A quest for
the best
The iPhone has been at the top of the market when it comes to buying a phone, but in the last couple of years we have seen a change, a shift in the smart phone market.
Within the last couple of years the phone market has been changing; new technology advances has made our daily tasks easier, and faster. Companies like Apple and Samsung have both been making strides in new technology to appeal to the fast-moving world. Samsung has been working on faster charging, better cameras in phones, and wider screens. While companies like Apple have been relying on their image of being the best smart phone.
This year, people shopping for a smart phone will see major changes in how new models look and perform. Companies are pushing the boundaries of what a typical smart phone should look and perform like in today's striving market.
The box phone has been around since smart phones have been created. This idea of having a touch screen in the middle of a black box created an image of what a smart phone should look and feel like. It has been nearly ten years since Steve Jobs released the first iPhone in 2007; and seven years since Samsung announced its first Galaxy. When released, both phones were much anticipated, but the iPhone sales had skyrocketed selling over 1.7 million in the first weekend, and 410 million to date. However, Samsung has only sold 200 million units to date. With many design flaws and malfunctions Samsung has had a hard time breaking through the clutter.
An example would be in 2010, when Samsung released the Note 7. It was intend to have an impressive array of features that included an iris scan, fingerprint reader, faster processor, and a better camera than its competitors. Soon after its release Samsung would recall the phone due to an exploding battery, thus creating a dark image for the company.
It isn’t until 2017 do we see a major change in design from both companies, thus pushing forward the vision of what a smart phone can be. In April of 2017, Samsung released its new phone, the Galaxy S8. This phone had an all new bezel less front (meaning there are no black bars on the top and bottom of the screen) , iris scan, a personal voice assistant called Bixbi to help you with daily phone tasks by voice, and more. This was the first phone of its kind to have an all screen front with no bezels. Audiences raved over the design and performance of this new phone and wanted it, but there was problem. Apple was expected to release its new iPhone X in September of the same year thus forcing consumers to choose.
The iPhone X, Apple’s flagship phone of 2017 was set to be released in September of 2017, just 5 months after Samsung's release of the S8. This gave consumers a choice, and many had and will have to weigh the benefits of both to come to a conclusion.
Despite the minor differences, the two phones come really come close to each other in performance and design. So the question still stands, which one? Mainly it comes down to preference, taste, and price. I went out and asked 30 random people from all ages and found that 26/30 people favored the iPhone over the Samsung. Many of those who favored the iPhone were younger, as opposed to a more older generation liking the Samsung.
The iPhone X will start out at $999 for a 64gb, while the S8 will start out at $750 but has expandable storage meaning there is not limit as long as you replace the micro SD card.
In conclusion, if you are someone looking for the sleekest and best overall performance, the iPhone would be a good phone for you. On the other hand if you are someone looking to delve more deeply into your phone and explore its capabilities, I would suggest the Samsung because of its customizable features. Both phones are incredible, and as long as these two companies battle it out to be the best, you can expect great things to come.
This idea of having a touch screen in the middle of a black box created an image of what a smart phone should look and feel like.
Audiences raved over the design and performance of this new phone and wanted it, but there was problem.
s8
Image courtesy of MKBHD
Image courtesy of Samsung
Image courtesy of Apple
Images courtesy of Apple and Samsung
Infographic courtesy of C. Thomas
By Connor Thomas
SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
Image courtesy of Phone Arena
The Charger, December 2017
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