Apple Vs Samsung: The Biggest Tech Rivalry
Apple vs Samsung is a debate for us all. Some of your peers may be strictly Apple, others may be strictly Samsung and well some may have an Apple iPhone, Samsung laptop, Apple iPad and a Samsung TV. One thing that no one can dispute is that these are the two powerhouses of technology.
Over the past 35+ years, Apple has had many rivalries, in the 80s it was IBM, in the 90s it was Microsoft and in the 2000s it was Google. Samsung has now come and taken that role.
However, the start of the Apple and Samsung relationship was anything but a fierce rivalry. Apple used to be Samsungs biggest client as the tech giants would order billions of dollars worth of electrical parts. CEOs Steve Jobs and Jae Yong also, at the time, had a very friendly relationship. So much so, before the release of the iPhone in 2007 Jobs took the phone to Yong and dissected how it worked.
The relationship turned sour when two years later Samsung release a very similar touchscreen smartphone called the Galaxy. Jobs was furious and went as far as to call it a stolen product and stated that Samsung were copycats. Thus the rivalry began.
The biggest rivalry when it comes to the two tech giants is undoubtedly the smartphone. Each year one of the two comes out with something new and revolutionary and then later in the year the other comes and brings something even greater to the market.
The rivalry between the two tech giants is also fuelled by Samsung being the only real threat or competitor to Apple’s market domination since the release of the first iPhone in 2007.
For the most part, Samsung seems to be always that one step up when it comes to innovation. Their new Galaxy Z range features a phone that can flip and one that can fold, while according to what was posted on one of Samsungs social media channels the new iPhone 13 range comes with no innovation at all.
Samsung Electronics US branch tweeted “Anyone else feeling deja vu? Just us?” in response to the unveiling of the iPhone. It’s a constant back and forth. Not only with the tech, but also with legal battles.
This rivalry does not however just involve petty social media comments. Over the years there have been numerous lawsuits filed. The most notable one being a patent case spanning over 7 years.
Apple Vs Samsung Review
The first time the case was taken to court in 2012 a US jury awarded Apple $1.05 billion in damages for features copied by Samsung. However, Samsung appealed the ruling and took the case to the supreme court in which the victory was awarded back to the South Korean company.
But this victory did not include a ruling on the patents, that decision was still left to a lower court. This final battle went to trial in May of 2018 and concluded with Apple being awarded $539 million in damages.
As of January 2022, Samsung has a market capitalization of about $443 billion, a mear fraction of Apples $3 trillion. While they are fierce rivals, Apple is still far clear of Samsung in terms of sheer size, power and wealth.
While a smaller company than Apple, Samsung is still one of the most powerful companies in the world. They have a huge product range that runs far deeper than Apples. They produce smartphones, tablets, laptops, fridges, washing machines and many more. Whereas Apple make most of their sales through their iPhones and MacBooks.
To conclude, it’s fair to say that neither of these companies are going away anytime soon. Both will continue to grow and innovate long into the future.
I think it’s also fair to assume that the rivalry is not going to go away anytime soon. Samsung will continue to chase the unmountable heights of Apple, and the California based company will continue to look behind with a firm eye on what their closest competitors are up to. I think the rivalry is exciting, both companies continue to demand the best out of their competition, resulting in the best possible products for us as consumers. After all, a little bit of competition now and then never hurt anybody did it.
Written by Josh Green
Author at Loxit, a Tech Parts Provider in the UK & USA. [ Read Also – iPhone 8 Price]
