iPhone-like or media hype

[mountainbikermark]

You may disagree but I've heard it enough to know it's true are least in this part of the country. I'm often asked of my Motorola Droid Turbo 2 as well as the past my other recent Motorola Droids "is that an iPhone or Samsung", as if those are the only two brands that exist.

Here's a Google search for phone camera lenses. You'll notice as you scroll down that the only two phone brands mentioned are iPhone and Samsung Galaxy.

Cell Phone Camera Lenses: Cell Phone Lens Kit - Best Buy

More often than not, and by a wide margin when I'm looking for an accessory for my cell phone, whether it's a Bluetooth accessory or a charger adapter for example, the two names that the accessories are mentioned as being compatible with in the description are iPhone and Samsung. In fact I can't recall the last time I saw the name Motorola, Sony, HTC, even LG mentioned as part of the main description in a cell phone accessory advertisement. Oh sure, you may see it mentioned deeper in the detailed description but clearly even the accessory manufacturers see those two brands as "the" bullseye center of the target market and all other brands as concentrically positioned periphery.

Part of this also has to do to a certain extent with how cellphones have all generally taken on a very similar look and shape, being like 45% screen, 45% back and only maybe 10% sides, buttons, camera lenses and speakers. Used to be back in the pre-smartphone era, and even in the early smartphone era that the phone's were very different in style, shape, external casting and button features, etc. It was very easy to tell a Motorola MicroTac or RAZR from a PALM or a Blackberry, an Audiovox or even an HTC. Even the first androids were unmistakable, especially the Motorola Droid with the slide out keyboard, but also others. We have all migrated to the iPhone form factor in one way or another, and the standout adopter of this would be Samsung.

Today from even just a short distance most smartphones look virtually identical, like glass and plastic sandwiches, albeit different sized mind you. I see it as funny really, how the manufacturers struggle to maintain an identity by changing the accents and lens positions, speaker and microphone holes, button placement, shape and size while at the same time trying to be as similar to the iPhone as possible.

Yes, I know that the screen size and shape (rectangular glass) for the most part dictates the phone size and shape so one could argue that it's just a result of that and nothing else, but I beg to differ. The only real significant migration away from that has been the Edge line from Samsung, and it's success has been impressive but I have to wonder just how much use that edge or edges get(s). I believe it was for the most part Samsung's dire attempt to create a signature look that was both iPhone-like and yet so different it was unmistakable, essentially to become a bookend or flagship store at the mall for instance.





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I hear iPhone used in generic ways the same as band aid, kool aid, Pampers, etc is used. With that i just accept things as being how they are but when costumers or buddies say they're going to "order it offline" I do get a rise in my blood pressure at the ignorance of the statement. I even told one co-worker that they being in the store is the definition of offline buying. Being young and one who used the term himself he was taken aback at my statement of correction.

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[FoxKat]

I hear iPhone used in generic ways the same as band aid, kool aid, Pampers, etc is used. With that i just accept things as being how they are but when costumers or buddies say they're going to "order it offline" I do get a rise in my blood pressure at the ignorance of the statement. I even told one co-worker that they being in the store is the definition of offline buying. Being young and one who used the term himself he was taken aback at my statement of correction.

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Lol, yeah, that bothers me too.

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[cr6]

Disagree with this. On both counts. "Can I borrow your iPhone/Samsung?" never got nor will ever get popular.
People are lazy speakers. We always want the same or less syllables, not more.
Tissue, 2 syllables. Replaced by Kleenex, also 2.
Copy replaced by Xerox. 2 and 2.
Toaster Pastries (4) Pop Tart (2)
Soda Pop (3) replaced by soda (2) in most of the country, and pop (1) in the midwest and simply COKE in much of the country.
It's still and will always be less syllables for PHONE (1) then it will be for those other.... 2.

I have to agree. I've never ever heard anyone say "can I borrow your iPhone" or "can I borrow your Samsung". Nor have I heard anyone say "I need to order such & such offline". As pointed out, maybe it's a regional thing.


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[FoxKat]

Certainly could be a regional thing. I'm close to Philadelphia and there are certain areas of Philadelphia as well as some nearby suburbs which are lower income, undereducated populations, and is most common in those areas. There is a wide range of income and education classes in a rather small 30 mile radius of me, going from below poverty level to multimillionaires with doctorates. I don't hear those statements from the well educated or well to do.

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