iPhone 7's Lack of 'Compelling' Features Convinced Most Galaxy Note7 Owners to Stay With Samsung

[MacRumors]

In a recent piece by The Wall Street Journal, hardware analyst Stephen Baker commented on the state of holiday sales figures for both Apple and Samsung. While many believed Apple would have it easy this season due to Samsung's Galaxy Note7 crisis, Baker said that "Apple's own lack of a wowing product this year" meant that woeful Note7 owners opted for other high-end Galaxy phones, and not the iPhone 7.

"Most of those who bought or wanted to buy a Note 7 opted for a different high-end Galaxy phone," Mr. Baker said. "Samsung was able to fend off other Android competition, and Apple, too, thanks to Apple's own lack of a wowing product this year."

Apple decided to not release the first weekend sales numbers for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus back in September, because it felt the results were "no longer a representative metric" due to demand outweighing supply. Samsung officially halted sales of the Galaxy Note7 worldwide in early October, but another industry analyst, Chetan Sharma, continued Baker's thread by commenting on the iPhone 7's lack of "a compelling enough feature set," which wasn't enough to convince owners of potentially exploding Note7 devices to switch ecosystems.

"Apple has the strongest ecosystem, with its hardware, software and app and content stores," said consumer tech and mobile industry consultant Chetan Sharma. "IPhone users looking for an upgrade stick with Apple. But in a year when Samsung dropped the ball in a huge way," he said, Apple "didn't have a phone with a compelling enough feature set to lure Samsung owners away."

Earlier this week, Yahoo-owned mobile analytics firm Flurry released data surrounding the top device activations by manufacturer between 12/19 and 12/25, confirming that Apple was again at the top of the list with 44 percent activations, while Samsung came in second at 21 percent. In comparison to the previous year, Apple dropped from 49 percent and Samsung climbed slightly from 19 percent.

Ultimately, the two analysts admitted that both Apple and Samsung "made mistakes this year that cost them growth." Sharma said that "the timing couldn't have been worse for Samsung and it couldn't have been better for Apple. But the truth is neither company capitalized this year."

In the first few days of December, financial firm Oppenheimer summed up the current negative cloud surrounding Apple -- fueled by mixed-to-negative consumer reception and its first revenue decline since 2003 -- and stated that the company could be heading into a "decade-long malaise" if it doesn't turn things around.

Article Link: iPhone 7's Lack of 'Compelling' Features Convinced Most Galaxy Note7 Owners to Stay With Samsung

 

[Sunny1990]

iPhone7 - Lack of innovation, same two generation old design,headphone jack removed which millions of people use every day

 

[hlevolve]

I agree. The iPhone 7 doesn't have any "wow" factor to it. More just things we have come to expect because the other manufactures already do most of it (aside from dual camera) but for the general user... I don't think that's much to care about and we have come to expect the faster graphics and CPU every year anyway so that's nothing new either. I kept my iPhone 6 Plus. Nothing I cared about in 6S or the 7 so far. I'm hoping the 2017 iPhone changes that.

 

[A MacBook lover]

I'm glad Apple is waiting and taking their time with the redesign. Remember - Apple is never first, but usually always the best.

People get upset over a headphone jack, but not over an exploding phone. And yet people question the values of Apple and not Samsung.

I would argue the dual camera / telescopic zoom is a major feature as the jump in camera quality between the 6s is quite large.

 

[maflynn]

Can't say that I'm overly surprised. I think the iPhone 7 is a nice phone, but its not that much different the 6s. There's a fairly large disparity on features with Android phones vs. the iPhone

 

[MH01]

So what is the truth ? Seems so many places are writing articles as clickbait. One minute everyone jumps to iPhone , the next they stay with Samsung.

Just use whatever phone u guys have and enjoy

 

[Lapidus]

What do people expect more in a phone?

 

[maflynn]

People get upset over a headphone jack,

That's because people need and use the headphone jack. Schiller said it took courage to remove the headphone jack, yet I can no longer listen to music with my headphones and have it charging. Also if it took courage, why did they include it in the new MacBook Pro?

 

[RedOrchestra]

The reason I upgraded from a 6 to the 7 was solely for the camera and I couldn't be happier with my decision --- the improved aperture and the addition of OIS has been fantastic.

 

[BB8]

What will truly be a shock is if the rumors are true and the iPhone 7S is the same phone again, with the redesigned phone being a premium device.

Can you imagine? Four years of the same tired, uninspiring hardware design.

 

[RedOrchestra]

What will truly be a shock is if the rumors are true and the iPhone 7S is the same phone again, with the redesigned phone being a premium device.

YEP ... new colours for the 7S and a steep price hike for the premium device ... that ought to make everyone's day ... no!

 

[hashholly]

Hate to agree, but as someone who has owned every iPhone on day one since the first, this is my first year not getting the new iPhone because there was nothing significant enough about it to warrant a purchase.

Hopefully Apple can step it up next year with an amazing phone, but from the mixed bag of current rumors im not holding my breath.

 

[A MacBook lover]

That's because people need and use the headphone jack. Schiller said it took courage to remove the headphone jack, yet I can no longer listen to music with my headphones and have it charging. Also if it took courage, why did they include it in the new MacBook Pro?

They removed the headphone jack to make space in a tiny device - the MacBook Pro is considerabley larger than the iPhone.

 

[WRChris]

In a recent piece by The Wall Street Journal, hardware analyst Stephen Baker commented on the state of holiday sales figures for both Apple and Samsung. While many believed Apple would have it easy this season due to Samsung's Galaxy Note7 crisis, Baker said that "Apple's own lack of a wowing product this year" meant that woeful Note7 owners opted for other high-end Galaxy phones, and not the iPhone 7.
Apple decided to not release the first weekend sales numbers for the iPhone 7 and iPhone 7 Plus back in September, because it felt the results were "no longer a representative metric" due to demand outweighing supply. Samsung officially halted sales of the Galaxy Note7 worldwide in early October, but another industry analyst, Chetan Sharma, continued Baker's thread by commenting on the iPhone 7's lack of "a compelling enough feature set," which wasn't enough to convince owners of potentially exploding Note7 devices to switch ecosystems.

Earlier this week, Yahoo-owned mobile analytics firm Flurry released data surrounding the top device activations by manufacturer between 12/19 and 12/25, confirming that Apple was again at the top of the list with 44 percent activations, while Samsung came in second at 21 percent. In comparison to the previous year, Apple dropped from 49 percent and Samsung climbed slightly from 19 percent.

Ultimately, the two analysts admitted that both Apple and Samsung "made mistakes this year that cost them growth." Sharma said that "the timing couldn't have been worse for Samsung and it couldn't have been better for Apple. But the truth is neither company capitalized this year."

In the first few days of December, financial firm Oppenheimer summed up the current negative cloud surrounding Apple -- fueled by mixed-to-negative consumer reception and its first revenue decline since 2003 -- and stated that the company could be heading into a "decade-long malaise" if it doesn't turn things around.

Article Link: iPhone 7's Lack of 'Compelling' Features Convinced Most Galaxy Note7 Owners to Stay With Samsung

Not sure how any analyst could claim they know why the majority of people didn't switch. The data cited only speaks about which devices were activated.

But, no, iPhone 7 was not very compelling and I'm on a 6+

 

[SoApple]

Just purchased an iphone 7plus. Upgrading from a 6. Hopefully will not be dissappointed. Still planning on getting the 8 next year if its a new design.

 

[MH01]

That's because people need and use the headphone jack. Schiller said it took courage to remove the headphone jack, yet I can no longer listen to music with my headphones and have it charging. Also if it took courage, why did they include it in the new MacBook Pro?

Cause they could not fit a 5400rmp drive it, so as a compromise we got the inferior port

My view on it , if you are using a machine for professional music or video work, you need a headphone jack i myself love the BT lag in video but a professional editor....they might frown. Sadly the headphone jack is pro

That's my story and I'm sticking to it

 

[Dave245]

Design wise the 7 wasn't any different, but the dual lens camera along with the Bokeh effect were great upgrades. I upgraded from my 6 Plus to the 7 Plus and i don't regret it. If next years iPhone 8 is a design change and has great features i will upgrade and sell my 7 Plus.

 

[Radon87000]

The Note 7 was THE BEST phone on the planet .The design truly was beautiful and they truly had outmanoeuvred Apple on this one. Apple was on the platter ready for the taking until Samsung messed up

 

[lowendlinux]

They removed the headphone jack to make space in a tiny device - the MacBook Pro is considerabley larger than the iPhone.

They could have moved it to the top.

 

[kodos]

The dual camera is the only compelling feature for me in the iPhone 7. Didn't sway me to come back to iOS from Android. But Google's Pixel isn't that compelling either. I'm pretty happy with my Galaxy S7 and am interested in both the next Pixel and the next iPhone.

One of the problems I have with the larger iPhones are that they are larger than my old Note5 was. I don't care about the thinness of it as much as I care about the length of it when holding it. Hoping the next iPhone reduces that size - OR gives the smaller iPhone the camera of the larger one. That's really all I want

 

[Superhappytree]

I'm glad Apple is waiting and taking their time with the redesign.

People get upset over a headphone jack, but not over an exploding phone. And yet people question the values of Apple and not Samsung.

I would argue the dual camera / telescopic zoom is a major feature as the jump in camera quality between the 6s is quite large.

But when a single camera Pixel outperforms a dual camera iPhone it is rather sad. I bought an S7 (my very first Android phone) this year. That is quite telling how Apple are lacking these days, as I am the biggest Apple fanboy who sworn never to buy an Android phone. Ever.

 

[A MacBook lover]

Design wise the 7 wasn't any different, but the dual lens camera along with the Bokeh effect were great upgrades. I upgraded from my 6 Plus to the 7 Plus and i don't regret it. If next years iPhone 8 is a design change and has great features i will upgrade and sell my 7 Plus.

This, also Taptic feedback just makes me subtly love the phone even more.
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They could have moved it to the top.

Could you perhaps point out where exactly? Is there space on the top of the device?

 

[8692574]

Well no surprise...."Apple's own lack of a wowing product this year" made me move away from the iPhone....

 

[Blackstick]

I'm a pretty avid Apple fan, but I didn't see a need to replace my iPhone 6s or my 2014 era MacBook Pro with any of their new offerings. If I'm not thinking about replacing devices, imagine how little someone like my mom is thinking about upgrading her iPad Air 1 or iPhone 5s... she isn't. I wouldn't mind an iPhone 7, but I saw no compelling reason to trade up.

 

[A MacBook lover]

But when a single camera Pixel outperforms a dual camera iPhone it is rather sad. I bought an S7 (my very first Android phone) this year. That is quite telling how Apple are lacking these days, as I am the biggest Apple fanboy who sworn never to buy an Android phone. Ever.

How can a pixel outperform in zoom conditions? It can't really. I'd say the cameras are about equal.