The iPhone has been a status symbol for global mobile consumers, while Android has been the epitome of true freedom to access maximum mobile features.
A dramatic war between iPhone and Android users has lasted over a decade globally. The debate on which OS is better in terms of features, customization, interconnectivity, and overall user experience is a positive one. However, iPhone users have been looking down on Android phones from a negative and rather subjective viewpoint: social status.
A recent survey by All About Cookies uncovered why subjective discrimination is spreading like wildfire, so much so that the US Department of Justice had to jump in. The survey was conducted among 1000 anonymous participants this summer. The study findings uncovered that having an Android phone could significantly impact a user’s dating life.
About 22% of iPhone users admitted that they look down on those who send non-iMessage texts. ~23% of iPhone users expressed that finding out that a potential romantic prospect is a green-bubble sender (Android) would mostly be a dealbreaker.
This is not limited to one gender, as a whopping 31% of men would readily swipe left on an Android user. Comparatively, only 16% of women admitted to swiping left on an Android mobile user.
Surprisingly, many Android users already knew about this behavior and the bias surrounding it. Nearly 52% of the surveyed Android users nodded yes to being made fun of or bullied for their devices, and over 36% said that they were judged harshly.
The ongoing antitrust case against Apple also includes potential silent propaganda being spread to promote the adoption of iPhones. The US Department of Justice recently called out the iPhone maker for afflicting Android Smartphone users with the green bubble in text messages as a discriminatory mark of social stigma, exclusion, and blame.
If the accusations stand true, they seem to be working quite effectively on the Android community. While 26% of the surveyed admitted to feelings of embarrassment associated with publicly showing their Android device, 30% expressed strong contemplations to switch to an iPhone simply to stop the ridicule. Around 42% of Android users already switched to third-party messaging apps like WhatsApp to prevent the revelation of their device and its associated judgment.
The heat on both sides is extremely high, as 99% of survey respondents are either completely team Android or iPhone. Apple seems to be rectifying the source of bias in its latest iOS 18 update by fixing cross-platform communication issues and eliminating blurry images or missing read receipts. With the government’s proactive involvement, the alleged bias promotion may come to a halt, but the user impressions may take some time to change.
