Apple and Samsung probably need each other — these curved screens show why
The new iPhone's rumoured curved screen suggests it's playing catch-up with a Samsung feature, Apple's fans argue it likes to release products that are perfected
If Apple decides to join Samsung in releasing a phone with a curved screen, as has been reported, the move would illustrate a curious fact about the two rivals: In some ways, the two companies' businesses are entwined.
Apple's 2017 product line may include a 5.5-inch — or larger — phone with a "screen bent on the two sides" like Samsung's top-end phones, a source told Nikkei Asian Review. Though the change is yet unconfirmed by Apple, it would introduce a "me too feature" that competitor Samsung already has.
"Samsung and Apple are already in a strange relationship — they are like friend-enemy," said Jennifer Colegrove, CEO of Touch Display Research. "Samsung knows Apple's power. They have so many friends around the world, and they can leverage Apple's brand and popularity."
For this new feature, if it does indeed emerge, Apple would likely need Samsung's expertise to provide the niche technology behind curved smartphone screens, experts say. But Samsung, in turn, is in need of new buyers to profit from the expensive manufacturing, they said.
Samsung's Galaxy Note 7, released this month, is the latest phone to have the curved display. With features like an iris scanner, many critics have dubbed it a worthy iPhone opponent and demand has surged. It comes after the curved-screen Galaxy S7 edge was the world's best-selling Android smartphone during the first half of this year, Researcher Strategy Analytics told Reuters.
The proven appeal of the sleek, seamless bevel could be just what Apple needs to set it apart from the many iPhone copycats, said John Vinh, senior research analyst at Pacific Crest.