Report: How Apple vs. Samsung Became a Smartphone Beauty Contest


The Wall Street Journal has a piece comparing Apple and Samsung's design trends.

Some design experts wonder if the Galaxy S8's visual leap says more about Apple and its chief executive, Tim Cook, whose operational skills contrast with the visionary talents of his predecessor, Steve Jobs. "It's not so much that Samsung has gotten better, but Apple has fundamentally changed," said Hugh Dubberly, a former Apple creative director and former member of Samsung's global design advisory board. "The pipeline that Steve [Jobs] started is over."

This is an easy and popular narrative, especially given the iPhone physical appearance is near the end its third year. What might be missed though is that Jobs may have not been as engaged leading up to his resignation. Cook like has been in his role for multiple major cycles. On the flip side, major product cycles span years, so it could be argued Cook is now fully owning the current cycle for its products.

Either way, beyond physical appearances, there are platform considerations. Each company represents different platforms, Apple with its iOS and Samsung Android.