With my job I meet people all the time who come from different walks of the cellphone world.

Some refuse to take the data plunge being fully content with their lack of connectivity outside of just voice calls, while others can’t (and sometimes won’t) live without it. But a huge similarity that I have found is that most have no idea why they use the phone they do. Sure, there are the respected fanboys that follow each platform religiously, who can list you 25 reasons off their heads why they use the phone they do, but I’m not talking about them. I’m talking about the average users who bought their phone because they were influenced by peers to do so, NOT because they researched the platform and decided based on personal needs. You would be surprised to find out how many people fall into the latter category, those are the ones who don’t really know the given devices full potential, live vicariously through other people’s apps of choice, and won’t “explore” the device out of fear of “bricking” (rendering the device useless) it.

And how could I forget, the device users who are itching to switch, but don’t know why. They get a Blackberry for BBM, than switch to iPhone for the apps, now, are itching to switch to Android for the customization because all of their friends are doing it. All the while not really taking the time to feel the OS out and find out what makes it unique and popular. These users don’t really do personal research, they ask friends vague questions and decide on a whim, making it very hard to develop or maintain any sort of brand/OS loyalty.

I for one use a Blackberry 9700 as my primary device for communication because hands down it is arguably the best for this, RIM knows this and leverages it every chance they get. I used to use an iPhone 3G S as a secondary line for time-wasting and music, but as of recent have switched to Android for the simple reason of trying something new. My friends know me as a simplistic user who rarely uses day to day apps, focusing more on twitter, IM, e-mail and voice calls (yes, people still make them). Which is why OS isn’t as important to me as functionality.

Recently I had a discussion with a friend in regards to Android and the strides it is taking in the smart phone world. She is a devout Blackberry user with an itch for something more and speaks candidly on how limited she is with the aging Blackberry OS. Only recently did she cave with Android, borrowing an HTC Legend running Android 2.1 (which is arguably the hottest Android device available in the Canadian market, available exclusively through Bell Mobility) from a friend to give the ever popular platform a whirl. She points out that yes it is an amazing device for customization, functionality and form factor, but that the ease of customization can get to be overwhelming at times, which may be actually be a deterring factor in her and others decision process. iPhone and Blackberry OS are two established platforms that despite being somewhat customizable, still offer a sense of mobile structure in a world full of uneducated mobile users. Other than cosmetic changes, there is only so much that can be done with them in terms of true OS customization, allowing users to get comfortable faster.

Could this be why users love them so much, because they love the structure that is provided? Or have they grown so accustomed to the two notorious OS’s that they are simply afraid of change.

It doesn’t matter who you ask, most answers won’t be alike. People choose what they choose for what ever reason personal preference or not, but there always seems to be that confused moment at decision time where they are left asking: “Do I venture into the world of a new OS and retrain myself? Or Do I stick to the comfort of what I’ve grown to know and love so much”?

Let me know your thoughts in the comments.

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