The two companies, which enjoy a combined 88% share of the smartphone market, have been playing a constant game of one-upmanship for the last six years.
Each new iPhone and Galaxy edition has fought for technological supremacy, while pioneering some truly wondrous developments. There are worries, though, that Samsung’s fortunes may be flagging after they produced some of their slowest growth figures for years.
Plus, the latest Apple vs. Samsung lawsuit is underway, with Apple demanding action on five patents based around UX (user experience) features.
Samsung are still wounded from the $929.8million bill they were lumbered with from the 2012 lawsuit – and Apple has already made settlements with the likes of HTC.
Apple’s iPhone 5S continues to gobble-up huge market shares, whereas Samsung operate on a slightly more fickle consumer platform: Android. An iPhone user will often remain loyal due to the way Apple’s platforms tie the user in, but an Android user can happily move from a Samsung Galaxy S4, to an Xperia Z2 or an HTC One.
Consumerism is by nature fickle, and Samsung might feel this more keenly than Apple. There’s also the fact that, after the huge boost of mobile technologies post 2007, the big two may be losing some of their heavyweight pull on the market.
Technological developments have slowed down recently and there is now an abundance of phones on the market, such as the Huawei Ascend P6, LG G2, the Google Nexus 5, Xperia Z1 and the impending Lenovo S-Line – and all of these phones can provide first rate super-phone power on bargain contracts.
Samsung and Apple certainly blazed a trail for the rest to follow, but perhaps the market is now settling back towards a centre point where mid-range phones will become hugely competitive again. With that said, there’ll always be a market for high-end super-phones, and the Galaxy S5 might propel Samsung back into the stratosphere.
The new S5 has a fingerprint scanner which may actually be more functional than Apple’s iTouch scanner, which is limited to Apple platforms such as iTunes and the App Store.
Samsung have also made allegiances with the likes of PayPal, and will allow access to third party developers – leadimng users to making biometric payments at shops across the world. And they haven’t stopped there – Samsung are also teaming up with Phones4U, and have plans to open up flagship stores across the country. A necessary step in giving the Samsung brand a high-street presence like the Apple Store.
So, rather than looking at doomsday scenarios for Samsung, we could be on the cusp of a glittering new era. Their new Galaxy S5 phone has its marketing heart in personal fitness and fingerprint technology, and this, paired with its sharp screen, ‘air gestures’, 16MP camera and wireless charging, could prove it to be a winner.
Image credit: Getty
