More than ever, Apple has its work cut out for it with next two iterations of the iPhone. That's the message some Galaxy Note 7 reviews are sending.
A quick canvassing of reviews this week yielded more than a few unflattering hardware comparisons with the iPhone 6/6s/6s Plus. Of course, Apple could quickly rectify this with iPhone 7 due to be revealed in the coming weeks. But some of the critiques highlight a growing hardware gap that could extend beyond the iPhone 7.
AMOLED beckons: Let's start with the Wall Street Journal. After stating that the Galaxy Note 7, S7 Edge, and S7 have "stunning" 2560 x 1440-pixel screens, the review says that Samsung's "AMOLED screens...absolutely blow any iPhone display out of the water." That assessment jibes with display expert DisplayMate Technologies' warning that Apple needs to get on the AMOLED bandwagon. In addition to image-quality advantages over LCDs (used on the iPhone), AMOLED technology allows Samsung to build the curved displays on the S7 Edge and Note 7. Not to mention building future devices like the rumored foldable phone.
For now, there's plenty of praise in the Journal's review (and other reviews) about the curved display. Something (I'm guessing) Apple won't address until next year. The Journal said that the curved edges of the Note 7 "makes the wide bezel surrounding the 5.5-inch screen on the iPhone 6s Plus look like a paper picture frame from Six Flags."
Bigger can be much better if it's done right: Both the iPhone 6s and Nexus 6P came under fire for being ergonomically challenged in a review from The Verge. Arguing that the Galaxy Note 7 "is the best big phone ever made," the review goes on to say that "it feels like a device that was designed to be a big phone from the beginning...I can’t say the same for the iPhone 6S Plus, Nexus 6P, or any other giant phone on the market, which are downright clunky in comparison."
Other reviews were not kind either. Business Insider brings up the "extra bulk" of the iPhone 6 Plus, citing problems handling the Apple phone, then adds: "I had none of those problems with the Note 7."
Software is separate: Apple still has an ecosystem/software/app advantage with iOS, which is probably more important to more consumers than a curved display or AMOLED image-quality advantages. But that will only last as long as Apple is perceived by the average consumer as keeping pace with Samsung hardware. If Apple sticks with flat LCD displays on its phones for the foreseeable future, perception could change. Especially if Samsung is showing off foldable phones and offering more Galaxy phones with curved screens.
The good news is that Apple still has plenty of opportunity to work its magic and bring out a stunning 10th anniversary iPhone. And of course the iPhone 7 could surprise too.
