A recent report by The Wall Street Journal has taken a look into the smartphone design war happening between Apple and Samsung, suggesting that the latter company has begun edging out the former with the design of the Galaxy S8.
According to Hugh Dubberly, formerly of both Apple and Samsung, Samsung isn`t ahead of Apple because it has `gotten better` at designing smartphones, but because Apple has `fundamentally changed` following the death of former CEO Steve Jobs.
Some design experts wonder if the Galaxy S8īs visual leap says more about Apple and its chief executive, Tim Cook, whose operational skills contrast with the visionary talents of his predecessor, Steve Jobs. `Itīs not so much that Samsung has gotten better, but Apple has fundamentally changed,` said Hugh Dubberly, a former Apple creative director and former member of Samsungīs global design advisory board. `The pipeline that Steve [Jobs] started is over.` While smartphone innovation has `plateaued` over the last few years, analysts said that consumers are focusing more on the aesthetic of a smartphone to determine if they will buy the device or not. How a smartphone looks now accounts for about half a consumerīs purchase decision, with the assessment formed in roughly one second, according to Charles L. Mauro, president of MauroNewMedia, a product-design research firm that has done consulting work for Apple and Samsung. Mr. Mauro says peer-reviewed research reveals aesthetics matter much more than previously believed, as older surveys pegged looks as influencing only 7% of a phone purchase. The report cites recent data accumulated by Consumer Reports, which compared 2016`s iPhone 7 to 2017`s Galaxy S8. The newer Galaxy S8 bested the iPhone 7 in categories like battery life and design, while most of the iPhone 7`s shortcomings are rumored to be addressed in the iPhone 8 later this year.
According to analysts, the iPhone 8 needs `a new distinguishing feature,` with The Wall Stre ...
|
