Autumn phone sales, or any other season when an iPhone is released, is usually dominated by Apple. Their latest iteration of the handset always brings in customers new and old alike. But this could be the season of discontent as many loyal fans are starting to turn their back on the phone in favour of a smartphone touting the Android operating system citing restrictive behaviour of iOS as the main concern.
Left: iPhone 5s Right iPhone 5c
So who will contend the iPhone
5s &
5c? Samsung and HTC have already released their flagship phones this year in the form of the Galaxy S4 and HTC One. Players such as Nokia, Motorola, and Blackberry rarely pose a threat to Apple, and Huawei is still building steam in Western markets.
The main competitor to Apple this season could possibly be one that was ranked as an outsider, until a recent announcement concerning a smartwatch stole a lot of attention - the
Samsung Galaxy Note III.
Galaxy Note III
With a 5.7" screen this behemoth of a phone is classed as a phablet - a hybrid of phone and tablet - and in previous generations has been focused towards those interested in productivity due to it's cumbersome size. But a combination of the Galaxy Gear smartwatch announcement and a desire for something different may have changed that and several people are turning their heads towards this particular phone.
The Galaxy Gear is a watch that relays the standard information you receive on your phone such as, messages, mail, phone calls, and displays it on your wrist. Beyond that, Samsung have promised compatibility with some 70 apps at launch, including Evernote and Run Keeper.
Will this be enough to topple Apple? Probably not in the UK. The Note III was due for a worldwide release on the 25th September, and few of the major providers have any information on it despite worldwide hype. Those who are impatient are either going back with Apple or going with the Sony Xperia Z Ultra, another phablet but not quite as feature heavy as the Note III.
