When industry giant Apple held its Sept. 9 event, it was expected that it will be unveiling its new flagship products for the iPhone and iPad lineups. The company did not disappoint. Other than two new handsets and the professional-level hybrid tablet iPad Pro, Apple also announced a new service for the legions of iPhone fans – the iPhone Upgrade Program.
Now, it seems that another industry giant – South Korea-based Samsung – will be taking a page off Apple's newest service.
Samsung is reportedly cooking up its own take on the smartphone upgrade initiative. According to ComputerWorld, the upgrade program will be another avenue for a healthy competition between the two smartphone giants.
The website quoted Recon Analytics' Roger Entner as saying, "If Apple does it, then it must be good enough for Samsung."
The analyst added that Samsung will have no choice but to come up with its own upgrade initiative or some other type of user rewards program in order to contend in the same arena.
"The two companies are in an intense fight and Samsung cannot let Apple have a leg up on just about anything," Entner said.
However, Samsung did not confirm nor deny the speculations, and a spokesperson said to ComputerWorld that the company "continuously evaluates trends and assesses business growth opportunities.... We remain committed to growing our mobile business in the U.S."
However, subtle hints show the South Korea-based company's possible plans for the future. According to Forbes, an industry executive with insider knowledge of the company's plans pointed out that Samsung is already in its planning stages for its own upgrade program, and will be launching the initiative in the coming months.
Apple's iPhone Upgrade Program works as a combination of a rewards initiative for hardcore iPhone fans and enticement for those who are planning to switch to the iPhone. Under the program, users will only have to shell out a minimal amount for the iPhone of their choice, with an option to upgrade to a newer version after 12 months.
