🍎 Where have we seen One UI 5.1 before?

🌞 Good morning! Last day at home before I head out to Barcelona for MWC. Think I’ll take the Nintendo Switch along so I can make more headway in Metroid Prime Remastered. Anyway, we’ve got a few highlights in the newsletter today, such as One UI versus iOS and a pricey Studio Ghibli collectable.

Where Samsung does it better

• Dhruv specifically pointed to a few areas where Samsung did better than Apple with its software.
• For one, he points to One UI 5.1’s more robust lock screen options compared to iOS 16.
• He also noted that Samsung offers lock screen notification customization, which Apple lacks.
• There’s video wallpaper support on One UI as well, which is missing entirely from iOS.
• Finally, Dhruv felt that Samsung’s Bixby Routines feature was easier to implement than Siri Shortcuts.

Where Apple excels

• For starters, Dhruv felt that iOS 16 beat One UI 5.1 when it came to lock screen widget designs and variety.
• “Samsung’s surprisingly rigid system is in stark contrast to Apple’s rare, liberal approach to lock screen personalization,” he opined.
• Dhruv also noted that One UI 5.1’s stacked widgets aren’t as smart as Apple’s take.
• One UI 5.1 gained the ability to cut out subjects/objects from a photo, much like iOS too.
• However, our writer felt that the Samsung version wasn’t as accurate as the iOS cutouts.
• Finally, he felt that while Bixby Routines was easier to use, Siri Shortcuts was more powerful.

So who does it better?

• “If you’d asked me a few years ago, I’d never have guessed that Apple would have a fairly robust system of customization in place on the iPhone, but here we are.”
• However, Dhruv called One UI the winner here.
• “One UI clearly takes a lot of inspiration from iOS, but usually does it just as good, if not better.”
• Still, you really can’t go wrong with either platform at this point. Android OEMs, Android itself, and iOS frequently trade features with each other.
• Either way, you can take a look at our iPhone buyer’s guide or our Samsung buyer’s guide if you’re keen to upgrade.

Studio Ghibli movies are among the most iconic animated films of all time, and there’s no shortage of merchandise on offer. Now, the studio has teamed up with Japanese craft company Nakagawa Masashichi Shoten to produce a variety of new products (h/t: SoraNews24).

One of the standout products is a small wooden Totoro statue (seen above), priced at ~$2,455. There are also plates, vases, T-shirts, dish towels, and more.

Have a great day!
Hadlee Simons, Editor