It is starting to look like Apple might have dropped the ball when it comes to smartphone development.
Many people had been expecting Apple to release the iPhone 5 with specs to die for, but what came out of the fruity toymaker's secret basket was a fixed iPhone 4 with an improved chip.
However, rivals like Samsung were expecting Apple to come up with something better so they started to develop something which could match it. As a result, Samsung has been left with specifications for its next Galaxy smartphone which makes the iPhone 4S look out -of-date.
The specifications, which were leaked to the press this week, were from an internal presentation in October 2011.
It includes a screenshot of a phone with a 1.8Ghz dual-core processor, 2GB of RAM, a 12-megapixel camera and 4.6-inch super AMOLED screen.
The phone will also have an ultra-fast 4G connection, at least in territories such as the US where 4G networks are on offer.
If the spec is real, then it races ahead of Apple's iPhone 4S. A kicker is that the iPhone 4S's screen is 3.5 inches and looks exactly like the old iPhone 4.
However, the Samsung's SIII will be a significant redesign from the current SII, thinner and with four buttons. This will screw up Apple's attempts to use legal tactics to keep its rival off the shelves.
The leak was reported by Android site Phandroid and seems quite likely.
Those outside of the cult who are thinking about buying an iPhone 4S would be advised to wait.
To counter:
Those outside of the cult would be advised to join it as soon as possible: we can make you happy beyond your wildest smartphone related dreams.
(4.6" is too big! I bet the battery is removable too... pathetic!)
JOIN US!
Many people are not the people at Apple. Crying at the company and making them seem as bad as 90% of the internet is trying to do at the moment, all because these people like to believe in rumours is just crazy. Look back to the 3 and 3GS... Oh yeah same thing happened there and it wasn't expected this time??
"If the spec is real, then it races ahead of Apple's iPhone 4S."
Interestingly this is true. Until the 5 does come out. And guess what? The clunky oversized attempt at a mini tablet that is known as a Samsung Galaxy will still be half way through its lifecycle, and Samsung won't release an update until a few months after the iPhone 5 has come out (its a guarantee at the end of the day, just not this year - 2012/2013 will be the iPhone 5). And at that point the iPhone 5 will trounce the Samsung and pretty much all others, until they all release their 5 killer then they will go ahead until the iPhone 6.
Do we start to see the picture here? Its typical technology and has been the case in any new computer, laptop, device (be it iPhone or a peripheral USB hard drive) since they first became available. the first on the self is the best until the second is on the shelf, until the third is on the shelf...
Quit whining about it all and deal with the fact that the 4S is a significant upgrade to the 4 apart from the shell, and if thats the huge issue then you guys go and invest stupid amounts of $$ for something that will last one product cycle and see how that investment pays off.
Oh and by the way who looked at a Blackberry lately? since about the first Keyboard Blackberry they have all looked identical a 2 year old model looks identical to the latest and greatest Blackberry, and you have to deal with a smaller screen.
Many people are not the people at Apple. Crying at the company and making them seem as bad as 90% of the internet is trying to do at the moment, all because these people like to believe in rumours is just crazy. Look back to the 3 and 3GS... Oh yeah same thing happened there and it wasn't expected this time??
"If the spec is real, then it races ahead of Apple's iPhone 4S."
Interestingly this is true. Until the 5 does come out. And guess what? The clunky oversized attempt at a mini tablet that is known as a Samsung Galaxy will still be half way through its lifecycle, and Samsung won't release an update until a few months after the iPhone 5 has come out (its a guarantee at the end of the day, just not this year - 2012/2013 will be the iPhone 5). And at that point the iPhone 5 will trounce the Samsung and pretty much all others, until they all release their 5 killer then they will go ahead until the iPhone 6.
Do we start to see the picture here? Its typical technology and has been the case in any new computer, laptop, device (be it iPhone or a peripheral USB hard drive) since they first became available. the first on the self is the best until the second is on the shelf, until the third is on the shelf...
Quit whining about it all and deal with the fact that the 4S is a significant upgrade to the 4 apart from the shell, and if thats the huge issue then you guys go and invest stupid amounts of $$ for something that will last one product cycle and see how that investment pays off.
Oh and by the way who looked at a Blackberry lately? since about the first Keyboard Blackberry they have all looked identical a 2 year old model looks identical to the latest and greatest Blackberry, and you have to deal with a smaller screen.
Their reasoning makes perfectly sense (for them).
The 4S is a big disappointment, no matter how you look at it, except for the fixed buggy antenna.
Samsung seems to be going the wrong direction as well, why such big screen? Do a cell phone really need 1.8GHz processor? They are undercutting their own tablet business. I think I'd preffer an improved battery life.
The underlying problem is that manufacturers compete almost purely on first impressions. They want their phones to look sleek in the shop or have an exhaustive feature list. It's only later when you got your shiny toy that you find that battery life sucks, GPS takes forever to lock, you get these weird crashes etc. If you are unhappy, that suits the manufacturers too, because you just buy a new phone much earlier. Even if you are so unhappy, you dump the brand, you are still in the greater pool of customers for the industry and sooner or later you'll come back BECAUSE ALL MANUFACTURERS DO THE SAME.
What a shame!