I’ve been using iPhone 11 for over 4 years. That was the first iPhone I ever owned. This memory stayed with me throughout the COVID-19 pandemic and two overseas trips to Hawaii and Spain.
When it came time to upgrade, it was natural for the whole family to want an iPhone 16. I, on the other hand, wanted to get my hands on the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 6. But that didn’t happen. — and the reason is infuriating.
A very real (and very annoying) problem
I haven’t had a Samsung phone in over 7 years, and I haven’t had a flip phone since middle school (RIP Sanyo Katana), so I wanted the experience of owning a smartphone-style flip phone. Even before the iPhone 16 was launched, I listed reasons to love the Galaxy Z Flip 6 over the iPhone, from advanced customization features to significantly reduced screen time by not opening the phone for other purposes. I was watching people’s TikTok videos one after another. Rather than answering the phone or recording a video.
Both of these reasons were enough to make me want Samsung’s latest mini foldable phone. With Good Lock, I was able to set a GIF of Sonic the Hedgehog rolling around my cover screen at the speed of sound. Also, keeping your phone closed will help you resist the urge to scroll through your phone the moment you wake up each morning.
I considered using the iPhone 11 as a TikTok video maker and keeping the Galaxy Z Flip 6 as my main phone, as some content creators do. But last month, after watching Apple’s It’s Glowtime stream and posting something to that effect on my Instagram Story, my cousin (who works for a major cell phone company) said, “The Galaxy Z Flip 6 sucks. That’s a terrible idea.” phone. “When I asked why, they explained that it was because the creases were noticeable and would eventually cause problems if used for anything other than calls. Additionally, like most Samsung phones, it was due to pre-installed bloatware.” And it won’t be usable in two years, at least according to him.
Three days later, while walking through Epcot with my boyfriend, my brother texted me a list of options for which model of iPhone 16 he wanted. I thought I had no choice but to choose the iPhone 16 Pro. I’ve been using it for 3 weeks now and I’m still looking forward to the Galaxy Z Flip 6, even though it’s a huge improvement over the iPhone 11.
Since my family is deep into the Apple ecosystem, I’m sure there is a bias against smartphones due to the dilemma of having the latest iPhone but also wanting the latest foldable phone from Samsung. Discrimination against Android smartphones, and by extension the people who use them, has existed for as long as Android smartphones have been on the market alongside iPhones, and we all need to end this discrimination as we head into 2025.
Android smartphones deserve more respect
Two years ago, I wrote that the iPhone dominated the smartphone market after Apple’s exclusivity deal with AT&T ended in 2011. By the time the iPhone became available to everyone, regardless of carrier preference, Android smartphones were starting to appear from LG, Samsung, and other manufacturers. To ensure you don’t get left behind in the smartphone craze, we’re also powered by Google in all of our mobile stores to give shoppers more affordable options.
I bought my first smartphone from LG when I was in my second year of high school. Having an Android touchscreen device was just as exciting as an iPhone, but I still wasn’t as worried about having the same phone as my classmates, as long as it worked as intended.
However, as the years have passed, the widespread adoption of the iPhone has created prejudice not only against Android phones but also against Android users. This isn’t just because Android users are asking friends and colleagues if they can borrow an Android charger when their battery is low (something that has since been alleviated by the ubiquity of USB-C chargers ). Rather, it’s because (some) iPhone users believe that Android smartphones are inferior in price and quality.
irrational argument
Let’s talk about quality in the context of Galaxy Z Flip 6 and iPhone 16. Galaxy Z Flip 6 comes pre-installed with Galaxy AI to improve the quality of your photos, send text messages from the cover screen without opening your phone, and connect you and others who speak a foreign language. and provide two-way translation in conversations. When recording video, especially if you’re a content creator, you can hold your phone upright on a tripod, record with one hand in the video camera position with FlexMode, and control the camera more easily with Smooth Zoom Control. Masu.
Meanwhile, the iPhone 16 doesn’t have Apple Intelligence until iOS 18.1 arrives later this month, so you can’t use it to make your photos better than the original. Although the camera quality is an upgrade over my iPhone 11, my iPhone 16 Pro is not tripod-friendly. This is because the edges of the camera controls can cause your phone to slip out of your grip. Additionally, no matter how many apps you use to set GIFs as lock screen wallpaper, you cannot set GIFs as lock screen wallpaper. The iPhone 16 Pro is a great phone, but the Z Flip 6 was better for my use.
Based on my experience with the iPhone 16 Pro over the past three weeks, and the FOMO I got from TikTok videos and ads for the Galaxy Z Flip 6, I say Android smartphones don’t deserve the scorn they get right now. Here are some opinions from iPhone users, especially some in my family. I wanted to experience the nostalgia of carrying around a Samsung phone in a completely new way. I also wanted to see Sonic and Shadow moving around on the cover screen. But due to smartphone bias, that didn’t happen.
Is my situation unique? Yes, but it’s also not unique. Countless reports over the years have shed light on the conflict between Android and iOS. This conflict is still ongoing as of the end of 2024, and with 2025 just around the corner, we hope that we can finally put an end to this conflict.
Do you want an Android smartphone? You need to buy an Android smartphone. Do you want an iPhone? You should get an iPhone. Let people get the phones they want and don’t ridicule them either way.
