The Cool/Hip Dilemma – iPhone vs. Droid
iPhone
June 29th, 2007 should be renamed to The Day of Reckoning for all iPhone users.
The iPhone was sold to thousands of Apple-enthusiasts, eagerly waiting hours, days, to get their hands on the Apple iPhone 3G. The sleek, cool, slender form of the iPhone was a call to all: Buy Me, I’m Cool.
(with the notable exception of some iPhones that were very, very hot.)
Two years later, young professionals, music lovers, technology geeks, and celebrities alike still sport the iPhone. No company has dared to challenge the likes of the All-Mighty Apple.
Until Verizon met Google.
The love fest between Verizon and Google was announced a while ago, but we didn’t expect anything like this:
A straight stab in the face to the iPhone. Mocking both it’s simple, bouncy, light advertisements and it’s functionality at the same time.
There have been instances where companies have launched phones as “iPhone Killers” and have epically failed. But since we already have a love for Google, this does give Verizon and Google a chance to battle the iPhone. The iPhone has also already saturated a lot of the market, making it — dare I say: old.
The Droid is looking for a fight. And that is why it is targeting men. Everything about the brand is specifically defined, targeted and positioned, I admire it. I may not fit into the category of a 25-35 year old male, but the rebellion, the wit, the robotics of the Droid make it compelling enough for me to look into the product to seek more information. Everything about this product from the 5 megapixel camera, the full QWERTY keyboard, to the pulsing red robotic eye in all the commercials — screams “MAN”.
So why am I so interested in the Droid? Although this product does not speak to my demographic, I find the cool factor in it. It is brave to mock a product that so many love and it takes creativity to advertise with a song I initially thought was from an iPhone commercial.
Keep in mind, not all companies can take on their direct competitors and make it work. Google and Verizon’s security, reliability, and efficiency stands behind the Verizon Wireless Droid. Google has positioned the Droid squarely in the “challenger brand” mode. Target your demographic and fit their lifestyles and attitudes to the product you are selling.
The Droid has open-source street cred and an estimated 100,000 sales in its first weekend. I’m saving up to march into the Verizon Wireless store and demand my iPhone killer.
Are you?
Photo Credit: williamhook
I picked up the Droid two days ago and I love it. What I find interesting is the target audience. I believe it’s the reverse. IPhone is loved by males for its sleek feminine curves, and the Droid will be loved by females for its weight, angles, and, masculinity.
I can’t afford either right now, but I still have my eyes set on the iPhone. If the Droid develops an app store as extensive as the iPhone’s, maybe I’ll change my mind. But if Verizon manages to snag a contract with the iPhone, the iPhone will still win, hands down.
I’d have to put in another vote for the Droid. I’ve been on Verizon since I first got a cell phone and can’t imagine living without its coverage. Before the Droid I had no options, so I just relied on my iPod Touch for connectivity around wifi access points. As soon as the Droid was announced I was on board, and I picked one up the day it was released.
Was it worth it? Oh yeah. The App Market is not too bad (around 10,000+ applications right now) and I find myself using the free navigation application a lot more than I had anticipated. I have long been a loyal Apple customer, but now I’ve turn into an Android evangelist because I hope the more people I can turn on to the platform, the more developers will write software for it.
I currently own a Droid phone even though I love it and think it works great, it still has a lot of work to go before we can contemplate whether it can beat out the iPhone. I remember when Microsoft launched the Zune and a lot of people were sure it would beat the iPod. It never did, and Zune has become almost obsolete to society. However we must realize that Mac is so compatible with our everyday life, and the common myth about it being hard to use is being debunked little by little. I have both an iPod touch and a Droid, but for many things I still use the iTouch, for example the internet, for it is much easier to use. All in all we have to hold out to see how the Droid does within the next months to come. But one thing is for sure, the Droid is way cheaper and more affordable than the Apple iPhone…that just might be the curse for Apple.
Overall, I would say the Droid seems like a much better phone. Verizon just has better coverage and service overall, and the iPhone is an easily stolen phone. With Verizon, if your phone is stolen you can immediately report it and the phone won’t be usable. You can’t get that with AT&T.
I agree with Melanie in that the Droid advertising seems male-driven, however, there are definitely many women out there who would love to get their hands on the phone (myself included). I would say its a tech-lovers dream, no matter what your gender.
I don’t think a phone needs thousands of apps to make it great. If you have a phone with great apps that are affordable and people will use, I think it’s definitely worth it. I don’t understand people’s obsession with the iPhone App Store. Think about all of the crap you have to sift through before you get what you actually want or need. Not to mention, who needs a bunch of useless stuff filling up your phone’s hard drive?
i am definitely a mac kinda girl. when the iPhone came out, it sounded like an incredible buy – until i found out that i had to switch from verizon to AT&T (yuck). so i stuck with my blackberry, but am seriously considering the droid at this point. picking a cell phone/PDA is not what it used to be! my phone is in my hand all day long, so i’m drawn to the fact that the droid screams “MAN,” because, let’s face it, my phone is as close to me as any man in my life. (i kid, but not really…)
i’m a girl, and i’m really wanting to swap my iphone for the new google phone. the iphones starting to feel a little old, and EVERYONE has got one…plus i reckon as more people get android, we’ll see the app store grow anyway, its just a matter of time….