• Sanyanov@lemmy.world
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    11 months ago

    I’ve heard of the issue before.

    Stupid? Absolutely. And it’s not just iPhones - they are part of the bigger picture. Somehow having “premium” things is huge part of your status in the US, especially among teens. And, despite the fact iPhone is owned by just about everyone in America, it’s still somehow seen as a thing compared to which Android phones are broke man’s choice.

    Result? 87-88% of American teens have iPhones (1, 2), with 90% planning to make it their next choice.

    It’s an extremely toxic consumer culture driving people into debt - and even if you aren’t part of it, you’ll be forced into it, otherwise your child will have issues.

    Also, Apple will fight tooth and nail to distinguish users, because having access to iMessage - and now right-colored bubbles - is a big part of why Americans go Apple to begin with. It’s a local unofficial communication standard.

    • LilB0kChoy@lemm.ee
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      11 months ago

      because having access to iMessage - and now right-colored bubbles - is a big part of why Americans go Apple to begin with.

      Do you have something supporting this? I was the only iPhone user in my family years ago, now everyone in my family has one. They switched because their Androids were slow, buggy and had issues. Over time they decided to try iPhones and now their perception of iPhone is that it just works better and smoother than Android.

      I think some go Apple for status, but still others go with it because they’ve personally had a better experience. For older people there’s probably also an element of support from their younger family. If their kids, grandkids etc. have iPhones then they can get help from them because they’re familiar with the device.

      I use an iPhone and many other Apple products because I work in IT. I get tired of troubleshooting other people’s tech issues and I can come home and my Apple stuff all just works. I don’t think it’s the best, I actually have a Windows gaming computer and an Ubuntu box as a home server but the Apple ecosystem works well together and means I’m not still wearing my IT hat at home all the time.

      The teen bullying is a social problem but it’s not that different than Starter jackets when I was in elementary school, branded sports apparel (particularly Nike) when I was in middle school, and having a pager when I was in high school.

      I don’t really care what color the bubbles are when I send messages, as long as the go through.

      • magnetosphere@kbin.social
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        11 months ago

        I don’t really care what color the bubbles are when I send messages, as long as the go through.

        Amen. It’s nice being an adult isn’t it?

        Now don’t bother me. I’ve got cartoons to watch.

      • TheGreenGolem@lemm.ee
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        11 months ago

        They switched because their Androids were slow, buggy and had issues.

        Yeah. If they would have spent the same amount of money on a high-end Android phone, those issues would have gone away. People are always comparing cheap low and mid-level shits to iPhones. Which is not very fair. Try an S23 Ultra or a Pixel 8 Pro and tell me it’s slower than an iPhone.

        • LilB0kChoy@lemm.ee
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          11 months ago

          If they would have spent the same amount of money

          They did spend the same because they were getting the deal phones from their provider. You’ll have to bear in mind this switch was about 10 years ago.

          I think what you’re saying contributes to why this Android/Apple discussion is still going on.

          The level of Android device varies based on cost affecting the experience. If you buy an Apple you don’t have that issue because all their devices run relatively the same and are expensive. They don’t have a “cheap” option.

    • AA5B@lemmy.world
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      11 months ago

      and now right-colored bubbles - is a big part of why Americans go Apple to begin with

      This is such a load of BS. Who would make a phone decision based on the color of chat bubbles in one particular app?

      I don’t know anyone who pays attention to such things and it seems particularly trivial. Unless you can actually identify real cases, this is just a non-issue made up and kept alive in media

      • SpacetimeMachine@lemmy.world
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        11 months ago

        It’s not literally about the color. The way iMessage works is if everyone in a group chat is using it you can send high quality video and images over it. However if you have a single non-imessage user (i.e. android user) it disabled that for everyone and defaults to MMS video/pic quality. You can see how that would obviously lead to immense peer pressure to not be the one making all of your friends experience worse, or risk just never being in those group chats.

      • prole@sh.itjust.works
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        11 months ago

        This is such a load of BS. Who would make a phone decision based on the color of chat bubbles in one particular app?

        Literal children.