Reports indicate that even though Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) is set to debut a game-changing feature in its upcoming iPhone, Samsung might get to market first. Apple will be releasing the new smartphone on the tenth anniversary of iPhones. The new iPhone is expected to be named iPhone 8.
No bezels, just an all-screen display
The features which are expected in the iPhone 8, according to various reports, include a new display technology which covers the entire front of the phone. This would see the Home Button either being relegated to the back or being placed under the glass display. However, all indications are that Samsung is already planning on doing the same with the display area of its upcoming Galaxy S8, ensuring that it will have a larger display real estate than the current Galaxy S7.
Once bitten twice shy
While Apple is planning on releasing the iPhone 8 in September 2017, Samsung is expected to launch the Galaxy S8 in April 2017. This will give Samsung a five-month head start. Samsung typically releases its galaxy smartphones in the month of March but will delay by a month to accommodate a thorough testing of its batteries to make sure there are no explosions this time.
“Since the phones have a record of burning up, it needs time for these phones to be verified as safe,” an HMC Investment Securities Co. analyst, Greg Roh, told Bloomberg.
Compared to Apple, Samsung will be under a lot of pressure because it cannot afford another mistake following the Galaxy Note 7 debacle. The fact that the Note 7 was being touted as Samsung’s response to Apple’s iPhone 7 before cases of the Note 7’s batteries exploding started emerging makes the matter all the more critical. Already, Samsung’s smartphone brand is ailing and is set to incur losses running into the billions of dollars over the battery matter. There is also the looming threat of Google’s Pixel phone, which threatens to topple Samsung as the flagbearer of smartphones running on Android.
Samsung averaged 1,395,000 KRW per share having fallen 0.21% in the mid-afternoon trading hours of Friday’s session.
Apple Inc closed Thursday’s trading session at $112.12 a share after rising 0.98%.
