Apple and Microsoft have been at each
other’s throats when it comes to Smartphones, but are the companies ignoring a
bigger threat?
Recent reports point to a consumer
technology war brewing between Apple and Microsoft. The two have been battling
for a while now over dominance of consumer technology. Whether its personal
computers, tablets, televisions, or any other device, you can be sure that
Microsoft and Apple are blowing up the newsrooms. But new evidence is suggesting
that Apple may have a much bigger competitor to worry about, specifically in
the realm of smartphones.
Apple and Microsoft
Samsung's impressive growth
With all of the media attention between
Apple and Microsoft, it's easy to understand how other companies could
seemingly fly under the radar. But a new report by Juniper Research is
suggesting that Samsung has experienced abundant growth in the smartphone
market, which has gone by seemingly unnoticed by most of the big players in
consumer tech.
According to the report, Samsung has
managed to ship 52.1 million smartphone units in the second quarter of 2012.
That number is a little hard to put into context unless you compare it to
Apple's shipments in quarter two, which only equated to around 26 million. Samsung
managed to move twice as many mobile devices as their lead competitor. That's
almost unheard of, in an age where Apple products generally dominate the
market. The iPhone 4 and iPhone4S were among some of the best-selling Apple
products and it seemed that almost everyone who was anyone had one of these
phones at their fingertips. But the Juniper Report suggests that Apple's
products are slowly losing steam when compared to the constantly changing,
innovative devices that Samsung has been cranking out lately.
Samsung Galaxy SIII
Take, for example, the new Galaxy S3
smartphone, which comes packaged with the Android OS. This popular Samsung
product is lighting up the mobile world with its impressive stats. The Galaxy
S3 boasts a powerful 1.4-Gigahertz Quad Core processor, along with 1-Gigabyte
of RAM. You get 16-Gigabytes of total storage space, with the option to add
additional memory via an SD slot. With the Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich OS,
you've got access to almost any application imaginable, and a large 2,100mAh
battery will allow you to surf, play, and photograph for hours on end. Your
photographs will look great too, thanks to an 8-Megapixel auto focus camera.
But none of these stats compare to the Galaxy S3's monumental 4.8 inch HD super
AMOLED 1280x720 displays.
This phone has been phenomenally successful
for the company and helped them to dig in and set up shop within this niche.
Their recent victory is only going to propel the tech developer to craft a
bigger and better phone, something that both Microsoft and Apple have been
ignoring lately.
When Apple became a smartphone contender
IPhone 4S
When Apple first unveiled its revolutionary
design for the iPhone 4, it seemed like a glimpse into the future. Its sleek
design, large screen, and powerful chipsets helped to craft a device that was
lusted for by many a consumer. It was the first time that Apple released a
smartphone that was truly breathtaking to the general public, and the rejoicing
of fans had the developer walking tall with pride over their newfound success.
It was obvious that Apple didn't just want
to reach the top; they wanted to stay there. This was evident by the release of
the iPhone 4S. This sleeker, slimmer design with a more powerful auto focus
camera and improved hardware seemed to be just what consumers were looking for
and it really helped to draw in the non-believers who had yet to try an Apple
mobile device for themselves. But one added feature to the iPhone 4S would
prove to be the catalyst for what really pushed Apple into the limelight,
causing many developers to become envious of the companies advancements.
Apple's flagship A.I., Siri, is considered
to be the feature that changed a lot of consumers’ minds when it came to
purchasing an Apple device. Her ability to go far above and beyond the normal
capabilities of voice dictation helped to transform the iPhone 4S from a
smartphone into an artificially intelligent mobile superpower.
Is Apple's design becoming stale?
But is Samsung's recent rise to the top a
sign that Apple's once treasured designs are becoming stale in the rapidly
changing world of mobile technology? It seems likely, and according to the
Juniper Report, Apple will really need to wow the consumer technology world
with its iPhone 5 device if it has any hopes in toppling Samsung's vast lead.
Apple and Samsung
But why exactly are so many consumers
flocking to the Galaxy S3? Analysts are suggesting that its futuristic design
and powerful internals may be the reason that so many customers are passing up
the iPhone 4S in favor of Samsung's device. In fact, it isn't really difficult
to see why so many individuals prefer the new smartphone, considering it makes
the iPhone 4S appear to be an outdated technology.
Taking these specifications into
consideration, it's obvious that the Galaxy S3 has the iPhone 4S beat in a lot
of different areas. It's more powerful, sleeker, and offers a larger viewing
space. It also seems to boast a better visual rating, and offers more storage.
However, the iPhone 4S definitely has it beat in price point at a discount of
$200.
Will Apple rise again?
It's highly unlikely that Apple is going to
just let Samsung waltz into the pole position without putting up a fight, and
the release of their new iPhone 5 (which is rumored to be coming this fall)
will probably bring a lot of new features and innovations. But what exactly
does Apple need to do in order to regain the top spot from their newest rivals?
IPhone 5
For one, the company needs to heavily focus
on fine-tuning its popular A.I., Siri. Apple already gave Siri an upgrade in
their upcoming iOS 6 operating system and they're promising that she's going to
be more accurate and offer users more voice dictation options, but that doesn't
mean that Apple should stop there. They should definitely keep improving Siri
with new technologies and advancements. After all, this is the flagship tool
that many consider to be the selling point of the iPhone 4S.
There also needs to be a change in the
iPhone 5's display. I'm not talking about the HD quality, because we know that
Apple has the capability to create a revolutionary and visually amazing screen
(just look at the iPad HD). I'm talking about the overall screen size. The
Galaxy S3 is already leaps and bounds ahead with a larger 4.8 inch display, and
Apple is going to need to match that size in order to appeal to consumers that
want a more visually impressive device.
Samsung has also managed to pack a barrage
of impressive hardware into a much sleeker, thinner packaging. Apple is going
to need to work heavily on "redesigning" the iPhone as we know it.
New trends suggest that beveled edges and slim redefined lines are what
consumers are craving. The blocky and thick (as it is now considered) design of
the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S just aren't going to cut it anymore, and if Apple
does decide to create a larger screen then they're going to need to adjust the
casing of the phone to ensure that it fits comfortably in a pocket or handbag.
|
Device
|
Samsung Galaxy S3
|
Apple iPhone 4S
|
|
Processor
|
1.4-Gigahertz Quad Core
|
1.0 Gigahertz Dual Core
|
|
Display
|
4.8 inch HD super AMOLED 1280x720
|
3.5 inch HD Retina 960x640
|
|
Camera
|
8-Megapixel Auto Focus
|
8-Megapixel iSight
|
|
Memory
|
1-Gigabyte RAM
|
512-Megabyte RAM
|
|
Size/Weight
|
8.6 mm Thickness/ 133 gram Weight
|
9.3 mm Thickness/ 140 gram Weight
|
|
Storage
|
16-Gigabytes (Additional Memory Via SD)
|
Base 16-Giga-bytes (No Additional SD)
|
|
Price
|
Approx 400.00 USD
|
Approx 200.00 USD
|
Consumer
tech thrives on competition
I know a
lot of you Apple fans out there may be discouraged by this recent turn of
events and you may even feel overwhelmed considering that the company has
become the target of not only Apple but now Samsung. But to be honest, the
small wars that are erupting are perhaps the best thing that could happen to
you, the consumer.
IPad
Consider
that in the recent years, Apple has seemingly dominated all of the smartphones
that were currently on the market. Their ease-of-control in the tech world
possibly had adverse side effects on the developer, creating a sense of
stability. Usually from a business standpoint, stability is something that you
strive to achieve. But for the consumer, a company superpower is one of the
worst possible things that can happen. Imagine if Apple was continually at the
top of the smartphone food chain, year after year, and other developers failed
to even come close in toppling iPhone devices. This would create a comfort zone
for Apple which, in turn, could create a large amount of turmoil for Apple
fans. Without the threat of competition, Apple would be free to charge whatever
it wanted for its devices and could seemingly "slack off" on bringing
you new, innovative features each year.
So, in
turn, fans should welcome this competition from Samsung (and Microsoft) with
open arms. The farther ahead that Samsung appears to be, the better it is for
Apple's developers. It creates a sense of urgency and passion, which helps the
company to come up with new and truly exciting technologies. Remember that the
iPhone 4, the iPad, Siri,
and all of Apple are other innovative devices and tools were essentially bred
from a passion to be the top-rated consumer technology company in the world.
Without the constant threat of being over-thrown, Apple may not have the same
spark and excitement to succeed that it does in the modern day.
An
interesting battle on the horizon
IPhone and iPad
From a
personal standpoint, I was very excited to see that Samsung had propelled
itself so far ahead of Apple in terms of units sold. I recall being really
enamored will all of the interesting and intricate developments that were
leaving Apple's production studios and the first time I got a hold of an Apple
iPhone I was pretty floored by how ahead of its time it really was. But over
the last few years I have been less and less excited with the impending release
of the iPhone 5. Sure, it's going to be more powerful, and will probably sport
a shiny new design, but I couldn't help but feel like it wasn't really going to
be a game changer like I had experienced with the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.
Now, thanks
to this recent spur in competition, my faith in Apple's ability to craft a
truly revolutionary product has been renewed. If there is one thing I have
learned about Apple over the years it's that they don't drag their feet when it
comes to competing with a rival company. They come out swinging, and they come
out with a fiery passion to succeed. These are the traits that breed innovation
and that feed the discovery of new technologies. Over the next months, we're
going to see Apple, Microsoft, and now Samsung, fight for the number one spot,
constantly upstaging one another to achieve the dominance they desire. One
thing is for sure in this cloud of uncertainty, as time goes on, and the fight
rages, we're going to see the birth of some of the most creative and intricate
devices to ever hit the world of consumer technology.
