I don't doubt that group exists, but it's not 99%. Apple rarely makes products that aren't high build quality - though the -gate issues are always widely reported with every new gen - but if they start to I'm sure plenty of people will jump ship. The 5c was the last product Apple made that was a little cheap looking, though build quality was still high. It wasn't a massive success.
Not that I care about either corporation, but yah there are a few groups of people who seem obsessed with Apple.
1. Exotic dancers: Literally every single one of them I know/met carry some kind of iPhone. If you are an aspiring dancer who wants to belong in this exclusive circle, you'd better grab yourself an iPhone. Gold preferred.
2. Tech bloggers: This group suffer inferiority complex, typical of any group that came under spotlight inadvertently and seemingly overnight. They have to have an iMac in the background to feel secure while doing multi-GPU review on YouTube, for example. Excitements over iPhone 5C ("Plastic done right") by Anand lal Shimpi and Brian Klug also make you wonder what universe they live in.
Anyhow, even assuming, arguendo, there is a role smartphones play in proving a person's social status, I do not know why there cannot be more than one brand that can fulfill that role for the poor souls? Many industries consist of multiple luxury brands, and they push each other to improve their products and to attract consumers. As long as they play fair and bring me quality goods, I won't mind whether someone believes a smartphone proves her/his status.