Apple and LG disparage Samsung as Galaxy S4 announcement nears

Samsung will unveil the Galaxy S4 smartphone at an event in New York on Thursday afternoon, but Apple and LG are trying to spoil the show before it even starts.

Apple, in a rare move, spoke with the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg to bad mouth Android, the operating system used by Samsung. Apple marketing chief Phil Schiller called Android a fragmented operating system and said that Apple’s research has shown more people leave Android for the iPhone than the other way around.

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“Android is often given as a free replacement for a feature phone, and the experience isn’t as good as an iPhone,” he said.

Meanwhile, LG is mocking Samsung’s marketing of the Galaxy S4. In New York’s Times Square, for example, Samsung has black and white ads with a large “4” in the middle that say “Be ready 4 the next Galaxy.” But right above those ads are two LG posters made in an extremely similar style, also with “4” in the middle, that say “LG Optimus G is here 4 you now!” The LG ads tout the company’s own flagship smartphone.

Samsung will announce what is expected to be its flagship phone Thursday afternoon at 4 p.m. PDT.

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