Samsung NZ launches iTest to give iPhone users a taste of Android

Samsung's iTest being used on an iPhone 12 Pro.
Samsung's iTest being used on an iPhone 12 Pro. Photo credit: Newshub.

A cheeky app created by a team of New Zealanders trying to lure iPhone users over to Android by giving them a taste of "the other side" is gathering international attention.

iTest is a web app unveiled last week by Samsung NZ people can load onto their Apple phones.

It mimics the operating system of a Galaxy device, allowing users to sample the basic navigation, look and feel of Android on their iPhone. It's a preview of how Samsung phone customers take and make calls, text, access settings and the Galaxy Store, change their phone's theme and so on.

"We wanted to offer Kiwis the chance to experience a taste of Samsung before actually making the jump to a new phone," says John Alexander, a marketing manager at Samsung NZ.

"Switching operating systems when getting a new phone is a real barrier for New Zealanders, with the perception of trying something different often putting people off from trying something new.

"We'd hoped people have a go and see that making the switch to the Samsung operating system isn't that difficult at all and is actually pretty easy to get used to. Beyond our expectations, since quietly launching locally last week, iTest has gained an astonishing amount of traction across the globe."

Not available through the App Store, iTest can be accessed via itest.nz, where iPhone customers are asked to scan a QR code and load the app onto their device.

Amongst the preview content it contains is a Galaxy camera tutorial by Kiwi plumber and photographer Logan Dodds.

In Aotearoa, Apple and Samsung have jostled back and forth for the number one top-selling mobile brand in the country for several years, with Oppo claiming the third spot in 2020.

The latest move from Samsung has been reported on by international outlets including Gizmodo, Endgadget, PC World Australia and Yahoo.

Samsung NZ told Newshub by Monday afternoon iTest had recorded 2.2 million site visits.

Apple has not commented publicly on iTest.