A recent ValueWalk poll suggested that consumers are looking forward to the Galaxy Note 6 considerably more than the market-leading iPhone 7. When quizzed on their anticipation regarding the two smartphones, over 75 percent of respondents suggested that the Galaxy Note 6 would be more exciting than its Apple competitor.
So what does this mean for the smartphone marketplace, and what factors are at play here? Well, the first thing to note is that we must approach any poll with some degree of scepticism. Even exit polls at elections don’t always tell the full story of what is about to unfold, and online variants are naturally less reliable.
The first thing to note is that the iPhone 7 remains the more mainstream of the two devices – even though it is absolutely appropriate to describe the Galaxy Note 6 as mainstream as well – so many consumers who are perhaps less passionate about smartphone technology, but still wish to purchase a mobile, will not necessarily vote in such polls. This certainly could have partly skewed the result in favour of the Galaxy Note 6.
Galaxy Note 6 vs iPhone 7 – Major factors
But the results are indicative of two particular factors. Firstly, Samsung has recovered after a difficult period in its existence when both sales and revenues slumped. Recent figures for the Korean corporation have been encouraging, and the great rival of Apple can once again look forward to challenging the consumer electronics giant.
And, secondly, the Galaxy Note 6 is set to be a more impressive device than the iPhone 7, which will once again rely on relatively minor upgrades according to reports from close to the Apple supply chain. One senses there is a little bit of wariness among consumers regarding the conservative Apple policy of recent years, and Samsung is beginning to garner a reputation of being the genuine innovator in the market.
Of course, this will not prevent the iPhone 7 from selling like hot cakes, as Apple has achieved a market penetration and brand recognition that any company would kill for. But this tendency can contribute to an overall trend in the industry, and it seems that Samsung could close the gap on Apple in 2016.
RAM upgrade
The latest news on the Galaxy Note 6 suggests that the phablet will benefit from an extremely generous quantity of RAM memory. Reports indicate that the Galaxy Note 6 is expected to be armed with super-fast 10nm DDR4 RAM, and that the Korean manufacturer will ensure that the unit receives 6GB of native RAM memory. This points to an extremely fast and powerful Galaxy Note 6, and also indicates that it will feature double the memory of its Apple counterpart.
S-Pen
Another new feature linked with the Galaxy Note 6 is improved S-Pen capabilities. The stylus has been one of the most distinctive aspects of the Galaxy Note range over the last few years, and it seems that Samsung will concentrate on improving the feature set of this device in the next generation of Galaxy Note 6.
TechnoBuffalo reports that the Galaxy Note 6 will expand the ‘off screen memo’ function introduced with the Galaxy Note 5, ensuring that users can make a rapid note on the screen of the device even when it is locked. Samsung also intends to extend this functionality further still by ensuring that users can expand notes by scrolling downwards, ensuring that Galaxy Note 6 consumers have to record their thoughts at any given time.
Fingerprint technology
It has also been suggested that the Galaxy Note 6 will include new fingerprint technology in order to improve the security regimen of the device. Security has been a major issue in the mobile marketplace recently, and Samsung clearly intends to ensure that the Galaxy Note 6 cannot be criticized in this department. Reports also indicate that Samsung will make it possible to import notes from other apps such as Evernote and OneNote.
The Galaxy Note 6 has also been linked with a wide range of extremely impressive specifications, and the device will still probably feature a superior screen to the iPhone 7 series, both in terms of resolution and its continued utilization of OLED technology. This all adds up to an exciting recipe for fans of Android devices, and suggests that the Galaxy Note 6 will remain ahead of its iPhone 7 competitor in specifications.
New iPhone features
Apple continues to rely on its unique dyad of proprietary software and hardware allied to the greatest design parameters in the industry, and there is no doubt that this combination has been hugely successful for the California-based company. But media reports suggest that the iPhone 7 will not be as revolutionary as many Apple fans were hoping.
The consensus of analyst opinion is that the iPhone 7 will be a relatively modest upgrade over the existing iPhone 6S, and many of the more revolutionary and innovative features will instead be delayed for next year’s iPhone 8.
Dual-lens camera
However, there are some hotly tipped improvements to look forward to in the iPhone 7. A dual-lens camera has been linked with at least some units in the iPhone 7 generation, while significant design changes will also be made. Apple is expected to eliminate the antenna bands which have been criticized in a previous iPhone releases, and the headphone jack is also to be replaced by wireless technology.
Spec upgrades to the likes of memory, processing speed, battery life and storage are all also anticipated, as Apple intends to ensure that many of its loyal followers upgrade in the iPhone 7 generation.
Nonetheless, there seems to be more of a feel good factor surrounding Samsung at the moment, as Apple itself has already conceded that it will shift less iPhone units during 2016 than the previous calendar year; the first time that this will have occurred since the first iPhone was introduced back in 2007. Meanwhile, Samsung has Successfully increased revenue, and the fortunes of the two companies could diverge further still when the Galaxy Note 6 is released.
