Coldplay is set to make waves in Ahmedabad, Gujarat, with two concerts on January 25 and 26 next year, as part of their Music of the Spheres World Tour. This marks the band’s return to India after a nine-year hiatus. Ticket prices? A cool ₹2,500 to ₹12,500.
But for fans, the real price isn’t just in the tickets. It’s in the hotel bookings, flight fares, and, for some, the device they’re using to book them. When Coldplay announced their Ahmedabad concerts, fans scrambled to secure tickets and accommodation. Hotel bookings surged, and with them came the dreaded ‘only a few rooms left’ pop-ups. But amid the frenzy, an unsettling trend emerged: If you’re booking on an iPhone, prepare to shell out more.
It started with two friends — united by their love for Viva la Vida but divided by their gadgets. One opened an Android device; the other, an iPhone. Both searched for the same 5-star hotel room, check-in January 25, check-out the next day. The results? The iPhone user saw a staggering ₹71,150-per-night rate (taxes included). The Android user? ₹63,986. That’s a difference of ₹7,164. A solid amount saved simply by avoiding Apple’s ecosystem.
Algorithms don’t lie, but they do judge
As an iPhone owner, this hit me harder than a dropped phone on a tiled floor. My prized device, a symbol of sophistication, had seemingly sold me out. Somewhere, an algorithm is sitting smugly in a server room, deciding, ‘You own an iPhone? Clearly, you have money to burn.’
This isn’t just limited to hotels. Looking to book flights? Be prepared for a mysterious ‘luxury surcharge’. Cricket match tickets? Android users miraculously get discounts while iPhone users stare at the dreaded ‘final few seats’ prices. Even the British rock band concert tickets seem to carry an invisible ‘Apple premium’. I wouldn’t be surprised if Chris Martin himself gave a thumbs-up to the algorithm.
Digital profiling?
Why does this happen? The logic seems straightforward: if you’ve spent a fortune on an iPhone, you’re probably immune to price shock. Booking platforms likely assume you can afford a few thousand rupees extra. After all, if you willingly paid ₹1,00,000 for a phone that can barely survive a day without charging, surely a ₹7,000 markup won’t faze you. But here’s the truth: most iPhone users aren’t rolling in cash. My phone was an investment, not an invitation for algorithms to bleed me dry. Yet here we are … paying a premium for owning one.
The Android advantage
Android users, on the other hand, seem to live in algorithmic bliss. They bask in discounts, snag promo offers, and book stress-free while we iPhone owners sit in a corner, mourning our overpriced gadgets. What’s the takeaway from all this? Owning an iPhone has hidden costs. Sure, it’s sleek, stylish, and clicks great photos, but the next time I pay a ₹7,000 markup, I’ll remind myself: The iPhone’s true value isn’t just in its features, but in the hidden costs of owning one!
