The announcement of the iPhone 6 and its bigger sibling the 6 Plus managed to add fuel to the ongoing fire that is the battle between Apple and Samsung.
“I feel like the new iPhones look so much like the Galaxy phones. If I wanted a Galaxy, I would get a Galaxy. I don’t really prefer the larger screens,” said freshman Gabriella Buckley.
Apple announced the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus, both of which are larger than the iPhone 5s, on Sept. 9. According to Apple, the new phones offer clearer displays, a thinner design, faster hardware, increased battery life and improved cameras.
Apple’s CEO Tim Cook called them “the biggest advancements in iPhone history.”
In 2013, Samsung and Apple were responsible for 48 percent of worldwide smartphone sales, according to Trusted Reviews.
Samsung quickly retaliated with the release of a commercial, which pointed to the release of their Galaxy Note in 2011, a phone that featured a very large screen, and the negative reaction critics had toward the big screen at the time.
“Naturally when things are new and different, sometimes people aren’t ready for them … Now it’s not being dismissed by competitors: it’s being imitated,” the Samsung commercial stated.
The new iPhone models feature 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch Retina HD displays. The iPhone 6 Plus display is larger than the 5.1-inch display on the Galaxy S5, Samsung’s current flagship model.
The design has also slightly changed, now including anodized aluminum, stainless steel and glass. They also boast a thinner design; the iPhone 6 is 6.9 mm thick and the iPhone 6 Plus is 7.1 mm thick.
As far as processing power, the models feature the new iPhone A8 chip which will result in faster performance. The phones also boast better battery life. The iPhone 6 promises up to 10 days on standby and up to 11 hours Wi-Fi browsing, while the iPhone 6 Plus promises up to 16 days standby and up to 12 hours of Wi-Fi browsing.
Some current iPhone users don’t seem ready to switch over to a larger display, including Buckley who owns an iPhone 5S.
“I feel like only I can see it; when you have a big screen I feel like everyone can see it. I also like that it’s small and you can hold it in your hand perfectly,” said Buckley.
Alex Hoteck, a junior and iPhone 4 owner, agreed.
“I have a laptop, so I don’t need something with a huge screen. I don’t want to watch movies on it or anything, I primarily use it for texting, interpersonal communication and Instagram,” said Hoteck. “So a big screen is not too important to me, as long as it fits in my pocket.”
Many of those students that do prefer a larger screen have already been using a Galaxy in order to have this feature.
“I love larger screens because I pay attention to details and I like zooming in. Hence, why the Galaxy is perfect for me,” Jennifer Ovalles, junior, said.
cmitche3@ramapo.edu
