Samsung well and truly taking over Apple.
This is my next phone for sure.
Time to up your game Apple.
Now this is just hyperbole. Yes Samsung put out a good phone - but they did not do anything new other than assemble components to meet a spec war. The software - the stuff that makes it useful - is all from Google. Without that it is a glorified phone. Now I am not saying it is not good, but - there are strategic business model problems with Samsung. It has to play nice with Google - which - as seen with Touch Wiz and the rumblings with Tizen it does not like to do. Also Google is going to move closer to controlling more of the hardware design and manufacture so as not to cede too much power to Samsung. Motorola - once they reorganization is through and they are plugged into Google - will be playing a more prominent role in the development of the Nexus products which we will start seeing getting first crack at the newest Google releases months before they will be in the wild for the Samsungs of the world.
Apple still has a computer/desktop/laptop market which can anchor all of their mobile products. And yes - as of now OS X is by and far the best desktop/laptop environment out there. That is an advantage in being able to provide stem to stern user experience covering all computer needs.
Now Apple does need to address some issues - but that will always be the case in a competitive market. But it is not hardware - it is software.
They need to update their iOS to offer some new features - but I would argue more integration with iCloud. I would also say enhancements to photo and video software and multi-tasking improvements. Not wholesale earth shaking improvements - but things that are quite doable. In fact - Apple can make things more competitive for themselves by opening up their APIs to allow approved third party software makers to integrate their offerings more closely with iOS. Apple can still maintain high quality standards and review of these items and companies to give more flexibility and choice without the uncontrolled chaos that gives google the openess it has but at the cost of some crappy apps and dodgy malware.
Samsung in the end offers only the hardware built on commodity specs made by other people save for the screens. It has yet to demonstrate that it can provide and manage both hardware and software offerings. Apple makes the software, designs the hardware, the chips, and invests in R&D as well. That is a huge job.
Again - don't get me wrong - I am not discounting Samsung - they are showing some chops - but they are not as dominant as some will say. If there is a schism between Google and them - they will bear the worst of it as Google has more options.