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🌞 Good morning! Last day at home before I head out to Barcelona for MWC. Think I’ll take the Nintendo Switch along so I can make more headway in Metroid Prime Remastered. Anyway, we’ve got a few highlights in the newsletter today, such as One UI versus iOS and a pricey Studio Ghibli collectable.
One UI 5.1, inspired by Apple
Android Authority colleague Dhruv Bhutani recently penned an article drawing comparisons between Samsung’s One UI 5.1 and Apple’s iOS 16. He also set out to find whether Samsung actually did a better job, using the Galaxy S23 Ultra and iPhone 14 Pro.
Where Samsung does it better
- Dhruv specifically pointed to a few areas where Samsung did better than Apple with its software.
- For one, he points to One UI 5.1’s more robust lock screen options compared to iOS 16.
- He also noted that Samsung offers lock screen notification customization, which Apple lacks.
- There’s video wallpaper support on One UI as well, which is missing entirely from iOS.
- Finally, Dhruv felt that Samsung’s Bixby Routines feature was easier to implement than Siri Shortcuts.
Where Apple excels
- For starters, Dhruv felt that iOS 16 beat One UI 5.1 when it came to lock screen widget designs and variety.
- “Samsung’s surprisingly rigid system is in stark contrast to Apple’s rare, liberal approach to lock screen personalization,” he opined.
- Dhruv also noted that One UI 5.1’s stacked widgets aren’t as smart as Apple’s take.
- One UI 5.1 gained the ability to cut out subjects/objects from a photo, much like iOS too.
- However, our writer felt that the Samsung version wasn’t as accurate as the iOS cutouts.
- Finally, he felt that while Bixby Routines was easier to use, Siri Shortcuts was more powerful.
So who does it better?
- “If you’d asked me a few years ago, I’d never have guessed that Apple would have a fairly robust system of customization in place on the iPhone, but here we are.”
- However, Dhruv called One UI the winner here.
- “One UI clearly takes a lot of inspiration from iOS, but usually does it just as good, if not better.”
- Still, you really can’t go wrong with either platform at this point. Android OEMs, Android itself, and iOS frequently trade features with each other.
- Either way, you can take a look at our iPhone buyer’s guide or our Samsung buyer’s guide if you’re keen to upgrade.
Roundup
🏋️ Google’s Pixel Fold could be surprisingly heavy compared to other foldables (Android Authority).
🤳 Huge cover display could appear on Galaxy Z Flip 5, much larger than Find N2 Flip’s (Android Authority).
📱 Samsung says that weird thing on the Galaxy S23 Ultra’s display is not a defect (Android Authority).
📺 Amazon hamstrings free app that makes Fire TV remotes reprogrammable: Seems like the company wants you to spend $35 on a remote with programmable keys instead (Ars Technica).
💰 You don’t want to know how much someone paid for this unopened OG iPhone (Android Authority).
🚘 The latest Gran Turismo 7 update is a hefty one: New additions include VR mode for PSVR 2, the superhuman Sophy racing AI, and the classic Grand Valley Speedway track (PlayStation Blog).
📞 Your new Galaxy S23 is already getting its first update (Android Authority).
📶 This Raspberry Pi device could let you make a private 5G network on the go (Android Authority).
🤖 AI forgeries are messing with the sci-fi world: Sci-fi magazine Clarkesworld is halting submissions as it turns out many were written by AI (Kotaku).
Tuesday Thing
Studio Ghibli movies are among the most iconic animated films of all time, and there’s no shortage of merchandise on offer. Now, the studio has teamed up with Japanese craft company Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten to produce a variety of new products (h/t: SoraNews24).
One of the standout products is a small wooden Totoro statue (seen above), priced at ~$2,455. There are also plates, vases, T-shirts, dish towels, and more.
Have a great day!
Hadlee Simons, Editor
