Imagine this: you’re 13 years old and it’s your birthday. You’re surrounded by friends and family as you open gifts. You’ve been suspecting for weeks that your parents might bless you with a brand-new smartphone to show off, and your intuition proves correct. You hastily tear the paper off of your final gift to uncover a brand-new, top-of-the-line Samsung phone. You might be ecstatic, eager to test out your new electronic toy, or you might be upset at your parents for picking the less trendy option.

According to an Oberlo article, Apple and Samsung were the top two smartphone vendors in the US in 2023. Apple was responsible for 61.30% of sales in the smartphone market, while Samsung was reported at 22.03%. This creates a big divide between patrons of the two companies, especially among youth.

Junior Alexis White, a former Android user, weighed in on the conversation.

“I had a Motorola … that was my first phone, and, honestly, it was pretty affordable. It wasn’t the best quality, but it was a nice phone,” said White.

Since then, White has pivoted to Apple for her smartphone needs. She currently has an iPhone 14. According to White, the camera is its biggest draw. 

“I like to post on Instagram. I feel like the iPhone camera, it’s just a little bit better,” said White.

Senior Hector Tule is another iPhone connoisseur.

“I liked that there are many apps you can use, from games to utilities,” said Tule.

Not everything is perfect on the iPhone planet, however. Some common complaints were the poor battery life and durability. 

“I feel like the iPhones are very fragile. The charging, it’s not good at all … at least, it’s not as good as the Android’s,” White said. 

This was mirrored in Tule’s testimony. 

“One thing I didn’t really like about it is [that] it constantly loses battery,” agreed Tule. “It dies pretty fast and it overheats.”

In fact, many people are beginning to see flaws in Apple’s iPhone. According to the same Oberlo article, “[Since 2011], Samsung… has managed to more than double its share. The biggest growth came between 2011 and 2014, when its market share increased from 9.12% to 25.34%.”

In the end, both students were happy with their decision to switch to iPhone. However, no one knows what the future may hold. You may even find yourself trading in your blue bubbles for green.