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Apple ’s ( AAPL ) rivals aim to get a jump on the upcoming iPhone 7 at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, strutting out new smartphones with some of the features that have been linked to Apple’s plans. “We find the improvements in rival smartphones — better display, slimmer camera modules, dual cameras, waterproofing, more (memory) and high-speed charging — a preview of the fall iPhone 7 launch,” Jeffrey Kvaal, a Nomura Securities analyst, said in a research report. The iPhone 7 has been rumored to feature waterproofing for the first time. Apple does not officially take part at the MWC, but the company casts “a lengthy shadow” nonetheless, Kvaal added. Samsung on Sunday rolled out the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge. The handsets boast sleek designs with advanced camera features, water resistance and external memory. Sony ’s ( SNE ) Xperia X Performance also features waterproofing. At Citigroup, analyst Jim Suva wrote: “While Apple does not participate in MWC, there was no lack of apps, software, and hardware support for the iPhone. We were surprised that even Apple’s largest competitors commented that Apple is likely working on some very innovative and easy to use future enhancements. Thus the rush to launch competing products before Apple’s big September launch.” According to another Citigroup report, based on observations at the MWC, dual cameras also are becoming a standard feature. LG’s G5 and the ZTE Axon Elite are expected to feature dual cameras as well as new devices from Huawei and Xiaomi, says Citigroup. Apple’s rivals, though, are still playing catch-up in fingerprint security technology, such as its pressure-sensitive “Force Touch” display, which uses technology known as “haptic feedback.” Citigroup forecasts that 19% of smartphones will use haptic technology in 2016 and 25% in 2017. Scalper1 News
Scalper1 News