecting their sensitive and private data.