Yes, it was Apple's iPhone that reinvented the notion of what a smartphone should be and how it should operate. However, it was Samsung that introduced the world to larger-than-average frontiers back in 2011, when it gave birth to the phablet market with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy Note.
At the time of its inception, the Samsung Galaxy Note featured a 5.3-inch display, whereas that figure now sits at 5.7” for the new Samsung Galaxy Note 5.
In the early days, Samsung pretty much ruled the phablet market with its Galaxy Note lineup, but rival vendors — including Apple — eventually began to realise that Samsung was indeed onto something with its oversized screens and decided to follow suit. Samsung’s fellow Android competitors were the first to react by releasing larger-screen of their own. Apple, meanwhile, bided its time.
It wasn’t until the iPhone 5 that Apple bumped its screen sizes up from 3.5” to 4”. This half-inch increase was welcomed, but users still wanted more, and Apple finally gave in with the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus, which measured in at 4.7” and 5.5”, respectively, and went on to break all previous sales records.
According to research firm IDC, Samsung’s share of smartphone shipments in Europe, the Middle East, and Africa reached 45 per cent in the first quarter of last year, but fast forward to the second quarter of this year and the figure had fallen to 32 per cent.
The vendor’s share is under attack from all sides, but particularly from Apple at the high end of the market, which is presumably why Samsung decided to do something a little unorthodox.
You see, Samsung has traditionally waited until the annual IFA tradeshow in Berlin to unveil its Galaxy Note devices to the world. However, in a bid to gain back some traction and to halt the drive of Apple's iPhone momentum, the Korean vendor decided to move things forward this time around.
Hosting its own event in New York last month, Samsung took the covers off not one but two 5.7” phablet devices — the Samsung Note 5 and the Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge Plus.
Both devices sport Super Amoled screens, 4GB of RAM, an 8-Core Exynos chip and premium glass and metal builds. They also both come equipped with fast-charging and wireless-charging capabilities and feature a 16-megapixel camera on the back and a 5MP one on the front.
The new devices bring enhanced features from their predecessors, not only in size but also in terms of software. For the Galaxy Note 5, one standout feature is the ability to write notes even if the screen is switched off, and with the Galaxy S6 Edge Plus, users can now add applications to the pullout shortcut from the screen’s curve, which was initially reserved just for contacts on the regular S6 Edge.
Another big announcement was the rollout of Samsung’s payment system. One massive advantage that Samsung Pay has over Apple Pay is that users do not need to seek out stores that have special NFC readers. Instead, they can simply tap their device on the kind of magnetic strip readers that already exist in most stores with payment terminals. The rollout of the new payment system will be gradual across geographies.
So what will Apple's smartphone response be? This question was just answered on Thursday at Apple's latest product unveiling event. The rumours surrounding Apple and what to expect were abuzz in typical fashion. And as anticipated, everything did come together in the press-packed event.
Apple took the time to discuss a wide array of products, new and updated. This started off with the Apple Watch and the new version of the software watchOS2, new model colours, and new straps. It even had a partnership with fashion powerhouse Hermes.
The show then moved on to the highly anticipated iPad line of products, where the newly unveiled 12.9” iPad Pro finally came to fruition. The newest iPad is the largest yet, and for an additional cost works with the new Apple Pencil and Smart Keyboard, driving a message of productivity and a whole new level of functionality to the consumer.
Then came the news of the long-awaited release of the company’s newest Apple TV, which brings with it a new hardware design and remote with a touchscreen, a new OS and even an app store. It was a packed show, and we still haven’t even gotten to the iPhones. Apple decided to keep the iPhone 6s and iPhone 6s Plus unveilings for the very end of the show.
And in typical fashion, the S variants of the iPhone line up bring along updated features, not design. This year’s hero feature comes with the moniker 3D Touch, a new pressure-sensitive screen that not only registers touch but also how much force is exerted on the screen.
This feature allows users to do a variety of additional tasks on the iPhone.
Facebook and Instagram are already a few companies that have updated their apps to take advantage of 3D Touch.
Other additions to the new devices are a rose gold colour and a stronger 7000 series aluminium body, hopefully ridding the device of any “bendgate” issues that plagued the original iPhone 6 devices. Users will be happy to know that the cameras have also been upgraded to a 12MP rear shooter capable of capturing 4K video and a 5MP front camera. Also, the new Touch ID is twice as fast as before.
In terms of smartphones, consumers have a tough choice to make. Initial figures have it that Samsung is off to a strong start with the release of the Note 5, and the announcement from Apple asks the question of whether Apple really did enough to set more record setting shipment figures with the newest iPhone iteration.
3D Touch is a great feature, but not really enough to sway consumers either towards it or away from it; nor are stronger aluminium or a new colour. Also, it is likely that all the other unveilings at Apple’s event have overshadowed its hero product — something that might prove quite dangerous.
In the end, it all comes down to preference. Samsung or Apple — either way the consumer has won.
Saad Elkhadem is a research analyst at IDC in the Middle East and Africa.
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