Why Do Droid Users Care So Much About the iPhone?

The iPhone is to the Droid as Madonna is to Cyndi Lauper.

 

As you undoubtedly know, Apple unveiled the iPhone 5 today and Facebook was a flame with comments. The majority of comments gave the new Apple incarnation a thumbs down. The odd part was that most of the detractors were not iPhone users. If you hate Apple that’s your business and who am I to change your mind. However, if you’re not an iPhone user, why the hell do you care so much? It seems like they have a chip on their shoulder with something to prove. I have an iPhone 4S and I’m very happy with it. I was interested in the new release out of mere curiosity but with no real plans to upgrade anytime soon. Droid phones are probably great, but to be honest I don’t know or care anything about them because I don’t use them. Droids are like vaginas... Yes they exist but they have no impact on my everyday life. I get that Apple launches are major media events and shoved in everyone’s face, but that’s no reason to get all worked up. You don’t see me ranting and raving on Super Bowl Sunday just because I don’t watch football. Also, when is the last time you heard an iPhone user bitch about a Droid launch? When have you ever heard about a Droid launch?

I firmly believe that you can judge a product's impact based on the strength of the reaction. Kim Kardashian and Paris Hilton are perfect examples. Kim K continuously gets blasted for being famous for nothing. However, anyone that can bring out that much rage from the public must have made a serious impact. Comparatively, Paris Hilton has dropped off the face of the earth even though she was a much bigger “famous for nothing” star in the early years. In fact Kim was just one of her unknown friends. As time has gone by though, the public has forgotten about Paris. People simply don't care about her. Is it better to be forgotten or so famous you're hated? The opposite of love is ambivalence and there is a thin line between love and hate. 

Back to the iPhone. I started this post out with an analogy comparing the iPhone with Madonna. They have a much more symbiotic relationship then you may think. Both are cultural icons that changed their respective industries. Actually, they both changed the music industry. Critics may say they are past their prime while fans say it only gets better with age. Regardless of which side you're on, the iPhone (and Madonna) made history and will get a section in pop culture history books while the Droid (and Cyndi Lauper) will be described in a patronizing foot note: "Very underrated."

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