Hey.
With the advent of smartphones on different operating systems, the now-boring word 'ecosystem' has acquired a new meaning, and manufacturers of various devices, as well as software, have begun to fight for the consumer, creating these very ecosystems.
The concept of 'ecosystem' itself is much broader, and at the same time it can be interpreted in different ways, but today I would like to talk not about that.
The thoughts below were prompted by a recent presentation Xiaomi, during which new smartphones from the company were presented, as well as the next generation of a fitness bracelet.
I caught myself thinking that I was thinking about buying Xiaomi Mi 8 together with MiBand 3. Moreover, the catalyst for desire was the fitness bracelet, which, judging by the characteristics, has all the functionality, due to the lack of which I at one time changed MiBand 2 to Huawei Honor Band 3. And the thought that the new smartphone would be perfectly combined with a teapot Xiaomi, and with column, and even with a TV, which can then be purchased.
Yes, when choosing another gadget or household appliances, the thought periodically comes to me that it would be nice to collect all the equipment from one manufacturer. Moreover, this is rather an emotional and at the same time irrational wishlist, since I perfectly understand that the most correct option is to buy from different manufacturers what they do better than others. However, a person is a being subject to emotions, and sometimes (or maybe not sometimes) objectivity and a rational approach give way to the banal 'I want this way'.
And it would be okay to talk about fanaticism, when a person, for the sake of his passion, closes his eyes to obvious shortcomings and continues to fervently believe in the chosenness of his beloved brand, no, you soberly understand with your head that the manufacturer 'A' has a better microwave than the manufacturer 'B ', but at the same time you realize that' B 'does not have a laptop or TV in the range. This means that you will not be able to surround yourself with nameplates with the same inscriptions.
For the sake of fairness, it should be noted that such a collecting scheme will not work at all with every manufacturer of equipment and electronics. It is trite because there are not many vendors who have smartphones, accessories, and household and computer equipment in their assortment. Offhand, LG, Samsung, Sony and more recently Xiaomi come to mind.
So it turns out that if you don't like something about this four, you have to think rationally and choose equipment from different manufacturers, focusing only on characteristics and capabilities.
It should also be remembered that most buyers of technology actually understand little about it, and often the choice is based on the principle 'this manufacturer's washing machine works well, which means that the smartphone must also be good – I take it.'
Image from kira-scrap.ru
Although the 'collector' approach has its own big plus – no matter what they say, but most often the equipment of one manufacturer interacts much better with each other than if they were devices of different brands, albeit equipped with the same, universal interfaces. This is best understood when, for example, trying to combine home appliances into one big network. And if you consider that sooner or later all electronics will have access to the network, then the factor of better compatibility should not be neglected.
Conclusion
It is difficult to say what caused this. Perhaps this approach has its origins in the brand mania created by Calvin Klein in the fashion world. Perhaps the presence or absence of a desire to own things from one manufacturer depends both on the type of personality and on the characteristics of the human psyche. Or maybe these are just the intrigues of marketers who fool people and introduced the principles of a consumer society into their consciousness.
I would like to hear your opinion on this matter. When choosing different equipment, do you focus on the fact that it comes from one manufacturer, or does it not matter to you?