The latest innovations of Apple, Huawei and Samsung
Rachel Huang. 04/30/2021
Apple is the top mobile phone brand in the United States, with approximately 65% of the national market share. However, this statistic is not necessarily representative of the global market, as records from 2020 show that Apple ranked third in the global smartphone market with 13% of the market share. Samsung, placing second, claimed 19%, while the leading company, Huawei, held 20%. These rankings still stand in 2021, and as Apple, Huawei and Samsung continue to compete for consumers, the spotlight falls on a product that they all have in common: the smartphone.
Arguably the most iconic smartphone brand in the world, Apple released its newest iPhone, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, on Nov. 13, 2020. The iPhone 12 Pro is powered by Apple’s newest chip, the A14 Bionic, which is the first 5-nanometer chip in the microchip industry featuring a grand total of 11.8 billion transistors. The camera sensors (named the Pro camera system) are also 47% larger than the ones of the previous iPhone. In addition to its larger size, the featured cameras include a new 65 mm telephoto lens and 5X optical zoom range that uses Deep Fusion and Neural Engine to analyze multiple exposures pixel by pixel to bring out unprecedented detail in the photos it takes. Artificial intelligence and machine learning are also used - machine learning helps separate the subject from the background in photos.
The 12 Pro utilizes a LiDAR Scanner that is basically portable Augmented Reality. The LiDAR Scanner is able to measure how long it takes light to reflect back from objects, creating a depth map of any space the user is in and transforming a room into any realistic scene of the user’s choice in a matter of seconds. These features, and more, are displayed across 3.4 million pixels, the most ever in an iPhone. To complete Apple’s signature bold and simple look, the iPhone 12 Pro comes in four crisp colors: Pacific Blue, Gold, Silver and Graphite.
China has been rapidly reinventing its global image over the last decade, doubling its number of software companies with a recent count of over 37,800 active Chinese software companies as of year-end 2018, with at least a dozen of these companies reaching valuations of greater than $1 billion. One of these companies, Huawei, is best known for its rapid progress in mobile development and 5G networks, putting it in first place in the global phone manufacturing market as of Q2 2020. Huawei’s newest mobile phone, the HUAWEI Mate X2, was released on Feb. 25, 2021, and features the signature Huawei ability to seamlessly fold in half, offering users the option of using it as a “folded, 6.45-inch flagship smartphone, or unfolded as an 8-inch FullView Display.” To better enable this folding option, the Mate X2 utilizes a new and improved multi-dimensional hinge that is made using innovative materials and forging techniques, making the hinge discreetly concealed and giving the Mate X2 a virtually invisible seam.
The ability to fold in half offers new uses for smartphone screens; unfolded, the 8-inch screen’s Smart Multi-Window feature allows users to split their screen into four windows at the same time.
Huawei’s 5 nanometer Kirin 9000 5G SoC chip is used to power the Mate X2. This chip is packed with over 15 billion transistors and an NPU (Neural Processing Unit) that pushes AI processing to a new level. The Huawei Mate X2 also uses 5G networks, in addition to Huawei’s 5G super Uplink that allows users to upload, send, and share anything at optimal speed and quality. As for cameras, each Huawei Mate X2 features a 16 MP Ultra Wide Camera lens that takes pixel-perfect photos bursting with sharpness and dynamic range. This lens is coupled with a 2.5 cm Macro Lens that can take pictures from as little as 2.5 cm away. To tie it all together, the Huawei Mate X2 boasts an “Edge of Gravity” feature where the phone’s folded shape is slightly wedged, with the thinnest part having a width of only 4.4 millimeters wide. This design not only looks slim and feels light, but keeps the center of gravity closer to where you hold it, giving you an easier grip. The Huawei Mate X2 can be found in a new color palette featuring refreshing Crystal Blue, dreamy Crystal Pink, classic Black and classic White.
Located in Seoul, South Korea, Samsung is one of the top mobile phone manufacturing companies in the world. Its newest release on Jan. 29, 2021, the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G, features an industry-leading 5G chipset that boasts 8GB of RAM (Random Access Memory) and 256 GB of built-in memory. In addition, the 5-nm processor is the fastest processor that Samsung Galaxy has released so far, supporting the phone’s powerful features, such as the four cameras located on its exterior. The strongest camera of these four is a 64 MP camera; this 64-megapixel camera takes photos with a corresponding 64MP resolution, which means that 64 million pixels can be found in every single photo.
In addition to its high resolution, the Galaxy S21 5G can also zoom in up to 30x on a subject with Space Zoom, enabling users to capture distant details with stunning clarity while Zoom Lock helps keep the subject centered. The Galaxy S21 5G’s cameras are enhanced by artificial intelligence that allows photos to be analyzed for the best lighting, angles, and color possible. There is even a special AI assistant for content creators; the Single Take (AI). Single Take selects the best from a collection of photos that the user has taken, and automatically edits them for the user. As for video, the Galaxy S21 5G flaunts the highest resolution video in a smartphone, 8K, with a variety of abilities. One of these, the 8K Video Snap, lets users “snip” an album of photos that are up to 33 MP in resolution, straight out of every 8K video. Samsung captures this ground-breaking ability with the catchy quote: “record now, snap later.” To complete this high-quality, high-function, mobile device, the Samsung Galaxy S21 5G is protected by Corning Gorilla Glass Victus, the toughest glass available on a Samsung smartphone. The Galaxy S21 5G can be found as part of a Phantom color series: Phantom violet, Phantom silver and Phantom black, sure to wow consumers and solidify Samsung’s position in the smartphone market worldwide.
Each of these three companies, Apple, Huawei and Samsung, are innovative in their own way, whether it be specificities in hardware, application of AI, or overall presentation. However, they all share more similarities in their smartphones than the average consumer may think. For example, all three of these brand’s flagship smartphones, the iPhone 12 Pro Max, the Huawei Mate X2 and the Samsung Galaxy S21 Max, all utilize 5-nanometer processor chips, 5G networks, and artificial intelligence and machine learning. This stands as a significant piece of evidence that although different countries around the world are rapidly developing and becoming more technology-oriented and competitive, the whole world actually shares more in common than presumed differences.
