Samsung Reminds Apple That It Released Gold Smartphones First

When competing for the global smartphone crown a company can't afford to allow its competitors, or the general public, to detect any lack of confidence in its own wares. But on Friday, Apple's chief rival, Samsung, blinked. In a message posted to the company's blog, Samsung indirectly acknowledged the popularity of Apple's new gold iPhone 5S by posting a kind of "us too" gallery of all the phones it has offered in gold.

SEE ALSO: Samsung Announces Gold Galaxy S4

Marked as an editorial, the post states, "Everybody loves gold, which is why we sometimes make phones in that color. (Or sometimes even with actual gold for the body!) See below to check out some of the phones we've released in gold in the past…"

The blog post was likely crafted in response to voices on social media channels like Twitter that took Samsung to task for claiming (indirectly) earlier in the week that it had a gold smartphone on the market before the iPhone.

On Sept. 26, on the official Samsung Mobile Arabia Twitter feed, the company posted the following tweet:

On 8th Sept 2013, the 1st Samsung #GalaxyS4 Gold Edition was already sold. The 8th comes before the 10th;) #8before10 pic.twitter.com/OyhVGuL26P

— SamsungMobileArabia (@SamsungMobileME) September 26, 2013

For those who haven't been keeping score, the iPhone 5S was released on Sept. 10, so Samsung's reference to that date appears to be an attempt to remind consumers that it offered a gold smartphone first.

The gallery embedded in the blog post showcases eight different gold Samsung phones including a special edition 2008 Beijing Olympic Games Phone, a 2007 Ocean's 13 model and even a flip-phone dating all the way back to 2004.

But for many commenters chiming in on Twitter, and even on Samsung's own blog post, the entire gold affair appeared to be a defensive move to counter the excitement around the gold iPhone 5S.

Whether the tactic wins over Android fans looking for their own golden smartphone or not, what this small public relations episode indicates is that –- no matter the color, the number of features on either phone or global market share numbers –- Apple is still in the lead as a trendsetter, even as Samsung continues to close the gap.

1. 

   The Original iPhone

   Apple released the first iPhone in June 2007.

2. 

   Samsung BlackJack 2

   This is the smartphone Samsung was selling in 2007, the BlackJack 2.

3. 

   Samsung Galaxy S

   This is the Samsung Galaxy S, which debuted in 2010.

4. 

   The iPhone 3G

   Released in 2008, the iPhone 3G differed only slightly from its predecessor but had a slightly different back/side-housing.

5. 

   Samsung Showcase i500

   The Samsung Showcase i500 was released in 2011 and shares similarities with the form factor and aesthetic of the iPhone 3G.

6. 

   The iPhone 3GS

   Released in 2009, the iPhone 3GS looks identical to the iPhone 3G, but was significantly faster under the hood.

7. 

   Verizon Droid Charge

   Apple amended its lawsuit against Samsung to include the recently released Droid Charge in the list of infringing devices.

8. 

   Sprint Epic 4G

   Sprint's version of the Galaxy S was the only version to include a slide-out keyboard. Nevertheless, Apple still included the Epic 4G in its list of infringing devices.

9. 

   The Nexus S 4G

   Google's Nexus S and Nexus S 4G devices have a curved glass screen but also share a similar shape and icon layout as the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS series.

10. 

    Galaxy S Captivate

    The application bar in the TouchWiz interface in the Galaxy S Captivate from AT&T resembles Apple's iOS.

11. 

    Galaxy S 4G

    T-Mobile's Galaxy S 4G shares similarities with earlier iPhone devices.

12. 

    Galaxy S Vibrant

    T-Mobile's first Galaxy S device, the Vibrant, also shares a similar body style as the iPhone 3GS.

13. 

    iPhone 4

    Apple released the iPhone 4 in June 2010.

14. 

    Galaxy S II

    The well-reviewed Galaxy S II is starting to hit stores in Europe and Asia.

15. 

    AT&T Infuse 4G

    AT&T's Infuse 4G looks similar to the body style and button layout as the iPhone 4.

16. 

    The iPad

    The iPad was first released in March 2010 and managed to reboot the entire tablet PC market.

    The design, which many criticized as simply being an oversized iPod touch, was unlike any other tablet computer on the market.

17. 

    Galaxy Tab 4G

    Samsung's Galaxy Tab and Galaxy Tab 4G was originally released in a 7" form factor.

    Slower than expected sales convinced Samsung to reconsider its size strategy.

18. 

    iPad 2

    The iPad 2 was released in March 2011 and has managed to sell out in every market.

    Thinner than its predecessor, while still retaining the same beautiful screen, the devices is dominating the tablet market.

19. 

    Galaxy Tab 10.1

    Samsung went back to the drawing board and re-designed the Galaxy Tab 10.1 after showing it off at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in February 2011.

    The final version of the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is thin -- Samsung claims it's thinner than the iPad 2.

Image: Flickr, Fiona Thomson