Instead of attacking Apple, Samsung should notice the log in its own eye
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It seems that confrontation is the new black: such are the times. Samsung and Apple, two of the most famous rivals out there, got in the octagon for yet another round.
This time around, Samsung made a sort of illegal move, which inflamed fans left and right: hey, even Galaxy fans were displeased with the way the South Korean giant condemned its Cupertino counterpart.
Things got so bad that people ripped Samsung to pieces after the company calls out Apple multiple times.
Samsung faced this significant backlash after mocking Apple for being slow to adopt features like customizable app icons and AI integration. Many people found Samsung's criticisms hypocritical, given its history of emulating Apple's business strategies and product designs, such as the Galaxy Buds Pro 3 resembling AirPods Pro.
The public response was overwhelmingly negative, with critics describing Samsung's marketing approach as both immature and unnecessary. As my colleague Martin puts it:
Attempting to undermine Apple while often following in its footsteps is… well, not the most clever attitude from Samsung. Consistency, people!
There's no such thing as a perfect phone, a perfect brand, or a perfect person, for that matter. Keep this in mind as we go ahead with this article.
I'll never forget how the Galaxy S24 Ultra was put with another phone in a freezer for several days at -7 Fahrenheit (ca. -22 °C).
In this batterytaking (that's the appropriate synonym for "breathtaking", given the context) showdown, the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the other phone were placed in the freezer with 59% charge each.
After 48 hours, the S24 Ultra had depleted its battery entirely, while the other impressively retained 33% charge.
But the real showstopper? After five days in the freezer, the challenger was still going strong with over 10% battery left. Truly remarkable performance!
Which phone we're talking about here? Well, it's the Honor Magic 6 Pro!
How is that possible? That's thanks to the second-generation silicon-carbon battery in the Magic 6 series, promising superior performance, especially in low temperatures.
While we're talking about batteries, let's not forget the recently unveiled
OnePlus Ace 3 Pro and its Glacier Battery.
The Ace 3 Pro is powered by a 6,100 mAh battery, which is claimed to dynamically adjust the charging currency within a reasonable range, minimizing the occurrence of dead lithium while maintaining the maximum charging current, therefore ensuring a healthier battery lifespan and faster charging speed.
Are you taking notes, Samsung?
Hey, Samsung, I'm not trying to say anything. I am saying it. Okay, I'm not going to say it. Instead, I'll just let this sink in:
It's important what you're photographing with, but it's far more important what you're photographing. Yes, people, I'm talking about things like subject, composition, concept, lighting, colors, tone, emotion and all the rest. That's what makes a great picture, not having gazillion pixels, razor-sharp details and 100% correct color tones.
That being said, it's true that Samsung sells some amazing cameras, particularly in their Galaxy S line. The Galaxy S24 Ultra, fox example, is a beast that won't disappoint you.
However, the times they are a-changin. It's 2024, and there are many options to choose from – Huawei, OnePlus, Xiaomi: they all have a thing or two to say about mobile photography. And they say it in a clear, bold, unapologetic voice.
Main cameras with 1-inch sensors (this translates to far better low-light capabilities), variable apertures (refined image control), twin telephoto snappers (also packing large sensors), cutting-edge ultra-wide cameras… Once you go down the Far East smartphone rabbit hole, it's surprising how much photography innovation you're presented with.
For example, my Oppo Find X7 Ultra got the best of my dedicated camera a few months ago and made it redundant.
I dig the way the Galaxy S24 Ultra looks: #sorrynotsorry. However, when it comes to mid-rangers from Samsung, it's safe to say that they're… well, a bit too Samsung-esque. There's nothing wrong with building a brand recognition, but there goes your freedom at the end of the day.
Why not try something different for a change? Carl Pei's Nothing brand is the proof that people are fascinated by odd-looking handsets.
Hail the Nothing Phone (2)!
We're just some days away from the official unveiling of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Once again, these are going to be the phones that the majority of users will recall when you utter the codename "folding phone".
For how long, though?
How long until OnePlus decides to release another foldable? Given that the OnePlus Open is an absolute favorite of ours here at PhoneArena (and a hit among users), its second version should be even better. "Better" equates to "better selling". A "better selling" OnePlus Open 2 equates to "problems for Samsung".
Let's not forget the upcoming Honor Magic V3 which could turn out to be the thinnest foldable phone ever! Currently, Honor claims that their Magic V2 is the world's thinnest inward-folding phone. It's both thinner and lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 5 at 9.9mm, 231g., so it's interesting how much thinner the V3 can get!
The Xiaomi Mix Fold 4 is also expected to be under 10 mm when folded. Crazy stuff!
All of the above means that Samsung should strive for cutting-edge innovation in the foldables race. They have to give people reasons to stick with the Galaxy Z line, because the competition from OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Honor is simply too tempting.
Maybe Samsung is a victim of its own success. Like it or not, the Galaxy S24 line turned out to be a hit – as I've pointed out before, even people who don't normally follow mobile tech that close got all excited about it.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is a magnificent handset, hands down.
Is it perfect? No.
That's because Samsung isn't perfect. Not being perfect is not an issue. The issue is acting perfect.
This time around, Samsung made a sort of illegal move, which inflamed fans left and right: hey, even Galaxy fans were displeased with the way the South Korean giant condemned its Cupertino counterpart.
Things got so bad that people ripped Samsung to pieces after the company calls out Apple multiple times.
Samsung faced this significant backlash after mocking Apple for being slow to adopt features like customizable app icons and AI integration. Many people found Samsung's criticisms hypocritical, given its history of emulating Apple's business strategies and product designs, such as the Galaxy Buds Pro 3 resembling AirPods Pro.
Rivalry is not always gentle.
The public response was overwhelmingly negative, with critics describing Samsung's marketing approach as both immature and unnecessary. As my colleague Martin puts it:
Samsung didn’t just try but pretty much managed to emulate Apple’s business model quite successfully. At least when it comes to the Galaxy S series (although not in terms of revenue).
Attempting to undermine Apple while often following in its footsteps is… well, not the most clever attitude from Samsung. Consistency, people!
So, let me elaborate a bit. Let's talk about how Samsung should address the log in its own eye before talking about the speck in other eyes. Let's see what Samsung could do better with its Galaxy handsets. These are my own personal suggestions, as the ways in which a phone could get better are too many to count.
There's no such thing as a perfect phone, a perfect brand, or a perfect person, for that matter. Keep this in mind as we go ahead with this article.
Battery and charging: lots of room for improvement
I'll never forget how the Galaxy S24 Ultra was put with another phone in a freezer for several days at -7 Fahrenheit (ca. -22 °C).
In this batterytaking (that's the appropriate synonym for "breathtaking", given the context) showdown, the Galaxy S24 Ultra and the other phone were placed in the freezer with 59% charge each.
After 48 hours, the S24 Ultra had depleted its battery entirely, while the other impressively retained 33% charge.
But the real showstopper? After five days in the freezer, the challenger was still going strong with over 10% battery left. Truly remarkable performance!
Things turned out great for the Honor Magic 6 Pro!
How is that possible? That's thanks to the second-generation silicon-carbon battery in the Magic 6 series, promising superior performance, especially in low temperatures.
The Ace 3 Pro is powered by a 6,100 mAh battery, which is claimed to dynamically adjust the charging currency within a reasonable range, minimizing the occurrence of dead lithium while maintaining the maximum charging current, therefore ensuring a healthier battery lifespan and faster charging speed.
Are you taking notes, Samsung?
Also, charging speeds!
Hey, Samsung, I'm not trying to say anything. I am saying it. Okay, I'm not going to say it. Instead, I'll just let this sink in:
- Galaxy S24 charging speeds: up to 25W
- Realme testing 300W fast charging now, joining Redmi and Xiaomi
You get the hint, right?
No more excuses for the cameras
The Oppo Find X7 Ultra is better than my dedicated camera! | Image credit - PhoneArena
It's important what you're photographing with, but it's far more important what you're photographing. Yes, people, I'm talking about things like subject, composition, concept, lighting, colors, tone, emotion and all the rest. That's what makes a great picture, not having gazillion pixels, razor-sharp details and 100% correct color tones.
That being said, it's true that Samsung sells some amazing cameras, particularly in their Galaxy S line. The Galaxy S24 Ultra, fox example, is a beast that won't disappoint you.
Main cameras with 1-inch sensors (this translates to far better low-light capabilities), variable apertures (refined image control), twin telephoto snappers (also packing large sensors), cutting-edge ultra-wide cameras… Once you go down the Far East smartphone rabbit hole, it's surprising how much photography innovation you're presented with.
For example, my Oppo Find X7 Ultra got the best of my dedicated camera a few months ago and made it redundant.
Let the (bold) design rip
The Nothing Phone (2) is amazing! | Image credit - PhoneArena
I dig the way the Galaxy S24 Ultra looks: #sorrynotsorry. However, when it comes to mid-rangers from Samsung, it's safe to say that they're… well, a bit too Samsung-esque. There's nothing wrong with building a brand recognition, but there goes your freedom at the end of the day.
Why not try something different for a change? Carl Pei's Nothing brand is the proof that people are fascinated by odd-looking handsets.
Hail the Nothing Phone (2)!
Make foldables great again
Samsung's foldables face a fierce competition. | Image credit - PhoneArena
We're just some days away from the official unveiling of the Galaxy Z Fold 6 and the Galaxy Z Flip 6.
Once again, these are going to be the phones that the majority of users will recall when you utter the codename "folding phone".
How long until OnePlus decides to release another foldable? Given that the OnePlus Open is an absolute favorite of ours here at PhoneArena (and a hit among users), its second version should be even better. "Better" equates to "better selling". A "better selling" OnePlus Open 2 equates to "problems for Samsung".
Let's not forget the upcoming Honor Magic V3 which could turn out to be the thinnest foldable phone ever! Currently, Honor claims that their Magic V2 is the world's thinnest inward-folding phone. It's both thinner and lighter than the Galaxy Z Fold 5 at 9.9mm, 231g., so it's interesting how much thinner the V3 can get!
All of the above means that Samsung should strive for cutting-edge innovation in the foldables race. They have to give people reasons to stick with the Galaxy Z line, because the competition from OnePlus, Xiaomi, and Honor is simply too tempting.
Never let success get to your head
Maybe Samsung is a victim of its own success. Like it or not, the Galaxy S24 line turned out to be a hit – as I've pointed out before, even people who don't normally follow mobile tech that close got all excited about it.
The Galaxy S24 Ultra is a magnificent handset, hands down.
Is it perfect? No.
That's because Samsung isn't perfect. Not being perfect is not an issue. The issue is acting perfect.
Things that are NOT allowed: