Phones
Apple analyst predicts iPhone 16’s future as Samsung’s competition intensifies
Hours ahead of the iPhone 16 launch, an analyst revealed Apple’s shipment forecast. The company has reportedly raised shipment forecast but it isn’t good news. Apple iPhone 16 might face intensifying challenges from Samsung in 2024 and beyond.
Ming-Chi Kuo notes Apple has slightly raised the iPhone 16 shipment target from 87-88M to 88-89M units. It is said that the company increased its initial target eyeing high sales of the Standard model of the upcoming iPhone 16 series.
Despite rising forecasts, the iPhone 16 target remains below the iPhone 15’s 91M in 2023. Well, shipment distribution within the iPhone 16 series is projected as follows: approximately 26% for the iPhone 16, 6% for Plus, 30% for Pro, and 38% for Pro Max.
The third quarter, as always, will be fruitful for Apple thanks to the new iPhone launch. The iPhone 16 sales could rise by nearly 10% YoY compared to the iPhone 15. The growth sounds positive but was influenced by weaker iPhone 15 Pro Max sales in Q3 last year.
iPhone 16 series could reach around 63 million units shipments in Q4, reflecting 5-7% YoY decline. In the first quarter of the next year, sales could decline significantly by 53–55% QoQ due to Samsung’s new hardware launch.
Samsung will launch the Galaxy S25 Ultra at the beginning of 2025. The lineup will crush Apple’s thunder in the Global market. There are many notable upgrades rumored, which will give endless headaches to Apple shortly.
The Galaxy S24 series will also give tough competition to Apple in key markets. The company’s aggressive pricing and potential discount season in India is expected to give a significant push to the sales numbers of Galaxy.
At least three Android vendors set to copy iPhone 16’s Camera Control button. I wish Samsung to bring a camera control button to Galaxy phones. Meanwhile, we might see it on at least three different Android phones this year.
Realme, Oppo, and Nubia could debut the iPhone 16-like Camera Control button on their upcoming device. After confirmation from Oppo and Nubia, a Realme exec has posted a video of a camera button on one of the brand’s phones.
The camera button on that Realme model works quite similarly to the iPhone 16. It’s a touch feedback button, which offers different adjustment tools. Zoom in and Zoom out in the camera viewfinder will be the most useful addition.
It isn’t the first time Chinese vendors blindly stealing Apple’s iPhone features. When the Dynamic Island was introduced by iPhone 14 Pro, many Chinese phone makers brought a replica on their entry-level smartphones.
In particular, Nubia has confirmed that its next smartphone will offer a camera shutter button. OPPO is also said to offer a camera shutter button on the Find X8 series. Beyond that, Realme demonstrated the feature in a real-life unit.
Sony has kept a physical camera shutter button alive on its flagship models. Apple just made good use of the key, fueling it with additional controls. The software magic is worth praise, triggering a notch-like area on the screen for visibility.
Apple says the iPhone 16’s Camera Control is a tactile switch that powers the click experience. The button has a high-precision force sensor, which realizes the light press gesture, and a capacitive sensor to offer touch-based interactions.
Samsung waits and replicates Apple?
One UI 6 copied a lot of features and customization tools from iOS 17 last year. We are hearing that the Galaxy S25 series could debut iPhonified design. The frame could go flat, with Samsung already ditched its iconic curved screen.
Apple iPhone 16 reportedly supports faster charging than the iPhone 15 series. The company never discloses charging support in watts on official product sites. Well, the iPhone 16 seemingly supports 39W fast charging, which is still less than the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
According to the info, Apple brought 39W charging support to the iPhone 16 series. Reports are circulating of 45W fast charging functionality. However, practical testing (via IceUniverse) indicates that the max charging speed is 39W.
CQC results suggest that the iPhone 16 features 45W wired charging. This is about 50% faster than the iPhone 15 series, which supports up to 29W charging. Meanwhile, the maximum support is 39W as tested by reliable industry sources.
Samsung continues to bring 45W charging support in select Galaxy devices. The Galaxy S24 Plus, S24 Ultra, and M55 are some of those. It’s not much higher than the 39W but shows Samsung is already ahead of Apple’s boosted charging function.
The newest S24 series is designed with convenience in mind and super fast charging is a key part. To ensure you can make the most of the S24’s rapid charging capability, there are some requirements for that such as compatible adapter and cable.
Packed with a 5000mAh battery, Samsung’s S24 Ultra typically takes around 78 minutes to fully charge from 0% using a 45W charger. Various factors can impact the charging speed and time to get the battery charged 100%.
Next year, Samsung will launch the Galaxy S25 Ultra. Early rumors indicate that there will be no charging upgrade in the Plus and Ultra models. Yet, we expect improvements in that particular aspect through artificial intelligence.
Yesterday Apple launched the iPhone 16, iPhone 16 Plus, iPhone 16 Pro, and iPhone 16 Pro Max. At first glance, Apple’s “most gorgeous iPhone ever” looks identical to the last three or four models – but a second glance also doesn’t change the view.
The most “oops” iPhone ever
iPhone 16 Pro and iPhone 16 Pro Max are the best of Apple. The company doesn’t want to renovate its best, therefore continuing the identical design approach for years. The iPhone 13 Pro Max seems iPhone 16 Pro Max with a silicon cover installed.
Over the iPhone 13 Pro Max, the iPhone 16 Pro Max brings a major innovation. The company ditched the traditional notch in favor of a punch-hole pill-shaped display cutout. This innovation debuted with the iPhone 14 Pro two years ago.
Apple also reduced the thickness of bezels, which is a groundbreaking decision. After the Action Button, the US tech giant debuted another button with the iPhone 16. Entitled Camera Control, it helps users control certain features of the camera.
The most gorgeous iPhone, the iPhone 16 Pro, features a triple rear camera setup on the back. The module is placed on a squarish island with rounded corners. Three sensors accompanied with LED flash and ToF sensor.
Apple continued to uplevel iPhone experiences with each generation. The design changes are tough in iPhones due to the arrangement of components. However, these limitations aren’t impossible to solve but require a will to enhance.