The South Korean tech giant, one of the leading manufacturers of Android phones, has taken a playful swipe at Apple for switching to USB Type-C from the lightning port in its latest iPhones and Airpods. In a post on X (formerly Twitter), the company said they can “C” the switch, meaning it’s magical.
Apple unveiled the new line-up of iPhones with the Type-C port after a tussle with the European Union (EU). According to the firm, the move will cut down on the 11,000 metric tons of annual e-waste from unused chargers that currently get dumped in Europe. The new port will offer faster charging and data transfer speeds, too.
The change is likely to be welcomed by many users and will help reduce the amount of waste that is thrown away every year, but some may feel like they are being forced to make the switch. Regardless, the move will benefit those who own an iPhone and a Galaxy smartphone, as swapping data between the devices will now be more accessible.
While the Apple-Samsung rivalry has moments of tension, the two companies have a very close relationship with making phones for the global market. They both offer a wide range of Android phones to suit different budgets, with the lowest-cost models offering four years of software updates and five years of security patches.
Samsung’s phones are also often more affordable than the latest Apple gadgets, starting at around $1,800 for the foldable Galaxy F. The cheaper Galaxy A53, for instance, is powered by the Exynos 1380 processor and has a bright, 6.4-inch Super AMOLED display that offers Enhanced Touch capabilities. It will also be able to connect to 5G and Wi-Fi 6E networks, while the battery is promising enough for a full day of use.
All Galaxy handsets run on Samsung’s One UI, a tweaked version of stock Android that includes various extra features. While some may criticize the South Korean company for its design choices or One UI’s occasional heavy-handedness, it usually paves the way for other phone makers to innovate in the Android ecosystem.
The Samsung Galaxy S9 is the latest South Korean tech giant flagship, bringing an edge-to-edge Infinity Display and a rear camera that can shoot at 60 frames per second. It is expected to be the first phone to have a Qualcomm Snapdragon 845 processor and will support its new Samsung Pay feature, which uses NFC technology. It will also have a fingerprint scanner on the back of the device. This will allow it to work with a variety of third-party payment apps. It will be available to pre-order from the 22nd of February. More details about the S9 will be revealed at the event on the 27th of that month.