With the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S4 only days away it’s perhaps unsurprising that tipsters chose now to leak pictures of the forthcoming and much-anticipated flagship. The immediate reaction from many will be one of suspicion, which isn’t entirely unjustified, but I'm actually hoping that this wariness is proved correct - that they aren’t the real deal.
The most prominent reason for this speaks for itself: a good chunk of those nay-sayers have said they doubt the authenticity of the leaks because they pretty much look like a Galaxy S3 which has been tweaked to look a bit bigger with fake interface mock-ups layered on top.
If it is real, the fact that this lack of distinction can be made is a real problem. In short, it’s not different enough.
Negative reaction to Apple’s iPhone 4S and iPhone 5 in terms of a lack of variation from earlier models, proves that the modern consumer wants to see each new device iteration as a distinct and unique addition.
Call it vanity, or whatever you will, but premium phone buyers don’t want people on the street to mistake their latest expensive upgrade for last year’s tech. It won’t do.
Not only is the lack of change bad from a perspective of product evolution in the eyes of consumers, but it’s also bad in the context that Samsung is failing to deliver the changes users and critics actually want. The things people have actually asked for.
If you look at reviews of the Galaxy S3, from consumer to professional critic, consistently you’ll find people impressed by the overall package and willing to overlook its pitfalls. But those pitfalls do register, and the big one is that this is a premium price tag phone with a body which feels distinctly budget. Samsung’s wilful ignorance of the consumer desire for something that feels as good as it looks at this price point is pretty appalling.
Likewise, current rumours and leaked evidence would indicate that in terms of software changes Samsung is adding small, complex and frankly unnecessary features no-one has previously expressed any interest in. Smart scroll? Really? I can’t remember ever hearing anyone say they wish they could scroll a web page with their eyes.
The refusal to introduce requested features and the focus on superfluous, irrelevant features no-one asked for is not going to send the company to good places. It smacks of Apple’s historic ‘you’ll get what we say is best’ attitude and is supremely self-indulgent.
And yet, something tells me it will still pay off.
Comparisons to Apple aren’t only skin deep. In many ways, Samsung has taken over from the Cupertino-based iPhone giant in terms of business practices and behaviours, as well as popularity and product positioning.
Despite losing market share, Apple still has plenty, meaning it hasn’t got past the stage of ‘building it and they will come’, of churning out a similar product and selling millions purely on the name, ignoring the need to advance. However, at least Apple has the decency to make its phones out of aluminium if it will charge so much for its clones.
Samsung has increased its status to the point where it can probably do the same, and what's worse is it’s only just got on the gravy train – eager to exploit the popularity with minimal effort for as long as it can be milked.
I know I've made this argument plenty of times before, perhaps it's becoming tired, but fundamentally it's a question of value for money. Samsung seems to think that even though its competitors are all offering premium builds it doesn't have to, but it can still charge the same for its devices because the internal hardware is good and it's added some fancy new layer of eye-tracking tech.
This is wrong. Nobody would buy a Ferrari if it was made out of tin foil just because of the name, and the company would rightly go bust.
For the record, I don't object to phones being made with Samsung's level of external build quality - they have their place. They're just not worth £500 any way you slice it.
by pbriden via Featured Articles
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