Competitors Catching up to top dogs Apple and Samsung

Apple and Samsung: Not the only top brands in Mobile Devices

By Rick Emrith, Staff Writer

Image Courtesy of: Mashable.com

If you were to look around your school or workplace you would probably see two types of mobile devices: Apple’s iconic iPhone and the Samsung Galaxy S line of smartphones. The popularity of the iPhone should come as no surprise since the device has enjoyed impressive sales since its inception in 2007. Samsung has surprised many in the past few years, sky rocketing to the top with their Android run Galaxy S smartphones, including the most recent success the Galaxy S3.

While Apple and Samsung have been comfortable at the top for over a year now, they are starting to hear some rumbling from the bottom. This isn’t just a two team race anymore. HTC seems to have finally gotten it right with their latest flagship, the HTC One, expected out later this month. The HTC One offers call clarity even when in a large group of people, a stunning display and a sleek new design.

BlackBerry has finally launched their new BB10 running devices, the Z10, and the physical keyboard version, the Q10. The device, while impressive, may not be enough to entice loyal users away from iOS or Android, but it is enough to stop current BlackBerry users from switching over.

It seems these companies have a new found swagger as BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins commented on the iPhone saying “It’s still the same (as when it first came out). It is a sequential way to work and that’s not what people want today anymore. They want multitasking.”[pullquote]It seems these companies have a new found swagger as BlackBerry CEO Thorsten Heins commented on the iPhone saying “It’s still the same (as when it first came out). It is a sequential way to work and that’s not what people want today anymore. They want multitasking.”[/pullquote]

LG recently took a page from Samsung’s book renting the ad space in Times Square right above the Galaxy S4 ad to mock it. Google, owner of the Android operating system, has been working closely with Motorola, who they recently purchased, to develop a direct competitor to the upcoming Galaxy S4 and iPhone.

Of course, you don’t get to the top by sitting around. Both Apple and Samsung have been working on their next flagship device. Samsung recently unveiled the Galaxy S4 which is a clear upgrade from the S3 in all aspects of comparison. Apple has been working on the highly anticipated iPhone 5S, which is rumoured to have a summer release date, and still enjoys one of the strongest customer loyalty ratings for consumer electronics.

While anyone would love to be in either Apple or Samsung’s position in the smartphone market, it is clear that competitors don’t see themselves as unable to compete. If more companies start producing flagship devices like HTC has, the market share for these two giants could quickly erode. While both these companies seem near invincible, no one stays at the top forever.

I love seeing how people enjoy and use technology and that passion has brought me to Arbitrage Magazine as a Tech Writer. I also write for publications such as The Hockey Writers and Elite Sports Blog. You can follow me on Twitter @remrith