Buying into the evolution of smartphones
David Pogue of Yahoo Finance checks out some new entries in the universe of smartphones:
If you're a gadget freak like me (and who isn't?), this is a great time to be alive.
Samsung has just unveiled its super-deluxe, state-of-the art new smartphone, the Galaxy Note8.
And Apple just unveiled its superdeluxe flagship phone, the iPhone X (that's a Roman numeral for added fanciness).
The new Samsung has two camera lenses on the back -- one regular, and one zoom. Just like the iPhone had last year!
And the new iPhone has an edge-to-edge screen, so you get more screen in less body. Just like last year's Samsung!
With the new Samsung you can hand-write animated doodles and send them to people, just like the iPhone had last year.
And you can charge the new iPhone by setting it on a pad without plugging in a cable. And you can lock it with your face! (Just like last year's Samsung!)
Both of these phones represent huge leaps in speed and gorgeousness. They're both top-of-the-line expensive phones (around a thousand dollars). And both phones are becoming identical!
Where's the outrageous, people? These companies are ripping each other off!
On the other hand … do we care?
I mean, when you buy a phone, you're not just buying a phone; you're buying an ecosystem. You're buying Apple's or Microsoft's or Google's whole world of interconnected products: phones, laptops, software, music stores, payment systems.
And it's not easy to switch ecosystems. You have to re-buy all your apps, and re-learn how to do everything.
So look: Of course, we all love innovation and fresh ideas. But even when these companies are stealing ideas from each other, it's all good. It just means that your team won't be left behind when the other team scores a breakthrough.
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