In its long history of copying the iPhone, Samsung did have its own moments where it showed it could innovate without having to wait for Apple’s go ahead. Because, if you haven’t noticed it already, that’s how it works in the mobile business. Apple does something unexpected with the iPhone, and everyone else follows, Samsung included.
The Galaxy Note was one such moment of mild-brilliance from Samsung, but the iPhone is about to pull off a trick that Samsung can’t counter for the time being.
Samsung is regarded as the parent of the phablet. The original Galaxy Note was the first oversized smartphone that people wanted to buy. Samsung, of course, wasn’t the first to make one, but its first Note quickly became on iconic Samsung product.
On the other hand, that’s what Samsung did back in the day when it blatantly copied the iPhone. The company competed against Apple by continually bumping up specs. The screens grew bigger, there was more RAM, the cameras had more megapixels, and the processor had more cores. The Note was an obvious evolution of the Galaxy S, with an extra twist, a built-in stylus.
Size remained its main feature, as the Note happened to deliver to buyers the one think Apple couldn’t. Apple needed a few extra years to come up with bigger devices. Launched in 2014, the 4.7-inch iPhone 6 and 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus were a vast departure from previous designs.
But the Note still reigned supreme. The Note 4, launched at the same time with the iPhone 6, still featured a larger display than the latest iPhones. Just 0.2-inches bigger than the iPhone 6 Plus, the Note 4 was still the bigger phablet when it comes to screen size. What’s more, the Note 4 was slightly smaller than the iPhone 6 when it comes to actual size.
Fast-forward to today when rumors say that Apple’s next-gen phablet will be bigger than Samsung’s newest Note. The iPhone X Plus due this fall will have a 6.5-inch OLED screen. The Galaxy Note 9, meanwhile, will have a 6.38-inch display, according to reports.
Assuming the leaks are accurate, 2018 might go down as the first year when Apple’s latest iPhone Plus version has a bigger display than the Galaxy Note. And the iPhone X Plus might have a smaller footprint than the Galaxy Note 9. The iPhone X Plus is rumored to measure 157.2 x 77.1 mm (6.18 x 3.03 inches), while the Galaxy Note 9 will be about as big as the Galaxy Note 8 (158.4 x 78.1 x 7.5 mm or 6.24 x 3.07 x 0.30 inches).
That’s quite an achievement for a company that used to think 3.5-inch and 4-inch screens were enough for smartphones.
Sure, the iPhone X Plus will not have a built-in stylus, but that’s a different battle.
Then again, if you want to buy the biggest phablet, there is, you should wait for Huawei to unveil its 6.9-inch smartphone. Apparently, it’s happening this year.
