The Galaxy Note 8 and the iPhone X will go head-to-head in the cutthroat smartphone market once Apple launches the premium model of its 2017 iPhones, but Samsung can already be declared the winner of the rivalry.
Galaxy Note 8 preorders have shown that Samsung customers have already forgotten all about the Galaxy Note 7 fiasco, but the company apparently does not even need its latest flagship smartphone to beat the iPhone X to bounce back.
Samsung Already Wins In Galaxy Note 8 vs. iPhone X Battle
According to Counterpoint Technology, in a report by the Wall Street Journal, Samsung might be the top rival of Apple, but it is also hoping for the iPhone X to succeed.
This is because analysis by Counterpoint Technology revealed that Samsung is set to earn revenue that is higher by about $4 billion in manufacturing parts for the iPhone X, compared with the parts that it makes for its own Galaxy S8. The analysis is based on projection over the first 20 months of the lives of the smartphones, over which the majority of sales take place.
Counterpoint Technology expects Apple to sell 130 million units of the iPhone X, which will earn $110 for each unit sold or about $14 billion. Global sales for the Galaxy S8, meanwhile, are expected to reach 50 million units, with Samsung to earn $202 for each unit sold or about $10 billion.
As such, Samsung has already won the Galaxy Note 8 vs. iPhone X battle before it even started, as Apple will launch the $1,000 iPhone X on Nov. 3. If the Galaxy Note 8 sells more units than the iPhone X, it would have beaten its chief rival in the smartphone industry. If the iPhone X sells more units than the Galaxy Note 8, Samsung will earn a lot of money as Apple's supplier.
Apple And Samsung Supplier Relationship
The intriguing relationship between Apple and Samsung started over a decade ago when Lee Jae-yong, the grandson of the conglomerate's founder, personally held negotiations with late Apple co-founder Steve Jobs to supply flash memory for iPods. The partnership between the two companies has since continued, though at times suffering through hardships mostly with the patent infringement lawsuits launched by Apple and Samsung against each other.
Samsung has also remained a major supplier of Apple by necessity, as it is the only significant manufacturer of the OLED displays that are now found in the iPhone X. Apple has urged suppliers such as Japan Display and Sharp to ramp up OLED display production, but it will likely take a lot of time before Apple is able to reduce its dependence on Samsung for iPhone parts.
