hoangbre@gmail.com
The latest Power On newsletter from Bloomberg journalist Mark Gurman asserts that Samsung is ahead of Apple in both artificial intelligence (AI) and with its ultra-thin phone efforts. Does that actually matter, though?
Well, yes and no. While I think being first is an empty accolade if it’s not backed up by quality, Apple can’t afford to be too late to the party — particularly in the case of AI.
Let’s start with the slimline phones. It’s been widely reported that Apple is developing a super-thin phone dubbed the iPhone 17 Air, which is due to launch this September. Gurman states that Samsung will get there first with its Galaxy S25 Edge phone, a device that’s due to arrive in the first half of the year.
Yet this tells us nothing about which phone you’ll actually want to buy. The idea of being first is massively overblown in the tech press, with manufacturers frequently gunning for that coveted “world’s first” title no matter what. But I’m willing to bet good money that customers don’t care if one device launches slightly before the other; no, they care about which one gives the better experience. That is where Apple chooses to compete.
For instance, there are rumors that the iPhone 17 Air will be slightly thinner than the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge. Does that matter? Only in so far as it makes the phone better or worse for users. Quality should be the key consideration, not raw timing. We need to stop valorizing the “world’s first” title and put more emphasis on what makes something the “world’s best.”
So no, I don’t care whether Samsung or Apple comes first. Realistically, I don’t think customers do either.
First versus best
There are times, however, when timing is important, and that’s emphasized elsewhere in Power On. Gurman also says that Samsung’s AI offering (which is based on Google Gemini) is “several years” ahead of Apple Intelligence.
Unlike the ultra-thin phones debate, here I think the timing is a bit more important. Not for the empty title of “world’s first,” but for what that head start means in terms of features and user experience. Because as Gurman says, Apple risks “missing out on the biggest technology revolution in 30 years.”
Apple Intelligence is decent, but it’s clearly lacking compared to its rivals. As Gurman notes, Google Gemini has pulled ahead, and it’s not even the best AI on offer. That title belongs to ChatGPT, and while Apple has integrated OpenAI’s offering into Apple Intelligence, it just serves to illustrate how far behind Apple’s own efforts are.
Yet there’s no reason why Apple can’t catch up. Many Apple products, from the iPhone to the iMac, were condemned as being behind their rivals when they launched, yet Apple quickly made amends. The original iPhone came without 3G, the iMac lacked a floppy drive, and it took Apple a few years to help the Apple Watch find its feet. All that is history now. Either Apple pivoted the device to meet demand, or the product’s inherent qualities overrode concerns about missing features.
The stakes are high when it comes to AI, but they were high with those other products too, especially the iPhone. As long as Apple doesn’t wait around too long, there’s still everything to play for.
Treading a fine line
And that’s the crux of the matter really. AI is moving at a phenomenal pace, and Apple can’t afford to drag its heels. But it should move fast in the name of innovation quality, not in the name of simply being first. That would be a hollow victory.
Ultimately, timing does matter, but not for the reasons you might think. “World’s first” is a meaningless accolade — there’s no point being first with an awful product that no one wants. That’s why I don’t care — and I’m sure Apple doesn’t care either — that the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge will launch six months before the iPhone 17 Air.
Apple’s philosophy of being the best is the right one and consumers are smart enough to recognize a good product when it comes around. But Apple can’t take too long to catch up on AI or its efforts will be for nothing. That’s the fine line the company has to tread.
