Samsung Vs Apple: The Everlasting Jostle

Samsung Vs Apple: The History

Samsung and Apple have been rivals, especially when it comes to smartphones. The lawsuit between Apple and Samsung dates back to the first iPhone launch, back in 2007. Looking back, just four days before the iPhone launch, Apple filed a patent with four designs with the basic shape and design of the iPhone.

Next, Apple filed the color design patent with 193 screenshots of several iPhone user interfaces. All things were fine and good until Apple sued Samsung, which was its component supplier. Apple alleged that several of Samsung's Android phones and tablets, including models like Nexus S, Epic 4G, Samsung Galaxy S 4G, and even the Samsung Galaxy Tab infringed on Apple's intellectual property.

Moreover, the lawsuit filed in 2011 included documents that compared the iPhone 3GS with the Samsung i9000 Galaxy S and highlighted the similarities. However, the court found the images were tampered with to make the Samsung phone look similar to the iPhone. The counsel for Samsung next accused Apple of submitting misleading evidence, which later bombarded into a worldwide case.

Samsung countersued Apple in 2011 in courts in South Korea, Japan, and Germany, and later in Britain and the USA. Samsung alleged Apple of infringing its patents for mobile communication technology. It all came to an end in 2018, where the trials over the patent dispute were resolved, and Apple was awarded USD 539 million.

Samsung Vs Apple: Smartphone Competition

It's been over three years since the legal battle between Apple and Samsung was settled. Today, Samsung and Apple are considered among the biggest rivals with both securing the top positions in the smartphone market. Samsung has released multitudes of smartphones every year, catering to a large price segment.

For instance, we have the Samsung Galaxy M series, A series, F series, and the flagship S and Z series today. On the other hand, the Apple iPhone has always been a premium smartphone with some of the latest and advanced features available. In recent times, Apple has begun catering to a wider budget audience with the launch of devices like the iPhone SE 2020.

Coming to smartphones - one has to admit the growth Samsung smartphones have seen. Samsung has given the global market several unique devices, including pioneering foldable smartphones like the Samsung Galaxy Z Flip 3 and the Z Fold 3. Moreover, the Samsung Galaxy Note and the Galaxy S series have delivered unmatched performance combined with sleek, narrow builds.

On the other hand, the Apple iPhone models have also come a long way. The iPhone X series have Apple the much-needed breakthrough with its unique design and features, like the Face ID. That said, we still have the ugly notch on the iPhone models which have long been replaced with punch-hole cutouts on Android phones from Samsung.

Samsung Vs Apple: The Jostle Continues

The Indian smartphone market is dominated by Chinese brands like Xiaomi, Vivo, Realme, and so on. At the same time, Samsung has secured a good chunk of the market for its unique smartphones in all price ranges. On the other hand, Apple iPhone models cater to the uber segment with niche needs. In recent times affordable and mid-range iPhones have changed this scenario.

If we look at the global market, Apple and Samsung are at the top, beating each other with just a few differences in percentage. A report by ZDNet shows Apple securing 20.8 percent in Q4 of 2020, despite the pandemic. Samsung secured 16.2 percent of the market during the same period, showing how neck-to-neck they both are!

Differences and competition aside, Apple still relies on Samsung for several components. Samsung is the leading manufacturer of OLED and other display panels, and Apple relies on Samsung for the same. That said, Apple is also considering LG for its next-gen iPhone 14 displays, but that could take a while.

In a gist, both Apple and Samsung are each other's nemesis, jostling their way through the growing smartphone market. It remains to see what 2022 would bring for both companies and the twists and turns of the coming year.