There’s an inherent aspect to human nature that has most people find themselves dissatisfied with the status quo. This aspect of human nature can be seen in Apple’s launch of the iPhone 4s, and in a comment left by an iPhone 3GS owner: I’m waiting for the ‘true’ new iPhone.

Apple may be impressed with itself having released a shiny new iPhone, but frankly the 4s doesn’t hold a candle to its existing Android competitors. Let alone the new Samsung Galaxy Nexus.

Apple’s problem isn’t that the iPhone 4s is a poor phone (it’s not). Apple’s problem is one of human nature. We’re never satisfied with what we have, especially when there’s something much better on the other side of the fence.

My view is that our evolution is driven by an innate dissatisfaction with the current state of affairs. As a rule of thumb, a company can expect its customers to quickly grow accustomed to even the most incredible technology.

Consider the world into which your grandparent’s grandparents were born. This was an alien world as far as you and I are concerned. No electricity, motors cars, computers, telephones (let alone anything resembling a smart phone) or TV. One child in two died before puberty.

Yet the incredible discoveries and inventions that literally changed the world are now taken for granted. Almost every parent dies before his/her children. It’s possible to make a free call to the other side of the world using a mobile phone (via Skype). These developments are amazing. You and I should be gob-smacked by them. We’d certainly miss this technology if it vanished.

Yet neither you or I are astounded at the ‘miraculous’ world in which we are privileged to live. We have to stop and think about it before experiencing any sense of wonder or privilege.

Why is that? Why is it that we human beings take such ‘miracles’ in our stride?

I think it comes back to an inherent state of dissatisfaction (or striving for something better) that is literally written into our DNA. If human beings as a species were generally happy with our lot, I think we’d still be swinging from the trees.

As marketers it’s essential to keep this in mind when promoting a new product. And Apple’s latest iPhone offers a useful lesson in this regard.

In my view, Apple made the right decision when it named its newest iPhone the 4s rather than the 5. The 4s does not compete head-to-head with the best Android phones. And going forward, the new iPhone will look increasingly poor against an overwhelming onslaught of Android-based competitors. It would have been damaging to the brand to pretend otherwise by naming it the iPhone 5.

I think Apple made the wrong decision by releasing the 4s. The 4s already looked shabby compared to the 6-month old Galaxy 2S. And each new high-end Android phone to hit the market will reinforce how tired the iPhone 4s is.

I think the biggest problem with the iPhone 4s is it’s tiny screen. All those pixels would be far more useful if displayed across a bigger screen. The existing iPhone has the space in which to seat a bigger screen.

When the iPhone 5 is finally released it will almost certain contain a bigger screen. I’m sure Apple will make much of this fact. Yet those of us actually buying phones will know that the competition have had better and bigger screens for over a year.

Apple is now playing catch-up, yet its still charging as if they offer the market the leading phone. The company is no different to any other, and its iPhone will not compete for long on those terms.

Tech savy people aren’t tempted by this phone. Gradually the message will spread, and regular folk will begin to realise there are better phones out there for the money.

Human dissatisfaction with the status quo will drive this trend, and Apple will continue to see its market share erode as a result.

apple, human nature, iphone 5, marketing