Competition within the smartphone world has basically become a competitive sport in many regards. You have rivalries, people rooting for one team over the other, and the crazy fans that will push your mama down just to prove a point, they don't even care. It's one of those annoying quirks about the mobile industry that also doubles as being one of the most interesting. The ride or die fans are what help keep this industry alive and kicking.
Are you a ride or die fan?
Personally, I've always been flakey with what platform I love most. It changes over time, so I'm not really partial to one or the other. I was in love with Android before introduced to iOS, and then iOS stole my heart and now I'm back to Android. There was a time where I proudly used my BlackBerry or my webOS device, and would tell you any day that it was the best thing ever. Windows Mobile could go kick rock for all I cared, I don't think I could ever defend that OS if I tried.
But then you have the people who are full on devoted to one platform, or one manufacturer. You might have the person that is entirely enthusiastic about the product, and spends their time telling you about how great they think it is. They love the way they integrated such and such, they appreciate the level of concern their customer care has given them, they've always built a sturdy product, etc. Those are the ride or die fans that I enjoy talking to, because they genuinely just think the product is the best thing since sliced bread.
And then you have the people I don't like encountering as much - the people who try and convince you why the platform that you use is the inferior product. Instead of spending their time discussing what they enjoy about a certain company, platform or manufacturer, they would rather spend their time trying to tell you why yours sucks. "Oh, you like that your phone has that feature? My phone can do the same thing ten times better than your phone can. You're living in the stone age, bro. I would be embarrassed to be carrying around that dinosaur in your hand." You know, the people that like to belittle others. Forget the fact that maybe you like the company for reasons other than having the latest and greatest technology. Maybe they took good care of you when your phone started malfunctioning, or maybe it's just the interface you're the most comfortable with. But you're wrong because you could have a way better phone, and you're not using the phone they're using and for some reason this offends them greatly.
Even the most obnoxious ride or die fans can make this industry exciting, or in the very least provide some comedic relief. There's nothing more satisfying than reading an article about something as miniscule as a Windows Phone update and then somebody come along and praise Android or iOS for being leagues ahead of Windows Phone, and anybody who uses Windows Phone should seriously reconsider their life choices (and probably added some remarks about your mother as well). You know, ridiculous things like that. Likewise, I enjoy the intelligent and civil conversations that ensue between different ride or die fans who can simply agree to disagree. They've spoken their points, and respected each other's opinions. That's it, no harm done, time to move on.
Although I'm not a ride or die fan for any company in particular, I think it is fair to say that this industry wouldn't be the same without them - all of them. The ones that stand in line for launch day of their favorite device, or the ones that post religiously on forums about how great a platform is, and even the aggravating push yo' mama down types. Whether you agree with 'em or not, they keep the conversation interesting.
Reader, would you consider yourself a ride or die fan of a certain company or platform? What made you fall in love with the product or brand? Share with us your stories in the comments below!
Images via Design Cookbook, Geek News
