iPhone users can get Samsung Galaxy experience with wild new app — here's how
Samsung's iTest app even sends calls and texts to your iPhone
The Samsung Galaxy smartphone experience can now be sampled on iPhones, thanks to a new Samsung app called iTest. The Korean-based tech giant is hoping to seduce iOS users to the "other side."
iTest is an interactive app that brings the smooth and intuitive Samsung Galaxy user interface to iPhones alongside familiar Samsung-branded apps such as Galaxy Store, Galaxy Wearable, Galaxy Themes, Samsung Health, Smart Switch and more.
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Transform your iPhone into a Samsung Galaxy with new iTest app
The iTest website lures iOS users to scan a QR code, which then prompts them to go through a series of easy steps to download the Samsung iTest app on their iPhone. Once it's installed, users can tap on the app, which triggers a series of provocative introductory messages, including "You're about to get a little taste of Samsung without changing phones. Watch out for text messages with hints on the best stuff to check out."
After the introduction, iOS users can experience the Samsung Galaxy interface in all of its glory. I experimented with the iTest app on my iPhone SE 2, and I could scroll through apps such as Settings, Email, Samsung Kids, Samsung Health and Galaxy Wearable, however, some of these apps are just simulations and don't have any real functionality. For example, clicking on the Samsung Health app shows faux stats of the number of steps I've walked and how many calories I've consumed, but I can't really do much with the app besides scroll through it.
After five minutes of using the Samsung iTest app, I was startled by a phone call by someone named "Sam." I picked up, and it was a canned voice recording from a woman with a thick Australian accent. I'm paraphrasing, but Sam told me that I should feel free to explore the many fun features the iTest app has to offer and I shouldn't be afraid to jump ship to the other side.
I also received texts on the iTest app. I received hilarious messages from a fake friend who's apparently a parent — it seems like their daughter has gotten a hold of their phone and she's sending poorly framed selfies of herself to me with a bunch of gibberish texts.
iTest users will also enjoy the Camera app, which features videos of all the cool camera modes one can explore on a Samsung Galaxy phone. I could even change the background of my Samsung Galaxy simulation via the Galaxy Themes app.
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Samsung is currently marketing this experience in New Zealand, but anyone can try out the iTest app here.
h/t MacRumors
Kimberly Gedeon, holding a Master's degree in International Journalism, launched her career as a journalist for MadameNoire's business beat in 2013. She loved translating stuffy stories about the economy, personal finance and investing into digestible, easy-to-understand, entertaining stories for young women of color. During her time on the business beat, she discovered her passion for tech as she dove into articles about tech entrepreneurship, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) and the latest tablets. After eight years of freelancing, dabbling in a myriad of beats, she's finally found a home at Laptop Mag that accepts her as the crypto-addicted, virtual reality-loving, investing-focused, tech-fascinated nerd she is. Woot!