Interview

Apple's smartphone superiority 'no longer obvious', says Drag Racing dev Creative Mobile

CEO Funtikov reacts to Galaxy S4

Apple's smartphone superiority 'no longer obvious', says Drag Racing dev Creative Mobile
With Samsung having unveiled the Galaxy S4 to the world last week, the industry is currently digesting what impact it'll have on the market, and whether anything has really changed.

Is it simply more of the same, or does it have the capacity to eat into iPhone's all-conquering market share?

And with the likes of Sony and HTC having launched their own Android flagships recently, who holds the balance of power on Google's OS?

We decided to ask some of the platform's most notable developers for their view on all things Galaxy S4. Next up, Vladimir Funtikov – CEO of Drag Racing developer Creative Mobile:

Pocket Gamer: Broadly speaking, what did you make of the Galaxy S4 unveiling?

Vladimir Funtikov: I believe it's fair to say that the new model is evolutionary, which makes sense given how well Galaxy S III performed.

Samsung has updated hardware as well as software to 2013 standards while relying one the same selling points.

On a consumer level, how do you think Samsung is attempting to distinguish the Galaxy S4 from other Android handsets?

The new model is loaded with cool software features, and while the real value of many of these is questionable, it certainly helps the device stand out.

For the more geeky type, underlying hardware is an obvious wow-factor - 8 cores, 13MP rear camera - although superiority in this area usually doesn't last long.



The previous model won over many by providing very smooth user experience on a beautiful screen in a slim, lightweight body, further emphasised by the 'natural' theme of the UI, and the Galaxy S4 follows the same formula with improvements in every department.

On that note, the high-end Android market seems to be hotting up of late, with both the HTC One and Sony Xperia Z. How does the Galaxy S4 compare?

With a bunch of similarly specced hi-end smartphones available, I believe that most consumers will base their buying decisions on brand loyalty and which manufacturer does best at pitching their product.



Samsung has done remarkably well advertising the Galaxy S III, and is in a good position to continue selling lots of phones this year.

Should Apple be worried?

Apple should've been worried years ago, before Android became mainstream.

There's no doubt that Apple still produces excellent combinations of hardware and software, but its superiority is no longer obvious, and lawsuits are not likely to change this.

What opportunities does it present for developers?

From a developer's perspective, any high-end device is good news, as it allows us to create more impressive content and take on more ambitious tasks.

I'm not sure how beneficial the increase in number of CPU cores is for gaming apps, but even the previous chip was already a joy to develop for.

Multitasking should become smoother, it should manage background processes better, and I can't wait to see what the new GPU is capable of when tasked with rendering in full HD resolution.
Thanks to Vladimir for his time.

If you're an Android developer with views on Samsung's Galaxy S4, drop us a line at keith.andrew [at] pocketgamer.co.uk.

With a fine eye for detail, Keith Andrew is fuelled by strong coffee, Kylie Minogue and the shapely curve of a san serif font.