Apple is lining up its next flagship with the upcoming iPhone 12, but despite news of an improved A14 processor giving the innards an overhaul with a 15% boost in performance, and 30% less power draw, the chassis leaves a lot to be desired.
Still touting the candybar design, and a sizeable notch, not a lot has changed with Apple's aesthetic, but its classic form factor is beginning to look outdated compared to Android competitors, and Samsung's plans for its own future flagships will either force Apple to rethink its approach, or see it left in the dust.
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Samsung made waves with the Galaxy Fold last year, despite some major teething problems, and followed up with the Galaxy Z Flip clamshell, which did away with the issues that plagued its predecessor.
The company has just unveiled the Galaxy Z Fold 2, with the foldable 'Z' branding taking centre stage, representing Samsung's "commitment to expanding the category to offer a variety of experiences."
But it looks like that commitment will see Samsung's foldables take precedent as the Korean tech giant's new flagship, pushing aside the S and Note series.
You will find that the A series of high-end models have disappeared, and Note20 looks like the A series. There are signs that Samsung can weaken the S/N series and regard the Z series as the true flagship.September 12, 2020
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Noted Samsung leaker, Ice Universe, has indicated that the Galaxy S21 might not be as powerful as fans anticipate, adding that the Note and S Series won't see specs on a par with Samsung's future foldables; the next iteration of the Galaxy S20 and Note 20 won't be as impressive, with the Z series becoming Samsung's "true flaghip".
Combined with some of the more elaborate smartphone designs that are emerging, like the LG Wing, Apple's rectangular iPhones with their thick bezels and large notches are quickly slipping from iconic to archaic.
Apple has filed foldable smartphone patents of its own, and may simply be perfecting its tech so it doesn't run into the same problems Samsung faced; but either way, it needs to catch up soon before its iPhones are abandoned for more radical options from its competition.
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