The anticipation leading up to Apple’s September conference primarily centered around the reveal of the next generation of iPhones. Ever touted as an innovator, smartphone enthusiasts expected the tech giant’s latest offering to generate serious competition for Android devices. While the iPhone X certainly marks many firsts for Apple, it hardly innovates when compared to what Android devices have been offering for several years now.
Many underwhelmed commentators have accused Apple of merely copying Android devices. While this is clearly a loaded accusation, it’s fair to say at the very least that Apple’s latest effort is largely playing catch-up to Android. Apple’s removal of the home button was well received, especially compared to their headphone jack debacle last year, but Android devices moved away from a central control generations ago.
Three-button or capacitive systems are essentially standard at this point, so Apple’s move towards this is nothing new. Likewise, their push for lower profile bezels and greater screen coverage was pioneered by Samsung, LG, Xiaomi, and other popular Android devices. Granted, Apple’s take on this interpreted through their unique design aesthetic, but the overall approach is nothing that hasn’t been done before.
Apple’s face recognition technology is being presented as something entirely unique, but Android equipped phones have featured this technology for some time. While the tech originated with Microsoft’s Windows Hello, it was Android devices that truly honed and spread the use of facial recognition software on smartphones. Samsung successfully implemented both iris scanning and facial recognition software as viable device security features, with the Galaxy S8 and S8+ being some of the most secure phones on the market. Apple’s only real innovation on this front is tying this software to mobile payments, but it’s only a matter of time before Android follows suit. Just as they improved upon Microsoft’s basic face recognition software, it’s likely Android devices will further hone the linking of bio-metrics to mobile pay.
Accusing Apple of simply “copying” Android’s achievements may be overly cynical, but it’s fair to temper excitement over the iPhone X with the fact that, for the most part, the device is merely treading ground already covered by Android phones. Still, Apple deserves credit where it’s due and Apple’s Face ID is certainly making waves with its tie to mobile payments. That said, tech enthusiasts are rightly underwhelmed at the reveals given the disproportionate fanfare. It’s a win for Apple purists, but hardly an innovative step for the world of smartphones overall.
