> Why the heck should I care about my friends and family paying some “Apple status” fee to get an iPhone just so I can share pictures and videos with them?
You might not. It is clear that the majority of iphone users don't care that android users keep complaining about green vs blue bubbles.
> Where is the data proclaiming this?
Use the mobile app usage data repository that your company provides or wtv data subscription (Bloomberg, data.ai, etc) that your company provides. After looking at aggregate, segment by iOS vs android. Hell, if you work in the mobile app space, you already know just how difficult it is to get iOS users to shift away from the apple default.
> I don’t know where you’re getting these ideas from.
like i said, techie vs normie divide. Funny you keep mentioning anecdotes when we can clearly look at the market forces. Apple isn't being pressured to change anything because their users just find it easier for others to switch to iPhone.
As others have remarked, my perspective is US-centric.
> I’ve never personally met somebody that cares what brand of phone you have.
This is incorrect, or you don't meet many people. They exist.