5 ms·

if seems like all collection of social structures eventually coalesce into a duopoly.

SkyBelow 6y ago
It is a legit concern of mine. I've been asked for phone recommendations from family as well, but they only focus on the main brands with a strong preference for Apple as the status symbol and Samsung as the slightly less pricey option for people who want a phone they can do a bit more with (which is to say they see Samsung as the phone I like because it isn't locked down). Even after explaining there is more to Android than just Samsung they don't seem to care because their view seems to be based on what advertisements they watch. I'm afraid too much critical thinking has been off loaded to corporations through advertisement. Sure, it is just a phone, but for many of these people the $1k price tag is a major part of their disposable income and I don't think enough thought is being given to the far cheaper alternatives. Not only has it been reduced to two options, the two options have become two of the most expensive options. I don't think this was by chance.
- pdimitar 6y ago
  Most non-technical people I know opt for iPhones because they know they can use them for 5-6 years with 1-2 battery swaps (that costs 30 EUR where I live). And for display quality. I keep hearing this adage of "iPhone as a status symbol" and I have legitimately never in my life seen it. Only ever saw people on the internet talking about it. An anecdotal data point for you, if it's useful.
  - nopato 6y ago
    Let me give you some perspective. It might not be a status symbol in the US and Europe but in the rest of the world it definitely is. I’ve lived in the uk for a while and no one cared that was wearing an iPhone. But as soon as I moved back to my home country everyone thinks I’m rich. And they’re right to think this way as the price of iPhones in my country is completely absurd. Everyone thinks an 800 pounds phone is expensive? Imagine if you had to pay almost double of that. In a country that receives less than 200 hundred pounds of monthly minimum wage. I would never buy an iPhone while living here. It makes no sense unless you really want it as a status symbol.
    - jonny_eh 6y ago
      Which country are you talking about?
    - pdimitar 6y ago
      I work remotely so to me the local average wage bears zero relevance. I buy an iPhone for a number of reasons. I recognize it's expensive but it's usually at least a 3-year investment and to be fair, the cost per annum is basically the same for most Android flagships, only that Apple users switch devices less often. This can likely be endlessly contested by the frugal folk but I am not here for that. My reasons actually are highly irrelevant. I shared an anecdote about very regular non-tech people. They keep telling me the same stories after they switch from Android to iPhone and that's not accidental. But again, cost of living in the country of residence doesn't mean much if you work remotely. > It makes no sense unless you really want it as a status symbol. You could have just said: "I am an Apple hater" and it would have saved us both time and keystrokes. :)
  - coryrc 6y ago
    I used my $80 Android phone for four years. (Blu R1 hd). You you paid more for battery swaps than my phone.
    - pdimitar 6y ago
      And I likely used mine for much more activities than you used yours. But if you’re convinced that your choice is superior then you do you. I’m not here to argue, only to provide info of what I did and what many others I know did as well.
    - datavirtue 6y ago
      You clearly got lucky on that dice roll.
- Swizec 6y ago
  > Even after explaining there is more to Android than just Samsung they don't seem to care because their view seems to be based on what advertisements they watch. Fashionistas see you the same way when it comes to clothes. Car people see you this way about cars. Furniture people about furniture. Photography nuts about photo gear, knife people about kitchen knives, restaurant critics about restaurants, and the list goes on. Let’s not even get into what audiophiles think of most of our speaker and headphone choices ... Life is too short to be an expert at everything. Too short to even care about most purchases when good enough is plenty. Look up satisficing vs maximizing.
  - leetcrew 6y ago
    that's fine, but why bother asking someone knowledgeable if you're just going to ignore their advice? an audiophile will be disappointed if you ask for a headphone recommendation and say your budget is only $50, but they will probably still suggest a good model for the price.
    - Swizec 6y ago
      Sometimes all you need is a little validation from your friend that you made a decent decision.
- datavirtue 6y ago
  One of the best phones I ever had was a $500 Sony Xperia (amazing battery life). The other best phone was a Nokia 920 (?) Windows phone (zero cognitive load). Tech superiority and user experience are not market defining factors, clearly. I think both Samsung and Apple are trainwrecks compared to their earlier offerings. This because of a lack of competition now.
  - mlmonge 6y ago
    speaking of "Tech superiority," IMHO... I still think that the Palm OS Centro that I used so many years ago was simply the best. The Nokias of that era just didn't compete. I don't remember the cost but I really don't think it was at all expensive. I do remember that I could anything and everything with little gem. Sometimes I say I'd buy it again in a heartbeat if it had today's processing power. Ah, the good ol' days....
behnamoh 6y ago
that seems to be the case: - two-party government, - two major desktop OSs (macOS and Windows), - two main mobile OSs (android and iOS), - two major phone manufacturers (Apple and Samsung), - two main internet browsers (Chrome and Firefox), - two mainstream cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin and Ethereum), - two major home internet providers (Verizon and Comcast) - two ... There are exceptions of course, esp. in the retail market and fast food industry, but I'm afraid the good-ol' times choices in many areas are mostly gone.
- neogodless 6y ago
  Ha I wish your point about browsers was correct. Sorry, Safari is (a very distant) number 2. https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share
  - nayuki 6y ago
    Except for Safari's mandatory monopoly on iPhone/iPad, unfortunately.
    - skrowl 6y ago
      That should get fixed soon(ish) when Apple is forced to allow other app stores on their devices. Real firefox / real Chrome / emulators / etc!
- tertius 6y ago
  Ah yes, it was so much better before...
- paulryanrogers 6y ago
  Actually only one broadband ISP choice for many households

It is a legit concern of mine. I've been asked for phone recommendations from family as well, but they only focus on the main brands with a strong preference for Apple as the status symbol and Samsung as the slightly less pricey option for people who want a phone they can do a bit more with (which is to say they see Samsung as the phone I like because it isn't locked down). Even after explaining there is more to Android than just Samsung they don't seem to care because their view seems to be based on what advertisements they watch. I'm afraid too much critical thinking has been off loaded to corporations through advertisement. Sure, it is just a phone, but for many of these people the $1k price tag is a major part of their disposable income and I don't think enough thought is being given to the far cheaper alternatives. Not only has it been reduced to two options, the two options have become two of the most expensive options. I don't think this was by chance.

pdimitar 6y ago
Most non-technical people I know opt for iPhones because they know they can use them for 5-6 years with 1-2 battery swaps (that costs 30 EUR where I live). And for display quality. I keep hearing this adage of "iPhone as a status symbol" and I have legitimately never in my life seen it. Only ever saw people on the internet talking about it. An anecdotal data point for you, if it's useful.
- nopato 6y ago
  Let me give you some perspective. It might not be a status symbol in the US and Europe but in the rest of the world it definitely is. I’ve lived in the uk for a while and no one cared that was wearing an iPhone. But as soon as I moved back to my home country everyone thinks I’m rich. And they’re right to think this way as the price of iPhones in my country is completely absurd. Everyone thinks an 800 pounds phone is expensive? Imagine if you had to pay almost double of that. In a country that receives less than 200 hundred pounds of monthly minimum wage. I would never buy an iPhone while living here. It makes no sense unless you really want it as a status symbol.
  - jonny_eh 6y ago
    Which country are you talking about?
  - pdimitar 6y ago
    I work remotely so to me the local average wage bears zero relevance. I buy an iPhone for a number of reasons. I recognize it's expensive but it's usually at least a 3-year investment and to be fair, the cost per annum is basically the same for most Android flagships, only that Apple users switch devices less often. This can likely be endlessly contested by the frugal folk but I am not here for that. My reasons actually are highly irrelevant. I shared an anecdote about very regular non-tech people. They keep telling me the same stories after they switch from Android to iPhone and that's not accidental. But again, cost of living in the country of residence doesn't mean much if you work remotely. > It makes no sense unless you really want it as a status symbol. You could have just said: "I am an Apple hater" and it would have saved us both time and keystrokes. :)
- coryrc 6y ago
  I used my $80 Android phone for four years. (Blu R1 hd). You you paid more for battery swaps than my phone.
  - pdimitar 6y ago
    And I likely used mine for much more activities than you used yours. But if you’re convinced that your choice is superior then you do you. I’m not here to argue, only to provide info of what I did and what many others I know did as well.
  - datavirtue 6y ago
    You clearly got lucky on that dice roll.
Swizec 6y ago
> Even after explaining there is more to Android than just Samsung they don't seem to care because their view seems to be based on what advertisements they watch. Fashionistas see you the same way when it comes to clothes. Car people see you this way about cars. Furniture people about furniture. Photography nuts about photo gear, knife people about kitchen knives, restaurant critics about restaurants, and the list goes on. Let’s not even get into what audiophiles think of most of our speaker and headphone choices ... Life is too short to be an expert at everything. Too short to even care about most purchases when good enough is plenty. Look up satisficing vs maximizing.
- leetcrew 6y ago
  that's fine, but why bother asking someone knowledgeable if you're just going to ignore their advice? an audiophile will be disappointed if you ask for a headphone recommendation and say your budget is only $50, but they will probably still suggest a good model for the price.
  - Swizec 6y ago
    Sometimes all you need is a little validation from your friend that you made a decent decision.
datavirtue 6y ago
One of the best phones I ever had was a $500 Sony Xperia (amazing battery life). The other best phone was a Nokia 920 (?) Windows phone (zero cognitive load). Tech superiority and user experience are not market defining factors, clearly. I think both Samsung and Apple are trainwrecks compared to their earlier offerings. This because of a lack of competition now.
- mlmonge 6y ago
  speaking of "Tech superiority," IMHO... I still think that the Palm OS Centro that I used so many years ago was simply the best. The Nokias of that era just didn't compete. I don't remember the cost but I really don't think it was at all expensive. I do remember that I could anything and everything with little gem. Sometimes I say I'd buy it again in a heartbeat if it had today's processing power. Ah, the good ol' days....

behnamoh 6y ago

that seems to be the case: - two-party government, - two major desktop OSs (macOS and Windows), - two main mobile OSs (android and iOS), - two major phone manufacturers (Apple and Samsung), - two main internet browsers (Chrome and Firefox), - two mainstream cryptocurrencies (Bitcoin and Ethereum), - two major home internet providers (Verizon and Comcast) - two ... There are exceptions of course, esp. in the retail market and fast food industry, but I'm afraid the good-ol' times choices in many areas are mostly gone.

neogodless 6y ago
Ha I wish your point about browsers was correct. Sorry, Safari is (a very distant) number 2. https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share https://gs.statcounter.com/browser-market-share
- nayuki 6y ago
  Except for Safari's mandatory monopoly on iPhone/iPad, unfortunately.
  - skrowl 6y ago
    That should get fixed soon(ish) when Apple is forced to allow other app stores on their devices. Real firefox / real Chrome / emulators / etc!
tertius 6y ago
Ah yes, it was so much better before...
paulryanrogers 6y ago
Actually only one broadband ISP choice for many households