APPLE TALK 2
Good evening, Synapse Circuit Readers. I hope that you are chilling out and having a wonderful evening!
Yes, I have been and am still getting feedback on my first Apple Talk article: APPLE TALK
There is one guy in particular who constantly tries to debunk an article of speculations and observations to no avail and now he has sent me a link to a Business Insider article entitled: It's Pretty Clear That Apple Is Winning The War With Samsung
Hmmmm... Let’s see...
#Apple #Samsung #Google #SteveJobs #TimCook #iPhone6 #iPhone6Phablet #GalaxyNote4 #GalaxyAlpha
APPLE WINNING THE WAR WITH SAMSUNG? REALLY?
Well, the article does seem biased in a negative way. What do I mean by that? What I mean is that a journalist should make an effort to look into his or her viewpoint. Is it honest? And most importantly, does it make sense to the reader? Most journalists these days seem to be writing for reasons other than informing the reader / consumer with balanced information. Journalists – if you can call them that – seem to be writing for their own vanity and for purposely misrepresenting the truth for the purpose of the parties they represent. I have written for magazines in my time and I can tell you that what I experienced made me want to write on my own. I try to be as balanced as I possibly can. I am also a consumer and I will be biased based on my consumption choices and not what advertisers tell me to say! You better believe it!
Let’s look at some of the article content...
The article states that Apple was right in its strategy with keeping its handset(s) expensive. Well, this doesn’t make real sense simply because at the time the iPhone was riding high! It was first out of the gate and it, rightfully, took the world by storm! However, as a technology enthusiast I didn’t go for the iPhone when first came out. As I have said before, I did not like that Adobe Flash was banned from Apple devices. I worked with Flash and was able to develop multimedia presentations that could run on an Android handset. I do not want to get into arguments about Flash being problematic for Apple as it worked fine on my PCs and Android handsets. If you want to read my opinions on Steve Jobs, his arguments about Flash, etc you ought to check out this iPDF: The Legacy of Steve Jobs
But back to the article...
I don’t think that Apple was right in keeping the iPhone expensive as they have a limited market; they – according to reports – have sold 150 million iPhone units in 2013. Again, we do not know if this is the iPhone 5S alone or a combination of 5S and 5C.
Now if you want to believe what the analysts say it may interest you to know that over 1 billion Android handsets have been sold in 2013. So, if the iPhone is so great why has it only sold just 150 million units? If Apple had created a different type of handset and put a competitive price on it then who knows how many more iPhone units would be sold? The article continues to state,
“While there were many (including people who work at Business Insider) shrieking that Apple was going to get knocked flat by Samsung and Android, it's looking increasingly like that's not going to happen...”
Er, hello? Anyone home?? 150 million vs. over 1 billion???
Obviously, the article is aimed at Samsung...
SAMSUNG HAS WON
OK, right... I am going to tell you why Samsung has won and will continue to win... Samsung have, as I have stated in another article, paved the way for Android almost singlehandedly and from the friction between Apple they have created the awesome Galaxy S range and the Galaxy Note. So, for me and many handset enthusiasts these phones are so much better than the iPhone. What??? Let’s reason...
The iPhone is a boring design and to be fair the Galaxy S design has become a little stale but at least you can see some design going on with Samsung. Let’s look at the Galaxy S2; this was major turning point for Samsung after Apple turned blue because the Galaxy S1 was a better handset than the initial iPhone. The Galaxy S2 showed of a beautiful slick and slim design that has caught the eye of many, many consumers. If you do not want to go by what the analysts say then how about what mobile phone vendors had said about the Galaxy S2? “The Galaxy S2 sells more than the iPhone...” Other vendors tell me, “The iPhone 4S is s**t!” OK! If he says so! This is me going round to the shops as a mystery shopper. These shop owners did and do not know that I write articles on tech! This is what they have said and most likely still say! I have been in shops where someone has come in to get an upgrade and the sales folk recommend a Samsung Galaxy S or Note over the iPhone. That is what I have witnessed and there is nothing that the Apple biased tech press can do about it!
If Apple has won then why are the tech media and iPhone fans alike (well the same thing) foaming at the mouth at the prospect of what they are now calling the iPhone 6L that features a larger screen? Notice that there is no talk / rumour of the iPhone 6C. Why is that? Was it a disaster? Did it cannibalise the 5S?
So, once again, if we are talking about handset design, Samsung has won that fight from the Galaxy S1 onwards.
As I have said in another article, Samsung, Apple and other well established manufacturers are facing the emerging Chinese manufacturers such as Xiaomi, Huawei, Oppo, OnePlus and ZTE to name a few! It could very well be that older iPhone models are sold to low-end of the market as stated in the article but I do not see it. Seriously, who would waste money on an old iPhone when you can pick up a first class Android handset for the same price or less?
Yes, Samsung has to fight more than two battles as stated in the article... Samsung has to continue to fight for the top spot with their Galaxy S and Note line of premium handsets. They also have to fight for the mid-range market while it is still there! I predict that there will be a blur between mid and lower ranges simply because Android is virulent! This year alone has seen so many Android handsets hitting the market that it is bewildering! Samsung has to reposition itself in this Android hurricane! I think Samsung may have been caught with its pants down! And there is no shame in that! The Android market can be likened to rapidly mutating organism that can’t be too easily pinned down. Samsung, HTC, LG and Apple have to anticipate and / or be the part of the next stage in the evolution and in that sense Apple is still behind in the game. I told you: Consumers want the future yesterday when it comes to the smarptphone or indeed any technology! But look at how fast Samsung gets a product to the marketplace; the Galaxy Alpha was released into the marketplace with no fanfare... BOOM! THERE IT IS! If Samsung is experiencing a setback it is temporary! The Galaxy Note 4 will be announced very, very soon and it could be massive! I think this is what the smartphone consumer is waiting for...
See Samsung Talk:-
UNPACKED EPISODE 2
METAL GURU
It is reported in other tech media that Samsung is selling more than any other manufacturer including Apple, so what source do you believe? I personally take reports with a pinch of salt.
A NO BRAINER?
The same Business Insider article states that “...iOS, the best mobile operating system in the world...” Oh my goodness!!! If that was true wouldn’t it be the dominant mobile phone operating system in the world? There again just because Android takes 85% of the world smartphone sales it does not mean to say that it is the best. However, I have used iOS and while I can see that it is very responsive I prefer Android. I have already stated why I think Android is better and if you haven’t read those articles let me quickly fill you in:
1. Sharing media is so easy. I select a picture, for example, and I can share it one or two steps. I can copy web pages and share in the same easy fashion. I could not do that with iOS 7.
2. There is not much difference between Ice Cream Sandwich and Jelly Bean and if, let’s say, I have a handset whereby I cannot upgrade to the latest version of Android I am able to use apps to give me a similar experience of the latest version. Or I can root it and install a purer custom Android ROM. Old iPhone handsets may not be able to receive upgrades and I believe that Siri is an impossibility on some older models.
3. I can customize Android to suit my taste / user experience.
What is so funny about the Business Insider statement is that iOS takes so much from Android that it’s not looking like the original iOS anymore.
THE CAT
The cat is out of the bag and amongst the pigeons! I think this is great time for Samsung, Apple and other manufacturers to be more inventive with the awakening of hungry manufacturers in China. Google’s Hugo Barra didn’t go to China just because of the food! Lol! Uh-uh! When I learned that Hugo Barra was going to work with Xiaomi I knew that it was part of the Android domination plan and it is obviously working!
Watch out for Lenovo / Motorola! Watch out for the Nexus 6! Watch out for Android Lollipop Lime Lemondrop as it will present other mobile operating systems with a bigger challenge than ever before! Also, watch out for the 64-bit processor for Android as I am sure this will create new handsets and lower the price even more for non-64-bit handsets!
We will see how Apple fares come 2015!
TABLETS:
THE ANDROID EFFECT
I don’t think Apple will be prepared for the sales of the iPad to drop even further come Christmas 2014! There is speculation over new iPad models this year and they do look quite interesting – especially the non-reflective coating! As always, iPad sales will come from the well off in the pocket! But this Christmas it will be Android tablets flying off the shelves!
What is happening in today’s Android tablet is the following:-
1. New tablets are coming out with mobile broadband (3G / 4G) built into them and they are coming in at a cheaper cost to the consumer which means...
2. Yesteryear’s tablets are going to come down greatly in price as retail outlets need to restock with the latest tablets.
3. The Android applications for tablets are constantly improving. Like I have said before: How many of the same kind of app do you need at any one time? Yes, the iPad has many of the same type of app for let’s say music, how many music creation apps do you need at any one time? I think that Android has some of the best music creation apps going. You only need one or two at the most!
And what makes the Android tablet an attractive proposition is that there are many to suit your requirements from professional productivity i.e. Samsung Galaxy Tab S and ASUS Transformer Pad. Then you have tablets aimed at the games market. And from there one can get a generic tablet that can still perform many of the above tasks such as productivity, games and so on for under £100! Apple just can’t beat it! All Apple can do is to continue to make the iPad something of a niche; a niche that could decrease dramatically this year. Who really knows? There are enough Apple fan boys and girls to keep Apple a lucrative business, surely?
That’s something to think about!
THANKS FOR READING...
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