What Your Phone Choice Says About You

If you've ever wondered what your phone choice says about you — and you probably have, because if the internet has taught us anything, it's that we're all narcissists deep down — science has come to the rescue once again. Researchers from the University of Lincoln and Lancaster University, both of which are located in the United Kingdom, recently presented the findings of two studies comparing the personality characteristics of smartphone users based on brand, and as it turns out, the divide among users runs deep. The catch? The differences might might not be what you expect.

According to Science Daily, researchers conducted two studies. The first study asked 240 participants to list personality characteristics they associated with different smartphone brands. The results were fairly stereotypical; iPhone users were seen as more extroverted and less agreeable, while Android users were assumed to be more open, honest, and humble.

The second study compared these results to the real personalities of 530 smartphone users, and that's where things got interesting. Most people didn't actually fit their phone's stereotype, but some unexpected trends arose. Android users showed greater rates of honesty and humility, but they were also kind of hipster — people with Androids showed greater "avoidance of similarity" than Apple users. In other words, they weren't fans of having the same technology as someone else.

On the other hand, iPhone users cared more about having a "high status" phone, which makes sense in light of all the fanfare that accompanies each new iPhone release. (Exhibits A-Z: All the rumors swirling around the release of the iPhone 7 this month.) Finally, researchers found a significant gender divide: Women were twice as likely to own an iPhone rather than an Android.

These findings aren't a hard-and-fast law of nature, but a 2013 study turned up similar results. Considering the sheer volume of smartphone users out there, it stands to reason that your personality would affect your choice in phones; they're increasingly becoming an extension of ourselves. But the most important takeaway of the study is clear — iPhone users may need to fix their public image before the reputation sticks.

Images: Matthew Kane, Giphy (2)