Skip to main content

Cyanogen CEO predicts doom for Samsung, Apple

Apple is terrified of Samsung
Image used with permission by copyright holder
Samsung recently announced the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge smartphones, which took home our Top Tech award for best smartphone of MWC 2015. So what, says Cyanogen CEO Kirt McMaster? Samsung’s going to need to do more than that to stay afloat, the tech mogul mused.

In a recent interview with Business Insider, McMaster talks about low-budget devices from companies like Xiaomi and Micromax and their ability to diminish the market shares of today’s top companies, such as Samsung and Apple, over the next 3 to 5 years.

“They’re going to be slaughtered.”

“The tier-one OEMs like Samsung are going to be the next generation of Nokias in the next five years,” said McMaster. “They’re going to be slaughtered. We think long term Apple itself will have problems because they’re just not good at competing at the low end.”

When Business Insider asked McMaster whether he truly believes Samsung will sink in five years, McMaster said the possibility does exist.

“It could get pretty bad pretty quick,” said McMaster. The Cyanogen CEO brought up two companies that crashed and burned: Research in Motion, now BlackBerry, and Nokia. The former is a company that’s struggling to stay relevant in the smartphone space, while the latter’s devices and services division was sold to Microsoft[/internal-link] in April of last year.

McMaster also brought up Micromax, which took Samsung’s place as the top smartphone maker in India and how the company managed to do that in a span of just eight months. “We see this happen all over the world,” said McMaster.

McMaster’s argument seems more valid for Samsung than Apple; the Korean giant has indeed struggled as of late, particularly in the budget space. Looking at Apple, things seem rosier, as the company recently reported record profits[/internal-link]. The possibility always exists for companies to tank, but Samsung and Apple, at least on the outside, seem like two companies savvy enough to navigate the waters.

Editors' Recommendations

Williams Pelegrin
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Williams is an avid New York Yankees fan, speaks Spanish, resides in Colorado, and has an affinity for Frosted Flakes. Send…
Look who just replaced Samsung as king of the global smartphone market
The Apple iPhone 15 Pro Max and the Samsung Galaxy S23 Ultra's cameras.

Samsung has been sitting pretty at the top of the global smartphone market for more than a decade. Until now, that is.

Data released this week by research firm IDC shows that the Korean tech giant has been knocked off its perch by archrival Apple thanks in part to robust sales of the iPhone.

Read more
Apple CEO Tim Cook’s earnings fell by $36M in 2023
Apple CEO, Tim Cook, stands on stage at the September 2021 Fall Apple Event.

Apple compensated its CEO to the tune of $63.2 million in 2023, down from $99.4 million a year earlier.

The data was revealed in an Apple proxy statement released on Thursday.

Read more
Why 2023 was such a special year for Android phones
OnePlus 11 in hand with Pixel 8 Pro and iPhone 15 Pro in the background.

When I review phones, I consider the design, display, performance, cameras, software, and battery life from my experience with the device. A flagship phone needs to be great in at least one parameter and above average in others. But if it’s below average in at least one department (which many 2022 flagships were), it’s a bad phone.

But you know what? That didn't really happen in 2023.
2023 Android phones had one thing in common

Read more