Contrarian just means holding a position the majority doesn't hold. Although reality is not that clearcut as you aptly pointed out. Most investors didn't think

Contrarian just means holding a position the majority doesn't hold. Although reality is not that clearcut as you aptly pointed out. Most investors didn't think Facebook or Tesla were good investments, hence investing in those stocks is a contrarian position. To use your example, I would consider choosing to not use a smartphone to be a contrarian position while having an iPhone is not.