I don't think you can ignore how large of a part marketing plays in it. Take this for example: When I was working as a DSL technician, I used to go to people's houses every day all day. At least once a day, a customer would mistake my phone for an iPhone. When I'd tell them it wasn't an iPhone I often got the response "oh you should get an iPhone". I'd ask them why, and their response would be "it's the best". I'd ask them what made it the best, and literally not one person could tell me why, they just said it's what they heard or saw on television. They didn't know anything about the phone (heck they didn't even have one), yet they knew "it was the best" because of marketing. So when some people do go out and buy a phone, they don't know what other options are out there and if those options are better or not. They just know it's "the best" because of marketing. You'd be surprised how often this is the case. The average person doesn't know anything about smoothness comparisons, lag comparisons, browser speeds, device security, gpu's, interface differences, app differences, etc. The average person doesn't know anything about that. That is why marketing plays a MAJOR role in sales. The average person doesn't concern themselves with the minutia.
