Who Do You Think Spends More – iPhone Users or Android Users? ;)

You can probably guess the answer, but here are some fun “facts” you might enjoy from the New York Post and coupon site, SlickDeals ;)

  • iPhone users shell out $117 on average every month on clothes vs $62 for Android users
  • iPhone users spend $83 avg. every month on makeup/beauty products vs $40 for Android users
  • iPhone users spend $101 every month on tech-related purchases vs $51 for those on Android
  • Android users are 19% more likely to say they look for deals and discounts “often.”
  • iPhone users were found to be more vain, taking 12 selfies a day vs 7 for those on Android – hah!

So basically, Android users are much more frugal than iPhone’rs, uhh thank you..

take a bow gif

However, according to the same article, iPhone users were also 27% more likely to say they were “very happy” with their life, as well as more inclined to have a partner they were in love with too!

So…. there’s that ;)

You can read the full story here –> iPhone and Android users are completely different people

I first heard about this on The Kane Show here in DC (radio show), and they were wondering if these differences were actually ruining people’s relationships or not for those who had different phones? I only caught the first person who called in before I had to go, but he basically said that his relationship with his wife got MASSIVELY better once they were both on iPhones vs one with iPhone and the other Android. Apparently it made a world of a difference being able to Facetime together now, as well as other more compatible communication methods.

I wanted to keep listening and see if anyone confirmed the spending habits of each, but sadly I had to go, and then thanked my lucky stars I had a blog so I can poll my OWN AUDIENCE ;)

So if you’re up for it today, please tell me the answers to these two questions!

  1. As an iPhone or Android user, do you find these stats to be pretty accurate?
  2. Have you ever been frustrated with YOUR spouse’s/boyfriend’s/lover’s use of a differing operating system while together with them? Have you ever broken up with someone because of it?

Ever since I’ve known my wife we’ve been pretty much on the same carriers/phones so I can’t answer that last one, but I will say that when we were rocking iPhones we were DEFINITELY spending more on ourselves than we are now. And that’s not even including the phone and service itself!

It wasn’t until I took a step back and started challenging all my bills that I even realized how “normal” our spending had gotten over the years.

And then once we started paying more attention we got to slashing everything we could:

  • We dropped our iPhones/Verizon and moved to Republic Wireless/Androids (a savings of $100/mo)
  • We re-assessed our car insurance and saw a $30/month savings there too
  • We cut down our cable TV bills and eventually got rid of it altogether (saving us another $100/mo)
  • We started hawking stuff all around the house that we didn’t “need” anymore too

And the best part? Our lifestyle was hardly affected at all!

Here’s a snapshot of the first year of our “Challenge Everything” mission for those who missed it:

challenge everything savings chart

So not saying it’s completely the iPhone’s fault that we were spending so much, but we surely weren’t as cost conscious as we became once we got rid of it ;)

And I should note that I have nothing against iPhones btw. I love ’em and would happily switch back if they ever became compatible with RW! I just found I could still do everything I needed on Androids while also keeping an extra Benjamin in my pocket every month… And super thankful it finally opened my eyes on everything else I was overspending on too!

Just my two cents on things, anyways…

What do you think? Are you great at saving and cutting back even with an iPhone? Did you ever leave one operating system for another and it completely change your life/finances?

HAVE YOU EVER BROKEN UP WITH SOMEONE BECAUSE OF THEIR PHONE???

All important questions that MUST be answered today! ;) Spill your thoughts and let’s have a cell phone rumble!!

*******
PS: Here’s the infographic that went along with the article that shows even more differences:

iphone vs android spending

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69 Comments

  1. Dave @ Accidental FIRE November 7, 2018 at 5:24 AM

    Wow J, you just started a war. Android/Apple wars are bloody, get the body bags….

    All I will say is that it surprises me zero that Apple people spend more and are more vain.

    Shots fired!!!!

    Reply
  2. [HCF] November 7, 2018 at 5:59 AM

    If my wife would ask me to buy her an iPhone I would file for divorce. Ok, jokes apart, I am pretty open minded so I would give her a chance to convince me this is a valid financial decision but I think it is a “mission impossible”. Before you would scream chauvinism I tell you it works the other way also. That’s the reason I still don’t own an electric guitar :D

    Btw, where are the cheapskates, the minority who are using other than these giants? Asking for a friend… :)

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 10:04 AM

      I did hear from someone this morning that still rocks an flip phone – and very proudly at that :)

      Reply
      1. Martinus November 7, 2018 at 4:46 PM

        My business partner had a flip phone for nearly 15 years. Completely worn out when he was finally done with it last year. Wouldn’t go another inch. He takes frugality to the next level (and as a result his net worth is north of $15.0 million). NOBODY looks after his stuff as well as he does. He buys good quality stuff, then stewards the hell out of it.

        Reply
        1. J. Money November 8, 2018 at 10:14 AM

          Oh $hit! Now that is what you call the Millionaire Next Door!

          Reply
  3. Martinus November 7, 2018 at 7:22 AM

    Until recently my wife and I both had Blackberries. I’d still have one if it were practical. She then got an iphone and I got an Android.

    I HATE Itunes. I also hate that Apple goes a completely proprietary route. Further, I do not think that Apple respects my privacy. Are they “spying” on their users? I can’t rely on them to do the right thing. So I will NEVER buy an Apple product.

    This causes no friction whatsoever with my spouse. Neither of us use our phones for making purchases. She uses a computer or a tablet for that and so do I.

    I “Facetime” by seeing my spouse in person every day. No need to involve Apple with that.

    I am far more frugal than my spouse though. Our incomes are similar (hers slightly higher) but my net worth is nearly $3.0 million more than hers. Perhaps we have “self selected” our tribe with our choice of phones (she bought hers new from a dealer whereas I bought mine on ebay for half price). I also have a cheapo phone plan.

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 10:33 AM

      “I “Facetime” by seeing my spouse in person every day. No need to involve Apple with that.” Hahaha… okay, that was good… Almost as much as your $3,000,000 extra wealth (how much do you guys have TOGETHER, my goodness??)

      Reply
  4. Stevo November 7, 2018 at 7:33 AM

    Wife and I are both lifetime iphone users. I’ve been a cheap bastard for a while (only had 1 new iphone, rest were hand-me-downs from family). Most recently bought an iphone X in May as a push present for my wife – if she keeps dropping it and breaks it, that may cause a divorce lol

    I could see the issues though. We have 2 friends out of our close group of 10 that use android and it ruins the group messaging for everyone!

    Reply
  5. Dave November 7, 2018 at 7:44 AM

    I’m definitely one of the outliers. I’ve owned iPhones since the very first version and, while I’m more frugal now than I used to be, I’ve never been a big spender. I bought my last iPhone used on eBay for $90 after spending nearly a year using the previous one with a shattered screen. I also spend nothing on cell service. 200 megs of data on FreedomPop works fine for me.

    Can’t speak to the relationship question. My wife also uses an iPhone. Though she has a $35/month plan on Cricket.

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 10:34 AM

      I hear ya on the shattered screen one… I’ll go forever until every last pixel is blackened out or the buttons stop working :)

      Reply
  6. Mr. AE November 7, 2018 at 7:55 AM

    iPhone here, same with my wife.

    Definitely do not spend like the typical iPhone user. I don’t update my phone every year, or even every 2 years. 100/month on clothes….after 1 year i would have enough to last 5 years at least

    Family member with Android ruin group texts

    Reply
  7. PaulM November 7, 2018 at 8:06 AM

    Hmm. I have an i phone for work and an Android for home, which helps explain my inner frugality battling my external desire to have all the latest technology. My wife has an Android and is tired of trying to remember the best number to call.

    Reply
  8. Merry Money November 7, 2018 at 8:13 AM

    I was so right, Android users are more money conscious! iPhones are usually a few hundred dollars more expensive than Android. I am alarmed that they report that much happiness though, in comparison to Android users! I guess Android = Introverts?! They should do a split test for that!

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 10:40 AM

      Haha for real….

      Reply
  9. Robin November 7, 2018 at 8:30 AM

    Never owned an Android. Dated guy for many years who was a diehard Apple user. Got a lot of hand-me-downs to include iPhones. However, now that I have to pay for my own phone and service (yes he’d pay for my service too), I’m not feeling iPhones nor the high cost of the plan I use with AT&T. My immediate family members use iPhones so haven’t had any problems communicating other than my kids not responding as quickly as I think they should. Of most interesting to me of your post is “challenging all my bills.” Doing that now.

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 10:43 AM

      GOOD! You’ll have to let me know how it goes – completely changed my way of thinking and handling other areas in life too. It’s good to check in on all the items taking up money/time/energy in our lives every now and then! Just because they made sense in the past, doesn’t mean they do in the future anymore…

      Reply
  10. Paul November 7, 2018 at 8:43 AM

    We will all be on iphones soon anyway if the only cell phone deals remain bogo. I have a Note and its been great but its 3 years old now and the battery life is fading fast. The reason I say this is because it seems cell phone deals are now tied to buy one get one with no mix and match. I be willing to wager that iphone users as a whole are less willing to make the shift to android than the opposite. Basically, my wife wont switch and my cheapness will win out on the bogo deal, so I’ll switch. I’ve had both android and iphone and generally I have a much harder time using iphone as I find it to be so simple that I overlook where things are for where I expect them to be located. The same with macs too. I get frustrated trying to do anything because I expect the option or setting I need to be buried miles deep somewhere instead of right in front of me on the surface in the most logical place for someone that isn’t technically inclined. Also, ever since android came to the scene, Apple has been typically behind the times on phone innovation, its just when they eventually get around to adding a feature that android has had for years everyone pretends that apple did it first…

    Also, for a true cost comparison it would be more relevant to base these numbers as a percentage of annual salary vs total dollar amount.

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 10:47 AM

      Too funny on the simplicity, haha… Didn’t iPhones get rid of the main button and earphone jacks too? I’m glad Android hasn’t gone that route – yet..

      Reply
      1. paul November 8, 2018 at 8:33 AM

        I use bluetooth sport headphones for the most part. not having a cord connected to my phone is better for the gym. If you don’t care about brand (which I don’t) they are $20-$30 bucks, not $200 as apple would have you believe. I know the technology is different but that doesn’t matter to me, only the end result of hearing music while I’m working out. In my older Camry the 3.5mm jack is a must, there is no bluetooth audio option. I suppose I could just leave the dongle in the car for connection. We’ll see.

        p.s. who came up with the word dongle anyway? It sounds highly inappropriate.

        Reply
        1. J. Money November 8, 2018 at 10:15 AM

          Yeah it does, haha…

          Reply
  11. cb1nz November 7, 2018 at 8:44 AM

    Ooh – we are a split OS household. I own a refurbished iphone (on a cheap monthly tariff) and my husband uses a semi-smart android. I own a 2012 Macbook Pro I bought used off a friend for a bargain (my previous Macbook was a present from my parents and I made that baby last 9 years), and my husband is running his no longer supported Windows desktop into the ground. Moreover, I’ve been using iCal for years and my husband writes out a quarterly calendar on a sheet of notepaper; one line = one day. So… I feel like the running theme of being late adopters, using things until they die, and being frugal has the ability to trump brand trends every time. Amusingly, I’m pretty sure we will maintain our tech split for the forseeable future. I loathe Android with a passion, and my husband finds the Mac OS confusing.

    That being said, I’ve read a few interesting pieces that argue Apple should really be classed as a luxury brand (and sit in the same market space as Gucci, Burberry, Patek Philippe, etc) rather than a tech company. That rings true. The cachet of owning an iphone isn’t purely in the ownership of just any Apple product, it’s owning the latest, shiniest version, and having a selfie of oneself queuing for hours the buy it immeditately upon release. So in that respect, it makes perfect sense that iphone ownership correlates strongly with higher spending in other categories than Android ownership.

    Thems me thoughts ;)

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 10:52 AM

      Me likes your thoughts :) And that you husband writes out a quarterly calendar on a sheet of notepaper, haha… There’s gonna be a wave where a ton of people go back to everything *physical* again, just wait!!

      Reply
  12. Joe November 7, 2018 at 8:54 AM

    Interesting… You didn’t highlight the income differences. I think it’s just lifestyle inflation. Iphone users think they deserve a premium product because they make more money. IMO.

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 10:53 AM

      Possibly, but on the other hand just because you *can* afford something doesn’t mean you *should* go out and buy it. So high salary or not, you’re still choosing to spend more money in areas where others are not :)

      Reply
  13. Mr. Tako November 7, 2018 at 8:56 AM

    For whatever it’s worth, Android all the way for me. I gave up on iPhones back in the 3gs days!

    Reply
  14. Mike November 7, 2018 at 9:01 AM

    Mint Mobile for cell phone service, which is not only cheaper than Republic (I’m a former Republic Wireless user) but it also supports both iPhone and Android. I’ve moved back to an iPhone, but it’s an iPhone 5S. It cost less than $100, works great, and still gets security and operating system updates from Apple.

    In lots of ways, it gives the best of both worlds: cheap service plan, interoperability with all the iPhone people who use FaceTime and iMessages, and better privacy than Google.

    Interesting article, though! I didn’t notice this difference during the 4 years my wife and I were on different phone types, but taking it as a larger view of the market, this seems to make sense.

    Keep it up, J$

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 10:54 AM

      Very cool about Mint Mobile! Not sure I’ve heard of those guys before?? Making a note to poke around – thanks man!

      Reply
  15. Adam November 7, 2018 at 10:21 AM

    Timely. I want to ditch VZW and swap to Google Fi after my four-year-old Droid Turbo finally dies (turns out it’s worth splurging on a flagship smartphone if you keep it forever). My wife is thoroughly into the iTunes thing, though. What price domestic tranquility?

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 11:06 AM

      I hear great things about Google Fi too… let me know what you think once you end up giving them a shot!

      Reply
  16. JVG23 November 7, 2018 at 10:24 AM

    1. No way! I am the only iphone user in my group of friends and they are all HUGE spenders compared to me. I don’t even come close to those stats most months. I would say they all hit the selfie mark, and I maybe take one per quarter.

    2. I don’t really know about having different phone brands making a difference in a relationship, but definitely phone capabilities. My fiance went years with a “burner” phone because he doesn’t ever spend money on himself. I finally got him an Android (even though I am iPhone) and got him Republic wireless. I was tired of not being able to send him photos, links or having him involved in group texts with friends and family. Now, to get him to actually respond to texts… he thinks they are just to relay info and not have a conversation so he never responds!

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 11:07 AM

      He needs to get with the times ;)

      Reply
  17. Katisha November 7, 2018 at 10:39 AM

    I am a current iPhone user who previously owned an Android. I prefer the easier integration across all my Apple devices with the iPhone. These stats let me know that I’m probably not the typical iPhone user, except when it comes to makeup/beauty spending. Kiehl’s, Ulta, and Sephora get a LOT of my money! However, I don’t take selfies. I don’t have a lot of friends, and I’m not a big texter. If we did a comparison, my beau (the Android user) probably spends more time on his phone than I do, but we do get along swimmingly. We don’t judge the content of one’s character by the phone they choose to carry. :-)

    Reply
  18. HM November 7, 2018 at 10:47 AM

    I have an iPhone. My husband has an Android. Contrary to popular belief, I am more frugal than he is :) When we bought our phones, I picked the older version of iPhone and my husband picked the latest newest version of Samsung. I love my iPhone though. I feel like Apple products last longer than Android products. Our iPad lasts forever while our Samsung tablet that we won at a company party gets slow after like a year of using. We are on an ancient T-mobile plan of $100/month (pretax) for 4 people.

    Regarding your stats:
    – On clothes –> I spent less a month. My husband clothes (and socks!!!) always have holes on them that need to replaced!
    – On makeup/beauty products –> I spent more…My husband doesn’t use makeup.
    – On tech purchases –> What is this??? I can’t think of other tech purchases besides phones/computer, but those are not monthly purchases….
    – On selfies –> We don’t do selfies…

    All jokes aside, being a statistician, I would say that the comparisons are not reliable. I would point out 1 bias: They are comparing iPhone users of higher income than Android users, and higher income people are prone to spend more money. And they don’t even check if the differences are statistically significant.

    I will stop now before showing off all my nerdy side….

    Reply
  19. Alain Guillot November 7, 2018 at 10:52 AM

    I know that there are many websites with dynamic pricing and they charge a higher price to Apple users that non-apple users.
    I just don’t understand why people would pay more for the same basic functions. Unless your basic function is to show to your friends that you are willing to pay more for no reason at all. Read Homo Deus: A Brief History of Tomorrow
    Book by Yuval Noah Harari. One of the chapters is “the history of front lawn” where the sole purpose of having a front lawn is to show that you are the kind of person willing to waste money in something useless.

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 11:04 AM

      Haha… Sounds like an interesting read :)

      (And didn’t know about charging apple users more for things?? That’s wild!! And sneaky!!!)

      Reply
  20. Deanna the dog walker November 7, 2018 at 11:33 AM

    I’m an iPhone loyalist- not because I really care, but because the majority of my clients are also iPhone users and the compatibility is nice. I also really care about the quality of photos, and iPhones take great pics without any sort of skill from me. Also- if something goes wrong with the phone and I need support, it’s really easy to get, both on the web and in a store. I tend to get a new phone every 2.5 years and I always buy an older (and sometimes refurbished) iPhone so i’m Not spending thousands of dollars on it. For a tiny thing that I pretty much run a business on, i’m Ok with that expense! (And it’s partially a write off anyway). My two best friends have Samsung and neither of them are happy with their phones. We can’t send videos to each other, emiticons don’t always work, and sometimes it takes me hours to get their photos. I just bought this one- it’s an iPhone 8 and I spent about $300 on it.

    Reply
  21. Revanche @ A Gai Shan Life November 7, 2018 at 12:16 PM

    We’re outliers. I’ve switched back and forth between iPhone and Android for years. I resent Apple for their proprietary iTunes and the need to log into Apple every time I want to do anything, so I kiiiind of hate iPhone for that, but I also like the ease of some of their features. I prefer the (free!) app download ease of the Android, but honestly I find all phones overpriced :)

    We practice cutting back overall all the time anyway, and we don’t spend on clothing, tech, makeup/beauty every month anyway. I think our average spending is around $200 a year in all of those areas combined, per adult.

    I haven’t abandoned TMobile yet, though I’ve been thinking about it! We currently spend $1080 on cell phones a year which is astonishing but only $480 for internet (no cable, no tv). I’m attached to the knowledge we have free data and texting internationally but we also don’t travel internationally as frequently as we used to before kids so I may have to pull the trigger on that soon. I just don’t want to have to replace PiC’s phone (he’s using my old iPhone) yet! :D

    Reply
  22. B.C. Kowalski November 7, 2018 at 12:23 PM

    While I think this is an interesting study, I think it’s a lesson in “Correlation does not equal causation.” I think the top statistic on the infographic — a HUGE difference in average salaries — says more about overall spending habits than what phone people have. After all, one could also interpret that data to say if you own an iPhone, you will make more money. That’s just as silly as suggesting owning an iPhone causes you to spend more.

    The logical conclusion of course is the reverse — that those who make more tend to spend more, as has been clearly demonstrated through the concept of lifestyle inflation.

    What is says more about the iPhone is that it is likely seen as a status symbol by many, so those with higher salaries tend to buy them, just like gas guzzling luxury SUVs.

    I buck the trend, of course, being a FIRE minded fellow saving 50%+ who owns all Apple products for my computing. I use them until they’re absolutely dead. I won’t get a new one until my current iPhone6 goes kaput. For me, I got started on iPhones through a work program and I am adept at using it for my job and personal use (recording tools for interviews, camera for those times I don’t have my D90 handy). I’m sure I could get used to an Android and I roll my eyes at that whole Apple/Android is the best the other is garbage debate. Who cares? Use what you like. I just use the Apple because I know it and like it, and am used to it.

    Reply
    1. Jen November 7, 2018 at 12:57 PM

      I could’ve saved myself some time if I had seen your post and just typed “ditto.” Haha!

      Reply
      1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 2:14 PM

        I do appreciate you both stopping by and sharing though! Although it’s not as fun as just believing the stats ;)

        Reply
  23. Andy November 7, 2018 at 12:25 PM

    iPhone is a phone. Android is an operating system. In other words, the survey is comparing apples and oranges – at least to some extend.

    The price range of Android phones is so much wider than for iPhones. Compare users of the latest iPhone with that of the latest Pixel or Galaxy and I’m pretty sure the differences are much less pronounced. But I don’t doubt that there are differences. I will NEVER be an Apple guy myself despite the quality of Apple products and their aesthetic appeal.

    Being a communications professional myself, I would always question the research done by an e-commerce company. It’s obviously not about truth or accuracy but about publicity for Slickdeal here. It’s content that’s fun, engaging, and accessible – perfect for some free publicity. And we all like free stuff, don’t we :)

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 2:16 PM

      Totally. I’ve deleted probably 38 other surveys today because they were incredibly boring and probably much more accurate :) I leave those for other much more serious blogs, haha…

      Reply
  24. Jen November 7, 2018 at 12:48 PM

    I think this is a major case of correlation does not equal causation. It doesn’t surprise me that that those who tend to have iPhones also make more money. I sort of live in two worlds. Where I live/work my sample population tends to run upper middle class. iPhones dominate with a small percentage of Androids. Where my family lives out of state my sample population tends to be lower income to lower middle class at best. Android/Other dominates there. I believe income is the main driver of most of those statistics. However, the stats above are also a good illustration of how group stereotypes can’t always be applied to the individual. In my anecdotal case I have only had 4 cell phones my entire cell phone using life (17yrs), and that is only because my iPhone 7 is skewing my average. I have no plans on upgrading my phone in the next two years (I need to get my average back up). I also VERY RARELY take a selfie. I’m not a big fan of them. Both myself and my husband moved to iPhones when we chose to move into the Smartphone category so I can’t speak to item #2. It would be nice if my sister was on the iPhone platform. I’m not interested in Face-timing with most people, but it would be nice in her case so the kids can see and connect with me (we are about 500 miles apart). I also wouldn’t mind doing that with my grandfather, but he is on a dummy phone (but he is on facebook. lol)

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 2:21 PM

      From what the cool kids tell me, “only old people are on Facebook” haha… Which makes me feel better about opting out years ago :)

      Reply
  25. Kathy Kristof November 7, 2018 at 1:12 PM

    Okay, I love my iPhone. I probably do spend $100 on tech each month…more, if you include high-speed internet, phones, phone service, web hosting….lotsa stuff there. But, I could count the number of selfies I’ve taken in my life on one hand; I don’t spend much on clothes or makeup. So…really, it’s just that the phone is so darn easy to use and it’s replaced my GPS, Fax, camera, calendar, address book, calculator, radio and fitness tracker.

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 7, 2018 at 2:19 PM

      Amen to that! It’s definitely gotten more convenient using smart phones regardless of the model.

      And very nice to see you here, btw! Hope the new’ish site is going well! :)

      Reply
  26. The FIRE Engine November 7, 2018 at 2:46 PM

    I’ve been an android user for the last four years or so, and definitely more on the frugal side!

    My parents are both on old iPhone 4/4s’s (my Dad’s 4 is a “hand me up” from me and nearing 7 years old). This week he asked me to decide what phones and contracts they should both get, so am getting them set up with android phones and cheap sim only contracts, saving up to 80% on their monthly bills!

    TFE

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 8, 2018 at 10:16 AM

      They raised a smart son ;)

      Reply
  27. Eric @ Flip n Finances November 7, 2018 at 3:28 PM

    Confession time.

    I used to have an iPhone (gasps all around). But I switched a year ago to Project Fi. My wife and never argued much when I had an iPhone, but she always gave me crap and I defended iPhone (bad choice). I love Mac computers. Don’t like iPhones (anymore). Pixel all the way :P

    I have never broken up with someone because of their phone haha. Not that shallow anyways :)

    Reply
  28. Brandy November 7, 2018 at 3:35 PM

    IPhone user- but I don’t spend nearly that much on any of the other categories.

    While iPhone has some bloatware- I tried Android and I just couldn’t handle all the extra bloatware on those devices. And I like the seamless integration across all devices with iPhone.

    Relationships- in general, I do find I have an easier time with my iPhone friends…but that’s just anecdotal.

    Reply
  29. Steveark November 7, 2018 at 5:38 PM

    My frugal wife and grown daughters use iPhones because they are simple and their friends use them so it is easier for them. But they are older models and they do not upgrade until one breaks. My grown son and I use android because we are engineers and the android operating system, for people that understand it, is much more elegant and powerful. Plus Apple is higher priced and is a prestige brand and I’d rather have functionality than a brand name. All five of us are pretty frugal so I can’t see a big difference in our family.

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 8, 2018 at 10:18 AM

      Androids do seem to be the going thing for engineers and computer nerds for sure. I wish I could say I was one of them and able to take advantage of all that Androids offer because of it, but sadly I am neither :)

      Reply
    2. Dan November 9, 2018 at 2:36 PM

      It may be so w/ the engineers you hang out/know, but 9/10 of the engineers I know use iPhones precisely b/c of their functionality (reliability as first and foremost).

      Reply
  30. Anne November 7, 2018 at 5:43 PM

    Android, i bought the Nexus 5x a couple of years ago for $250… got a replacement for free after a bootloop about a year ago?
    I am astonished by how not frugal my iphone friends are, but to be fair, people with the latest and greatest samsungs are very close to the same.
    Relationship… yeah actually. people literally tell me they dont like that the messages from me are the wrong color? Also sometimes people with iphones do something weird where it says “so-n-so sent confetti. Idk its all weird. Dating is hard.

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 8, 2018 at 10:20 AM

      I get weird messages too!! Like the other day I got something that said a friend “liked” my text and then repeated my exact same text to me as if I were talking to myself, haha…. For a split second I thought I was on Facebook :)

      Reply
  31. Lynn November 7, 2018 at 7:07 PM

    Different OS? Heck, yeah. But in this case it is Linux fanboy (him) vs. the rest of the family. It makes it *really* hard and frustrating dealing w/ the family computer because he insists on linux and that he is the only admin, only he can deal w/ issues on it (needing updates, kids problems w/ their games, etc). And don’t get me started on needing to find a scanner that is Linux compatible and software that both works well AND works on Linux. Gah!

    But for phones, we are both on Android, so good there.

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 8, 2018 at 10:21 AM

      Linux people are a whole other breed ;)

      Reply
  32. Maureen November 8, 2018 at 8:04 AM

    I started with an iPad while still carrying a flip phone. I got an iPhone because of the ability to link to my iPad. I just last week replaced my iPhone 5, so I wouldn’t say I’m a spendthrift! My husband also has an iPhone. Our son tried googleFi for a few months and got tired of glitchy connections and dropped calls. He got an iPhone about a week before shipping out to army basic training in Sept. The ability to see his face using FaceTime during the few times he has been able to contact us during the long weeks of Basic is priceless!!

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 8, 2018 at 10:22 AM

      I bet :) And in cases like those I’d 100% spend the money for the most reliable phone and connection I can get! Please thank him for his service for us!!

      Reply
  33. Frogdancer Jones November 8, 2018 at 10:42 AM

    Apple all the way!
    I bought my current phone (an iPhone 6) in 2015 when I went to the UK and Europe for 63 glorious days. I wanted a good camera/phone.
    Three years later it’s still going strong.
    My iPad has the kindle app on it – I read my books and listen to podcasts from it. I’ve had that baby for well over 6 years.
    Looking at those stats, I’d mostly fit on the android side. But you’d have to pry my Apple laptops/iPad/iPhone from my cold dead hands before I’d give them up.

    Reply
  34. Kris November 8, 2018 at 6:28 PM

    I never owned an iPhone, only had Andriods, in particular LG phones. The only Apple related item I ever owned was an iPod back when it was really popular. I don’t need much from my mobile phone as long as I can do the basic stuff.
    My wife also has an Andriod(Samsung Galaxy 6 I believe) so I can’t say if their is a conflict between a couple that has different operating systems for their phones, sounds kind of silly to even get into any conflict about phones.

    Reply
    1. J. Money November 9, 2018 at 10:21 AM

      I still rock an iPod Shuffle on my runs haha.. remember those??

      Reply
  35. theFIREstarter November 9, 2018 at 7:39 PM

    Two immediate thoughts were… Yeah that’s just lifestyle inflation, as a few other comments have already pointed out.

    The second one was that the only thing that degrades our relationship is that it p**ses me off that my wife wants an iPhone when they are just overpriced junk.

    What’s this about having not having similar communications etc…? Just get whatsapp, literally everyone I know is on that now anyway and it does free video calling. And obviously it works on both types of phone. We sync all our stuff together with Google drive which basically shows how pointless Apple’s attempted walled garden approach actually is…!

    The person who had to buy an iPhone was either very tech unsavvy or just plain stupid for not suggesting they both go onto Android instead to save them both money!

    Reply
  36. Danielle Ogilvie November 15, 2018 at 1:07 AM

    I think another reason for iPhone users spending more on make up and clothes is because they tend to be younger people trying to follow trends and such

    Reply
  37. Michelle December 4, 2018 at 7:53 PM

    Proud Google Fi user and I just bought my new phone some Motorola something for $150 bucks (I received a $50 credit for the old phone). I pay around $35 a month for it. It takes phenomenal pictures and video and works overseas. Boom.

    And, yes, I’m pretty frugal.

    Reply
  38. Gale L. January 23, 2020 at 6:48 PM

    Yay! Android users are way more aware of purchases.

    You can get better Android phones nowadays anyways. I don’t know if Android users are really less happy than iPhone users. I wonder what that would look like in 2020?

    Thanks for the great article!

    Reply
    1. J. Money January 24, 2020 at 7:44 AM

      Would be interesting to see :)

      Reply

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