> not in the way people are fans of their iPhones

I think this whole Apple Cult thing is pretty overblown. Sure there may be a noisy minority who give that impression but I sure don't know any. I have an iPhone because I considered it the best choice but I'm hardly a raving iPhone zealot. I hate the closed ecosystem too, and resent that I have to chose between a high quality user experience (by my taste) and a more free environment.

I don't really know anyone who fits into the stereotype of an unconditional raving iPhone fan, and this amongst a social circle which is basically exclusively iPhone.

I actually got myself into some trouble when I said that a Blackberry isn't really a smartphone by today's standards at a friend's party. Someone else there was apparently pretty proud of her Blackberry, and seemed willing to defend to the death her Blackberry Curve that she got for free on contract. I had to back down from that statement for fear that I would be bludgeoned to death with an outdated business device.

This has almost nothing to do with your point, just that there are rabid fans for everything you could think of.

Well, it's overblown now, but there are definitely unconditional apple fans.

I'm an Android fan. I prefer the UI to iPhone, and I love the fact that I'm not locked into a single app store.

If Windows Phone wasn't locked down I might give it a try, but until there's an alternative phone that's at least as open as Android I'm not moving.

Congratulations. Most people buying Android are not, they just want to be able to do what their mates with iPhones can do, but cheaper. And they can.

This is purely speculation. If they wanted a cheap iPhone they could get an iPhone 4 or 3GS, why do people still choose Android?

Of course, the iPhone 3GS was only available on AT&T, which leaves out all Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile customers. The iPhone 4 is still $100 for an "old" phone, where they can get a new one for the same $100, or less.

Among my less technical friends, Android and iPhone devices are more or less equal.

Because people are still getting "a new phone," not a new phone that happens to be last year's model.

I don't think that really follows well from the claim above. If they wanted an iPhone they could get an iPhone 4. Getting a Bionic or Razr instead is user choice.

Where did you get this idea that Android is more affordable? Compare similar spec'd Android devices to the iPhone and they cost just as much as, if not more, than the iPhone.

Example: iPhone 4s 16gb AT&T - $150 subsidized HTC One X AT&T - $200 subsidized

Sure, there are cheaper Android phones, but there are also cheaper iPhones (3gs/4).

Believe it or not, there are real Android fans. I used to be one, not so much anymore. The carriers and manufacturers have ruined it with their delayed updates, bloatware, and modifications to the UI.

If Apple raised the iPhone screen to at least 4", I would consider getting one. If Microsoft released a WP7 device with good specs, I would get that. But at the moment, Android has the best balance of hardware and software.

Sure similar specced phones cost similar amounts, but with Android I can choose slightly lesser specs a lot less money in a way I can't the iPhone. Even the cheapest iPhone they still sell (3gs 8GB) is $100 more than some pretty good Android phones like the HTC One V, Samsung S plus or Sony Xperia Arc S and 3 times the price (unlocked) of a cheap Android phone (for example a Samsung Galaxy Mini or Galaxy Y or ZTE Blade). And when I buy an unlocked phone I don't get screwed on the contract, saving me even more money in the long run. Sure those cheap phones are technically not as good as the iPhone, but they're still fully functional smart phones that do everything many people need and want.

The 3gs is actually free with a 2-year contract.

I understand where you're coming from, and I'm not denying the fact that Android offers a wider range of devices in different price ranges. I just don't like this concept that many people seem to have stuck in their heads: iPhone = expensive. Android = cheap. All of the high-end phones are expensive, and high-end phones are what we should compare when talking about Android vs iOS because they are in the same price range.

So yes, there most definitely are Android fans out there, but they are most likely using a high-end Android device and not one of the cheap handsets that you couldn't pay me to use.