A recent survey from Gazelle, one of the biggest names in electronics trade-ins, says that when it comes right down to it, iOS and Android (News - Alert) users really aren't that different. A slew of blogs, commercials, and assorted references may seem to say otherwise, but the reports indicate that the two are much the same animal, except for one critical point: their love lives.
The Gazelle survey took over 1,000 respondents and ran down various portions of their personal lives, and how those parts of their personal lives interacted with their choice of phone. For instance, when it came to commitment to their devices, iOS users reported in over 75 percent of cases that they were "in-love" with their iOS device of choice. Right around half of Android users could say likewise.
Image via Shutterstock
But what really caught attention of the survey-runners out at Gazelle was the response to a related question about romance and the mobile users. There were three options for that section: "single," "married," or "in a relationship," virtually covering the waterfront as far as options went. But for iPhone (News - Alert) users, 47 percent selected "married." Meanwhile, 36 percent of Android users marked themselves as "single."
The further the questionnaire went, the stranger the results got. Fully 62 percent of iPhone users reported that they had suffered a broken heart, while only 50 percent of Android users could claim such a trouble for themselves. Both groups, however, did agree that a broken heart was tougher to live with than a broken phone, giving them a point of commonality. In further commonality, both groups would rather go without sex for a week than lose their phones for the same amount of time, and both groups preferred sugary treats over the savory variety.
Some might call this simply an extension of the environment. Of course Apple (News - Alert) users are in love with their phones, skeptics would say, there's only the one kind; how hard is it to be in love with virtually the only thing in the room? Android users, meanwhile, have significantly more choice, so they're more likely to be searching for that one phone series that's just right for them. So yes, Android users have more of a tendency to play the field, some would say, because they actually have a field to play in the first place.
As for the idea that phones may be influencing love lives, well, that's possible. It's likely not universally true, granted, but there is at least the possibility--augmented somewhat by the findings from Gazelle--that suggests that the Apple commitment to a brand may well extend to a significant other as well. This may be more of a novelty study than anything else, but it's certainly delivered an interesting result all the same.