Josh Maddux, a senior from Overland Park, just upgraded to the iPhone 5 from the iPhone 4 he has used for the past two years.“I selected iPhone over Android solely because I’ve used multiple iPhones, and have loved all of them,” Maddux said. “None of my previous iPhones ever gave me any problems.”
While the iPhone 5 requires all new cords incompatible with previous Apple products, Maddux is not bothered as the changes come with an improved product. A drum major for the Marching Jayhawks, the iPhone 5 helps Maddux easily send emails to the band and watch previous performances on video.
Tyler Keast, a Sprint sales associate, said KU students are evenly divided between selecting Android and iPhone. And whichever phone they prefer, those students are usually stronger against selecting the other type of phone, despite similar processing speeds and cost. Both the iPhone 5 and the comparable Samsung Galaxy SIII have dual core processors and cost $199 to upgrade.
“A lot of people get the iPhone, and they don’t know why,” Keast said. “They want it just because it’s trendy.”
Working at both the Sprint stores in Leavenworth and at the KU Medical Center, Keast noticed medical students tend to prefer the iPhone 5 because of its reliability, while more tech savvy students select Android options.
Joe Rassmussen, a junior from Prairie Village, has used Android phones for the past two and a half years. Rassmussen prefers the versatility, widgets and customizability of his Samsung Galaxy Nexus, which he upgraded a month ago.
“With the iPhone, what you see is what you get,” Rassmussen said. “With Android, I can make it my phone.”
Rassmussen admits the iPhone is more user friendly, enough so that his grandpa would have little trouble using it, but said the applications are easier to upgrade on the Android operating system.
Not all students are thrilled with Android, or are vying to get the iPhone 5. Kevin Colbert, a graduate student from Kansas City, Kan., and current Android user, is due for a phone upgrade shortly.
“I will probably end up buying an iPhone soon,” Colbert said. “With a two-year phone update, the iPhone4 is free. I will most likely not buy the iPhone5 however because of the $200 cost, additional associated fees and lack of new features.”
While Keast still thinks the Samsung Galaxy SIII is a slightly better product than the iPhone 5, he said selecting a phone is ultimately based on a student’s preference.
“If you’re looking for reliability, go for iPhone,” Keast said. “But if you’re looking for bells and whistles, Android is the phone for you.”
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