By Shawn Simpson
Staff Reporter
ssimps21@jccc.edu
If you’re like most people, it’s your constant companion. The place you turn when you need advice. You feel lost without it and feel like you’re interrupting when you come between someone else and theirs. It’s your smartphone and it’s as much a part of your style as the clothes you wear.
There are many in the field, but the main competitors in the market come down to two distinct operating systems: iPhone and Android.
“I’m Team Android. Price and compatibility is definitely a factor,” said student Ameenah Johnson. “I like Apple products, but for creativity, not for [everyday functioning].”
The social status of smartphones has largely become a thing of the past now that providers are offering affordable options to customers. The ubiquity of handheld devices creates a culture where brand loyalty can be established very early.
“I’ve always had an iPhone. My first phone was an iPhone, and I tried going to an Android later and just couldn’t stand it,” said student Kelsey Stanley.
Eddy Lopez, another student at the college, echoes the same sentiment. “My first phone was an iPhone. I had the 3, then the 3GS, then 4S and now the 5S. I’ve never had the Android, but I’d never go to one.”
Students reported spending as much as 20 hours per day on their devices. With so much time spent interfacing with a gadget, it should come as no surprise that there is such passion among the supporters of either side.
“I think it was more about what was just the newest out. I think when I got my Galaxy it was the S4 and I wanted to try that out,” said student Raul Perez.
Johnson captures the sentiment of many with her final comment: “I’m not ready (to switch to iPhone). I don’t want to convert my other things. Once you have an iPhone it seems like you have to have an iPad and a Mac and I don’t want a Mac. I like my little Asus [computer]!”
The choice of iPhone or Android is very personal and may be based on any number of variables. Price, functionality and just general comfort with a certain brand all come into play. The important thing to remember as both platforms battle for dominance in the marketplace is that regardless of who wins, the customer always comes out on top with newer, faster and cheaper gadgets.