It is almost a week since the launch of Apple’s latest flagship phone, the iPhone 6 and the iPhone 6 Plus. What really surprised the public was the fact that Apple actually took things to the competitive level by introducing a larger screen, something that would traditionally not have been a part of the company’s products (at least not as per Steve Jobs’s vision). But as much as Apple may have redesigned the iPhone for meeting the competition, it seems that the rivals are not going to take a backseat either.
While the Apple iPhone 6 has a thinner design, greater features and improved performance (some of which beat that of Galaxy S5), it might be losing out to some over the price for value aspect. This is an extremely crucial factor in countries like India where people tend to associate the price with the range of features that is being offered by the device.
The following are some of the major smartphones that could prove to be worthy competitors for Apple’s latest flagship phone.
Samsung Galaxy Note 4
Having achieved immense success with its Galaxy Note 3, it was but obvious for Samsung to push the series ahead with the release of the Galaxy Note 4. This takes things up by several notches and also features Super AMOLED Display which offers brilliant viewing and rich display. The most striking feature about this smartphone is not its sheer size and dimensions, but the famous stylus called the S-Pen takes the spotlight. You can do some of the most amazing things with this device. Even on the specs part, this device does pack a punch, especially with its memory and storage options.
HTC One (M8)
Now this one is priced at approximately the same price levels as the Apple iPhone 6 but it does offer better battery life as per the stated specifications. The fact that it has an expandable storage feature makes it better than the iPhone in this segment. I am sure that most HTC users would be truly satisfied with this phone considering that the features on this device are competitive enough with that of the iPhone 6. In terms of weight, this device is heavier than the iPhone 6 but is slightly lighter than the iPhone 6 Plus.
Samsung Galaxy S5
Everyone is aware of Samsung’s flagship model in the Galaxy S series, the Galaxy S5. The phone may be high on features with good water resistance, but it may have fallen out due to its simplicity. Samsung users and smartphone users in general were on the lookout for better aesthetics and a slimmer phone. But it does have good enough features when compared to other phones in the segment. The camera seems to be the USP for this device as it has more megapixels than the ones on Apple. How will it perform competitively in real time testing? Now this is a question that would have to be left to the users themselves.
Nokia Lumia 830
Finally a Windows phone that is able to compete with the likes of iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy Note Series in the premium segment. In terms of thickness, this one is the thickest of the lot. But on the performance end, it is a decent phone with the latest windows OS, Windows 8.1, being provided out of the box. I would not be too sure about the processor which is a 1.2 GHz Quad core processor. But overall, it has potential to target the crowd in the premium segment.
Comparative Analysis
| Features | iPhone 6 | iPhone 6 Plus | Galaxy Note 4 | HTC One (M8) | Samsung Galaxy S5 | Nokia Lumia 830 |
| Display Size | 4.7 in | 5.5 in | 5.7 in | 5 in | 5.1 in | 5 in |
| Storage | 16 GB/ 64 GB / 128 GB (internal) | 16 GB/ 64 GB / 128 GB (internal) | 32 GB internal, expandable up to 64 GB | 16 GB / 32 GB internal, expandable up to 128 GB | 16 GB / 32 GB internal, expandable up to 128 GB | 16 GB internal, expandable up to 128 GB |
| Operating System | iOS 8 | iOS 8 | Android KitKat 4.4 | Android KitKat 4.4 | Android KitKat 4.4 | Windows Phone 8.1 |
| Processor | A8 Chip with 64 bit architecture and M8 motion co-processor | A8 Chip with 64 bit architecture and M8 motion co-processor | Qualcomm Snapdragon 805 Quad Core 2.7 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 Quad Core 2.3 GHz | Qualcomm Snapdragon 801 Quad Core 2.5 GHz Krait 400 | Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 Quad Core 1.2 GHz |
| Camera | 8 MP iSight and 1.2 MP front facing camera | 8 MP iSight and 1.2 MP front facing camera | 16 MP (rear) and 3.7 MP (front) | 4 MP (rear) and 5 MP (front) | 16 MP (rear) and 2 MP (front) | 10 MP (rear) and 0.9 MP (front) |
| Battery Life | 14 hours on 3G, 50 hours of listening to music, 11 hours of video viewing | 24 hours on 3G, 80 hours of listening to music, 14 hours of video viewing | 15 hours of continuous video playback and estimated 24 hours talk time. | 20 hours on 3G | 21 hours talk time and 67 hours of non-stop music | 14.5 hours of talk time on 3G, and 78 hours of non-stop music |
| Thickness | 6.9 mm | 7.1 mm | 8.5 mm | 9.4 mm | 8.1 mm | 8.5 mm |
| Weight | 129 g | 172 g | 176 g | 160 g | 145 g | 150 g |
The Verdict
Apple has smartly played its card well where it has not only assured market share in the smartphone segment with its iPhone 6, but it has also managed to satisfy the needs of the phablet loving customers who would find the iPhone 6 Plus pretty amazing. From the comparison made above, it is pretty evident that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 is the one which has the most potential to give some serious competition to Apple’s new babies.
Following close behind is the Galaxy S5 which is equally equipped to make things a bit difficult for Samsung in the global smartphone market. As of now the prospects for the iPhone seem good enough. It is the pricing of Apple’s new phones in the respective markets that would largely decide its success because the high price tag limits it to a relatively small segment whereas the android platform is targeting the majority of the smartphone population with its budget friendly yet feature loaded phones.
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