I find fanboyism pretty much a naïve attitude to have. These are large companies that only have one aim in mind, and that is to make as much money as they can out of you. That is not the same as buying into an infrastructure that gives you a comfort zone. All phone companies strife to push people into that comfort zone, where they do not want to change. On that I am guilty as charged.
All in all you spend your money where you feel happier about it. If Apple want to out price their products then people will find alternatives. I never understand this culture of griefing people for having differing comfort zones. There seems to be a lot more emphasis on calling out people buying a bad deal, rather than just educating people on where the good deals are to be had.
I think there's a distinction to be made between being a fan and being a fanboi. I like AMD, but I also know Bulldozer was a disaster, the GPU division tends to over promise and under deliver, and their marketing and naming is covered in self-inflected wounds. Then there's people who bought the AMD-branded mountain bike, a cheap Chinese bike with some vinyl AMD logo stickers slapped on with a $300 markup, and I don't get those people at all.
I think that you mean by distinction, what you really mean some have a sensible approach. Both are likely to buy a product just by preference.
As for people buying the less informed option, if people are happy with their purchases, then let them have at it. It is hard to compare anything with the disappointment of buying something you are getting enjoyment from, only to find some smart Alec calling you an idiot. It is great to see guides on best purchases before you buy them, but once a purchase has been made there is no real going back on that.