Samsung to strike back in smartphone wars
NEW YORK — While the fall is usually a time when things begin to cool, for cell phone giants Apple and Samsung Electronics things are just heating up.
This past weekend Apple began selling the next version of their popular iPhone, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. Both phones feature larger displays, and are directly positioned to go against Samsung's large screen Galaxy S and Galaxy Note series.
Consumers have flocked to the bigger iPhones with long lines at Apple Stores throughout the weekend resulting in 10 million iPhones sold this weekend. This is in addition to the 4 million iPhones Apple sold in pre-orders the previous weekend.
For its part, Samsung is beginning to prep for the release of its answer to the new iPhones, the Galaxy Note 4 and Galaxy Alpha. Whereas Apple "borrowed" the large displays from Samsung's devices, the new Samsung phones follow a trend Apple helped start and are now incorporating -- more premium-feeling, metal designs. The switch to metal is a big shift for Samsung as many of the company's prior devices, such as the company's Galaxy S 5, were predominantly made of plastic.
Samsung's new Galaxy Alpha is the company's direct response to the iPhone 6. In addition to featuring that new metal design, the Galaxy Alpha also has a 4.7-inch HD display, the same size screen as Apple's device. And while not as powerful as the company's existing Galaxy S 5 flagship, the Alpha does feature a quad-core processor, 12-megapixel rear camera (with 2.1-megapixel front camera), fingerprint sensor and a heart rate monitor.
The device will be available at AT&T this Friday in black, white or gold for $200 with a new two-year contract.
Samsung's next generation Note, the Note 4, meanwhile is inching closer to its own October release. While the device was announced earlier this month, it wasn't until the past week that Samsung revealed details like the device's price and release date.
AT&T and Verizon have already begun taking pre-orders of the 5.7-inch phablet, while T-Mobilewill start on Wednesday with Sprint beginning on Friday. The device will cost $300 with a new two-year contract and most carriers plan to begin shipping the device in mid-October.
There is no word yet on when the company's Gear VR virtual reality headset or the curved Note Edge will be available.
Follow Eli Blumenthal on Twitter @eliblumenthal