Conformist, hipster iPhone users rave about iOS9 upgrade... but it's actually Android installed on their iPhones

(NaturalNews) A pair of Dutch comedians recently came up with an ingenious plan to test whether fans of Apple's iPhone care more about the brand or the features: they managed to install a version of Android on an iPhone and told passersby that it was a sneak preview of Apple's forthcoming iOS9. The result? Most people praised the operating system as another great success for Apple, praised its Android-specific features, and remarked that it looked better and ran smoother than Android.

The prank was carried out by Alexander Spoor and Sacha Harland, who have a YouTube comedy channel called DitIsNormaal. It was partly inspired by claims that Apple has lifted many of the new features of iOS9 directly from Android.

The new Apple operating system is currently in beta. Its expected release date is some time in December.

Users think Apple is "always" better

In a video released on their channel, the comedians can be seen asking young people on the street to evaluate a phone running "iOS 9." Even though the phone contained very iconic Android features such as a three-button action bar, Google search widget, moveable miniplayer widget, and its very distinctive look, only two of the people interviewed comment on how much the phone looks like an Android. All the others simply raved about how wonderful the new iPhone operating system was.

"Every time there's a new update it takes some getting used to," one man said, "but it's always better."

Another person commented that each update is better than the last, saying that "of course" the fake iOS9 is better than iOS8 and that "it looks a little easier, once again."

The comedians then asked people why they thought the new iOS was better than Android. Most responded that the iOS (which was actually Android) looked better, while others described it as smoother or faster. One man, who says he actually prefers Android, admitted that the "iOS" did look better.

Another had just this to say: "I think Apple is always better."

The video ends with one of the comedians saying, "Conclusion, it doesn't matter what Apple releases because people are going to think it's prettier, bigger and better than the competition anyway. And to all Apple users, don't forget to update soon... to Android."

Brand over substance

In an interview with Business Insider, Spoor admitted that he and Harland did not literally install Android onto an iPhone because the phone is simply not designed to run that operating system. Instead, they seem to have installed a tweak package to modify parts of the phone, making it look and act more like an Android device.

"It took a lot of jailbreaking and tweaking to make the resemblance uncanny," Spoor said.

The purpose, of course, was not to exactly mimic an Android; it was to reveal that people's opinions are often based more on brand than on substance.

"The video confirms what we already know," wrote technology reporter Tim Biggs in the Sydney Morning Herald, "that most of us choose a phone based on what we're used to, fashion, the other devices we have, and brand loyalty more than the specific tricks and functions of the software."

Spoor said that he and Harland came up with the idea for the prank after a prior video in which they got food experts to praise food from McDonald's by telling them it was organic.

"When that video went viral we noticed that the conversation about it had a lot to do with us as a society," Spoor said. "We decided to look into other topics that say something about our society and one of the topics we landed on was the hate-love relationship we have with Apple. It's insane how divided smartphone owners are about it."

Sources for this article include:
http://www.dailymail.co.uk
http://www.smh.com.au
http://www.businessinsider.com.au
http://tech.co/apple-fans-tricked-using-android-2015-08