Seconds out…the two heavyweights of mobile technology are set to have a very public tiff in the next twelve months, as Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) bothrelease new handsets. It’s not only the manufacturers who are waiting on tenterhooks for the results, though, as the general public are also eagerly anticipating the new iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5, with the latter expected to arrive the sooner of the two by several months.
Thus, smartphone enthusiasts are currently waiting for any news about these two important new devices to seep out. So they will be pleased to hear that in the last day or so we’ve learned a few new interesting titbits about both the iPhone and the new Samsung Galaxy.
iPhone 6 super-slim screen
Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) already has a history of producing technology notable for its wafer-thin appearance. Each new iMac that is released seems to feature ever slimmer monitors, while the release of the iPad Air last year impressed consumers with its super-thin appearance. The latest reports indicate that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is beavering away in private on producing a similarly skinny screen for the new iPhone 6, which they intend to revolutionize the smartphone market.
This would certainly make sense, as Apple has long since relied to a great extent on the sheer gorgeousness of its designs to sell its wares. Doubtless the company themselves would deny this notion, and it would wildly inaccurate to assert that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) doesn’t deliver quality merchandise. But it is the aesthetics of their design and the usability of their devices that has made them stand out from the crowd, so the ultra-thin screen for the iPhone 6 seems a strong possibility.
According to early concept images which have apparently been leaked, Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s next generation handset features an incredibly slim chassis, with early predictions indicating that the screen may be approximately 4.5mm thick; certainly considerably the slimmest iPhone that we’ve seen so far, and a record for any smartphones. In fact, this design would beat the previous thinnest, held by Huawei, by nearly 2 mm, and would surely make the iPhone another must-have gadget for the fashion-conscious.
By comparison, the existing iPhone 5S is nearly twice as thick at 7.6mm, while the current Samsung model is thicker still, and the other major competitor the HTC One over double this depth with a measurement of 9.33mm. With analysts already predicting that Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPhone 6 could be the first iteration of the world’s most popular smartphone to feature a 5 inch screen, then there is plenty to look forward to from this next Apple device.
New Galaxy coming in April
The first thing to note about the Galaxy S5 is that we now have a pretty firm release date for the device. Bloomberg allegedly spoke to a Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) executive this week who indicated that we can expect to see the next generation Galaxy handset in April. According to our best estimates, this means that the Galaxy S5 will hit the high street about half a year before the iPhone is released, naturally giving Samsung a massive head start in next year’s market. Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) will be confident about placing the iPhone in the lucrative pre-Christmas slot, though.
In terms of spec updates, the latest news about Samsung’s new smartphone is that it is set to feature eye-scanning technology. And this isn’t a wild rumor, as this information has come straight from the horse’s mouth.
Another of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930)’s executives Lee Young Hee, executive vice president of the firm’s mobile business, has been speaking about the possibility of incorporating this still relatively new tech into the S5. Speaking at the Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas, Lee explicitly stated that Samsung is currently looking at the logistics of including this technology in the S5.
The eye scanner would be considered a security feature, similar to fingerprint sensors that are presently included in the Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL)’s iPhone 5S which are used to unlock the device and make purchases from the Apple iTunes and App stores. Clearly this is a feature that Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) has been monitoring closely, and hopes to imitate, and possibly usurp, it with the similar eye scanning ability of the Galaxy S5. Whether this will be well received by consumers, or considered gimmicky and / or intrusive remains to be seen.
Galaxy S5 redesign
In addition to the incorporation of eye scanning technology, Lee also implied that the Galaxy S5 could benefit from a major redesign of the physical unit. This would seem to be an essential move with the iPhone 6 patently looking to revolutionize smartphone design with its approach. Lee noted that the consumer reaction to the S4 was that it wasn’t wholly different to the preceding S3 in physical terms, so the S5 will look to “go back to the basics” and greatly improve the display and feel of the cover of the phone.
iPhone 6 camera
Finally, there have also been rumors surfacing in the last 24 hours regarding the camera for the iPhone 6. Analysts in China have indicated that the iPhone 6 camera will still be capable of 8 megapixel resolution, as indicated here previously, but that significant improvements will be made to the device, specifically enhanced optical image stabilization. It is claimed that keeping the camera manageable will help deliver the design parameters discussed previously.
In general terms, what these snippets of information indicate is that both Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) and Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930) are keeping a very close eye on one another, and we can expect to see improvements in both the iPhone 6 and Galaxy S5 which are specifically intended to compete with the strengths of the other device.
