Samsung | The Adobo Chronicles

Silicon Valley, California – Three of the world’s largest manufacturers of smartphones – Samsung, Apple and Nokia — jointly announced today that they are eliminating the front-facing camera (FFC) feature in all their future products beginning this year.

FFCs are cameras on the front of smartphones and other mobile devices that enable users to take selfies and initiate two-way video chats.

The manufacturers reached this decision after a firestorm erupted on social (and other) media following the announcement by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) that it has officially classified taking selfies as a mental disorder. APA called it ‘selfitis.’

Speaking on behalf of the three manufacturers, Apple CEO Tim Cook said that “the mobile phone industry has a social responsibility to keep their products health conscious. We are more concerned about the health of our customers, more than the profits we generate from our gadgets.”

Meanwhile, the APA defended its use of the term ‘selfitis’ to describe the new mental disorder. Critics have pointed out that ‘itis’ indicates an inflammation, more than an addiction. APA said that it used the correct terminology because in so many ways, selfitis is an inflammation of the ego.

Suwon, Gyeonggi-do, South Korea – Samsung is living up to its advertising mantra of “The Next Big Thing Is Here,” and Apple is getting nervous. It’s out with the “thin and tiny,” and it’s in with the “big and bulky,” as far as smart phones are concerned.

South Korea’s giant electronics company has just unveiled the next generation of its popular Samsung S-4 which has always been considered the iPhone’s biggest competition. The competition just got bigger with Samsung’s new S-Triple X smart phone with a larger screen, high resolution camera and the convenience of a tablet that doubles as face cover for uninterrupted phone calls.

“There is nothing not to like about this new smart phone,” a spokesperson for Samsung told reporters at an electronics fair in Seoul. “No more squinting of the eyes to read tiny fonts, no more danger of misplacing phones, and no more need for a wireless, bluetooth-enabled keyboard.”

Samsung’s unveiling sent Apple executives back to the drawing board to redesign the company’s next series of iPhones. They have reportedly thrown out their idea of a mini mini-iPhone and have set their eyes on creating the iPhone XII which is about the size of the current iPad. Additionally, Apple sources say they will phase out the iPad since the iPhone XII will function both as a cell phone and a tablet.