iPhone 6 Vs. Galaxy Note 4: Apple Up For An Easy Win Over Samsung’s ‘Half-Baked’ Show, Analyst Says

Samsung Electronics Co Ltd (KRX:005930), which unveiled several new products earlier this week, including the next-generation Galaxy Note 4, has been at the receiving end of a put-down by an analyst who believes Apple Inc.’s (NASDAQ:AAPL) upcoming product lineup can easily upstage the South Korean electronics giant.

On Wednesday, the unveiling of the Galaxy Note 4 was accompanied by the announcement of a Gear S smartwatch, the new Galaxy Note Edge handset with curved display, and a Gear VR partnership with Oculus Innovative Sciences Inc. (NASDAQ:OCLS). But, all of these announcements were described as “underwhelming,” “rushed” and “half-baked” by Brian White, an analyst at Cantor Fitzgerald, who said that Samsung looked desperate to garner buzz for its products before Apple unwraps its latest gizmos at an event on Sept. 9.

“In our view, this strategy was ill-advised because we found the event 'half baked' with no details around the price points, launch dates a bit fuzzy, limited technical specifications, and 'gimmicky' features,” White said in a note, obtained by Apple Insider. “With the potential threat of this event now out of the way, we believe this just made Apple's 'Fab Fall' launch a lot easier because the company's #1 competitor does not appear well prepared to take on Apple's new iPhones this fall.”

Next week, Apple is expected to reveal a larger “iPhone 6” and the company’s first wearable device, dubbed the “iWatch.” And, rumors have suggested over the past few months that Apple could release two larger iPhone 6 versions, featuring 4.7-inch and 5.5-inch screens, with the latter marking the company’s entry into the so-called “phablet” segment, which is currently dominated by Samsung’s Galaxy Note series.

However, White expects the 5.5-inch version, presumably called the “iPhone 6L,” to give the Galaxy Note series a run for its money. Samsung’s latest Galaxy Note 4, which features a 5.7-inch Super AMOLED display with 2560x1440 pixels and an improved 16-megapixel rear camera, is likely to be released this fall.

The larger iPhone 6 could further hurt Samsung if Apple releases the device before the Galaxy Note 4 hits stores. Although Sept. 19 has been rumored as the likely release date for the new iPhone 6 models, some earlier reports have also suggested that the device's sale could be slightly delayed due to production issues.

Samsung has said the Galaxy Note 4 would be available starting in October, while Dutch tech website Galaxy Club reported Thursday that the device would be available with carriers in the Netherlands on Oct. 10, which is also expected to be the launch date for the new handset in the U.S., Europe, Asia and other major markets.