The Clash: Androids vs iPhones

“That’s weird, what kind of phone is that?”

“Oh, I don’t have an iPhone.”

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This sentence is one of the most jarring things you can say to someone. I. Don’t. Have. An. iPhone. But why? Why do we as a society shudder at the thought of a brand of cell phone that differs from the trusted iPhone? Why do we view those who do not have an iPhone with less respect? The simple answer is: iPhones are the technological standard, and if you don’t have one, your phone (or lack thereof) alienates you.

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How did Apple become the favored tech of the masses? Android, Samsung, LG, Google, and more companies have also created their own smartphones. Many argue that these phones are superior to the Apple iPhone in many ways. They have been proven to have better cameras, more storage, faster speed, and are less susceptible to spills and drops. So why does only a fraction of the population have these phones? It would make sense for the superior phone to have a hold on the market, but that is not the case.

First come, first serve. Apple was the first company to release a smartphone, and since then, they have had a big influence on the market. Everyone started off with Apple smartphones, they were the original and the best mobile available. Even after new companies started debuting their versions of the iPhone, people stuck to what they knew. iPhones still dominate today, and in a world run by them, why would you want to stray from the norm?

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Facets of the iPhone including group chats, FaceTime, iMessage, emojis, and more, are erased when adding an Android into the mix. People become frustrated when they can’t name a group chat or add people when there is a non-iPhone user involved. Sending messages through laptops to your friend who has an Android is impossible. Trying to communicate emotions with emojis is a hopeless cause when your friend just sees empty boxes. With these problems, many people just give up trying to include their Android friend. That friend feels cut off and alienated from the simple joys of group communication and random gifs. It’s plain and simple that having an Android in a world of iPhones disconnects you from the realm of online communication.

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Maybe one day we will live in a world that is connected through different brands of tech. Hopefully one day emojis will be universal across software and group chats will be compatible with every model of phone. However, until mobile phone producers decide to manufacture for connection instead competition, the great gap bridged by technology will still exist for those without iPhones.

Written by Claire Dougherty

Edited by Hannah Critchley, Evanthia Voutsakis, Cassie Butch, Cherry Marni, and Mr. Paul Setlock