A year ago, all manufacturers had their sights set on Apple. At MWC 2019, innovation now comes from Huawei and Samsung.
Has Apple become a little old-fashioned? A year ago, the company was in the middle of launching the iPhone X, its smartphone that completely redesigned the design of a smartphone: edge-to-edge screen with a large notch and navigation by hand. The success of the phone quickly gave ideas to competing manufacturers.
In 2019, the design of the iPhone XS took a step back in time.
In 2019, it is difficult to draw the same conclusions. There are still some notched smartphones, primarily when they are sold at low prices like at Wiko or Samsung, but even in these cases, the design has moved away from the iPhone, and the notch has been reduced to a small portion.
The star of the MWC 2019 is the folding smartphone, and it’s even better if it’s 5G. The “wow” effect is immediate, and it feels like you’re discovering the first real design evolution for a smartphone since 2007. As a result, when you put an iPhone X and its large notch side by side, with a state-of-the-art folding smartphone, Apple’s device takes a serious step backward.
The Galaxy Fold lowers the innovation/price ratio of the iPhone.
Apple had broken the 1000 euro barrier for the price of a high-end smartphone when they released the iPhone X. In 2018, the brand went even further with the iPhone XS Max, whose best configuration reaches over 1600 euros. However, for this price, we finally have only the result of the 4G smartphone: an edge-to-edge OLED screen, still with this large notch, no jack plug, a small battery, and two cameras on the back.
When you put this price in comparison with the Samsung Galaxy Fold price, announced at 2000 euros, it becomes even more difficult to defend the technical specifications of the iPhone. For a 25% higher price, Samsung offers a state-of-the-art folding screen, a second screen, three photosensors, and a completely different design. If the question of software mastery arises, it must be noted that Samsung seems to have taken a step forward over its long-time competitor, Apple.
Apple: Still a reliable asset above all
Yes, but here it is. It should be remembered that contrary to a popular misconception, Apple is not a brand that wants to innovate first. Much like Nintendo in the video game industry, the Apple brand cultivates its difference and only moves up the technological ladder when it is fully mastered, according to them.
For the firm’s clients, it is precisely this pace, which is a little slower than the competition, that ensures absolute confidence in the brand. The iPhone is a sure bet for them on the market. These customers know that Apple will not adopt a feature just because it is trendy, risking an implementation that lacks finish.