Samsung in Decline - Galaxy Tab S General

We all hear the stories of Samsung losing market share across the board, I used to defend them to the naysayers until I purchased this latest flagship tablet of theirs, I have never seen anything so under supported and locked down so developers can't do anything with it. For the first time in years I will not upgrade my phone to another Samsung, buy one in China and its even worse with the embedded spyware installed in the bootloader and modem, replace either component or the kernel and you have a wifi boat anchor.

lorinkundert said:
We all hear the stories of Samsung losing market share across the board, I used to defend them to the naysayers until I purchased this latest flagship tablet of theirs, I have never seen anything so under supported and locked down so developers can't do anything with it. For the first time in years I will not upgrade my phone to another Samsung, buy one in China and its even worse with the embedded spyware installed in the bootloader and modem, replace either component or the kernel and you have a wifi boat anchor.
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Click to collapse
Having seen the rumours about the S6 - I would say they have had a turnaround in mindset and we are looking forward to an amazing future. The Tab S is going to get Lollipop in the next month, which is a massive improvement over Kitkat.
The less bloated vision for the future will mean quicker updates also.

Under supported and locked down, how did you come to that conclusion?
Firstly Samsung are good enough to leave the boot loader unlocked which basically opens the door for development and saves a massive headache.
Irrespective of knox which is a manufacturers prerogative to include. It doesn't hinder development, it's just Samsung's mechanism of knowing if the device has been tampered with.
Already there are custom kernels, roms and recoveries and plenty going on regarding such things.
Where's the lack of support unless you refer to Samsung themselves?
Sent from my HTC One_M8 using XDA Free mobile app

I am a hard core Android advocate but like you, I have tended to steer clear of Samsung lately. I think Samsung has become the "Apple" of the Android market. That in itself isn't necessarily a bad thing per se. If you want a device that just works and you don't do much tinkering or customizing then its great for you. However, if you are all in on Android as a platform and don't want to feel tethered to a particular ecosystem then Samsung may not be your best choice.
They put in a number of measures to ensure you can't customize your device too much (aside from installing a new launcher). But I don't want all of the bloatware and want to have the option to uninstall it and save the space on my device without having to go through the heart stopping process of rooting my device and hoping I don't eff it up.
I think people have started to learn this as well which has resulted in Samsung losing a step. That and the fact that the other manufacturers (LG, Moto, etc) have caught up and actually making better devices IMO. Samsung can't just rely on their brand name anymore like they could a couple of years ago.
If Samsung does have this change in mindset regarding their Android devices that's great but I'll believe it when I see it and it may be too little too late. The damage may be done and the best they could hope for is stop the leaky bucket of customers leaving but not really gain much market share.
Of course all of this is my own personal opinion and no one asked me directly for my opinion so please make your own decisions and do your own research. There's no replacement for making your own informed decision based on your own specific needs.

They still sell a huge number of phones, and a huge number of other components. Might possibly be making OLED screens for iphones soon.
In any case they had a year of less than expected profits rather than losses so I dont expect to see them in decline really.

In decline? Hardly
First off don't be so U.S. Centric. Apple is #1 in market share in the US but it is the only game in town if you want iOS. Samsung, while "only" #2 is still by far the biggest Android supplier. But all that is only in the US. Looking globally, Samsung destroys #2 Apple by two to one. Android destroys iOS by 84.4% to 11.7%. A lot of this is because outside the US the market for flagship phones is a lot smaller and the low end to mid range rules the market.
See: http://www.idc.com/prodserv/smartphone-os-market-share.jsp
Here is another one that shows by country market share for the US and the EU countries:
https://gigaom.com/2015/02/04/android-and-ios-are-nearly-tied-for-u-s-smartphone-market-share/
Once again outside the US Android destroys iOS in market share. My theory is the whole carrier subsidized phone phenomenon we have here in the US disguises the actual cost of a phone so you really have to do your math to figure out how much you are actually paying. In other countries where they have to pay up front for the phone, cost matters. I'm guessing those folks are not generally buying the flagship Android phones but going for more affordable options. Apple doesn't really compete at the low end.
So Samsung is well positioned to compete globally. So the idea that its "in decline" isn't really true. Also remember that Samsung is a major supplier of components to other manufacturers including Apple.

ratman6161 said:
First off don't be so U.S. Centric. Apple is #1 in market share in the US but it is the only game in town if you want iOS. Samsung, while "only" #2 is still by far the biggest Android supplier. But all that is only in the US. Looking globally, Samsung destroys #2 Apple by two to one. Android destroys iOS by 84.4% to 11.7%. A lot of this is because outside the US the market for flagship phones is a lot smaller and the low end to mid range rules the market.
See: http://www.idc.com/prodserv/smartphone-os-market-share.jsp
Here is another one that shows by country market share for the US and the EU countries:
https://gigaom.com/2015/02/04/android-and-ios-are-nearly-tied-for-u-s-smartphone-market-share/
Once again outside the US Android destroys iOS in market share. My theory is the whole carrier subsidized phone phenomenon we have here in the US disguises the actual cost of a phone so you really have to do your math to figure out how much you are actually paying. In other countries where they have to pay up front for the phone, cost matters. I'm guessing those folks are not generally buying the flagship Android phones but going for more affordable options. Apple doesn't really compete at the low end.
So Samsung is well positioned to compete globally. So the idea that its "in decline" isn't really true. Also remember that Samsung is a major supplier of components to other manufacturers including Apple.
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No they are not. Samsung is losing grounds in both China and India, two of the biggest country (population wise) in the world. Samsung is steadily losing sales on mid to low end phones, which is where Android reign supremacy. It's hard for Samsung to compete when their competitors are willing to sell their phones at just 1.8% profit margin (Xiaomi - 1.7%. Samsung - 18.7%. Apple - 28.7 %).

snapper.fishes said:
No they are not. Samsung is losing grounds in both China and India, two of the biggest country (population wise) in the world. Samsung is steadily losing sales on mid to low end phones, which is where Android reign supremacy. It's hard for Samsung to compete when their competitors are willing to sell their phones at just 1.8% profit margin (Xiaomi - 1.7%. Samsung - 18.7%. Apple - 28.7 %).
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Click to collapse
If you have any business education at all, you would know that any company selling at a 1.7% margin won't be around very long. I wouldn't worry about those type of companies taking anything away from Samsung. If anything, their sub-par product will only drive these "new" low-end to mid-tier users to splurge for a better phone on their next purchase.
Samsung isn't going anywhere, and they are more diversified than most companies. That's why they can sell at an 18.7% margin.. because you need a minimum of ~23% overall company margin to maintain growth.

ingenious247 said:
If you have any business education at all, you would know that any company selling at a 1.7% margin won't be around very long. I wouldn't worry about those type of companies taking anything away from Samsung. If anything, their sub-par product will only drive these "new" low-end to mid-tier users to splurge for a better phone on their next purchase.
Samsung isn't going anywhere, and they are more diversified than most companies. That's why they can sell at an 18.7% margin.. because you need a minimum of ~23% overall company margin to maintain growth.
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I am very well aware that Xiaomi's low profit strategy is not sustainable in the long term, and that they will eventually have to change their strategy or collapse. The problem however, is that their product isn't subpar. I personally know people who use their products, and the quality is actually on par with high end android phones. Xiaomi is waging a price war against Samsung in China, and no matter who wins, everyone loses.

Related

Apple is so scared he he

http://gizmodo.com/5536898/apple-hits-back-at-claims-of-androids-larger-sales
fools
Glad to know
They should be!
They are going down..................
They are starting to rott at this very moment!
Yeah the latest comments from Cupertino always hit the I'm With Adobe FB group and we laughed hysterically when this one came around.
Denial, much?
You guys crack me up, Are " you " in denial much ?
Apple makes ONE phone yes ONe, One, oNe, yes 1 phone. In the 1Q they cornered 7 percent of the market with a year old phone. With one phone. How many Android phones are there ?
Even though everyone knows the new 4G is coming out in June, they still sold 7% of the market, with ONE phone . How many Nexus One's did Google sell ? 7% of the market ? No !.....How many Eris' did HTC sell ? 7% of the market ? Hero's , MyTouches, Desires, Incredibles ? Not even with Verzion " giving " them away 2 for 1. ( The giveaway phones were added into the survey of course)
Seriously, Apple has sold 50 million iPhones, does anyone not in denial, really think that Motorola is going to sell 50 million Droids ?
Apple is really quaking. Wake me after the 4G comes out and Verizon stops having to giveaway phones to get people to buy them, and then see if the numbers change.
Or better yet wake me when Google sells 50 million Nexus Ones,
As much as we hate it, he's right. One phone on one carrier that's almost one year old makes 7% of the marketshare with a new one already known to come out. Their are soooo many Windows Mobile and Android phones on several different carriers, even if they did sell as much or come close to that ammount, Apple still has it beat with one phone, one carrier, one year old when everyone knew a new one was being released! I by no means even have one bit of likeness (is it even a word) for Apple but they are successful. It's just a fad like everything else. Eventually their will be something newer and better,
froggylover1345 said:
As much as we hate it, he's right. One phone on one carrier that's almost one year old makes 7% of the marketshare with a new one already known to come out. Their are soooo many Windows Mobile and Android phones on several different carriers, even if they did sell as much or come close to that ammount, Apple still has it beat with one phone, one carrier, one year old when everyone knew a new one was being released! I by no means even have one bit of likeness (is it even a word) for Apple but they are successful. It's just a fad like everything else. Eventually their will be something newer and better,
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
If Google was arrogant and conceited enough to put all their eggs in one basket, I'm sure they'd be outselling the iPhone right about now. The novelty is over. As novelty fades, functionality takes over (see Nintendo's recent drop in sales for more information). But the reality is that Google isn't dumb enough to monopolize the hardware and instead spreads their OS across multiple hardware platforms. Even Microsoft knows this. That being said, expect a continued increase in Android dominance.
Apple's desire to control the public and the market in general has negative side effects. As much as I hate Apple, they could DOUBLE their profits if they released their OS to PCs. Instead, they'd rather control the market and eventually face tons of monopoly lawsuits in the future, eventually forcing them to comply with the public desire.
It's sad when Apple fanboys don't get it. Saying that they did that with one phone, one OS, on one carrier means absolutely nothing. The proof is in numbers. You can't say that if they released it on many different hardware units on many carriers then they would dominate. Why? Because they didn't do it. It's not their strategy. And thus, because they chose so, they have now been lapped. I still have yet to make sense of why Apple defends their exclusive contract with AT&T. They could easily triple their profits if they came out with a CDMA version (yet their exclusive contract goes to 2012).
And talk all you want about 4G but most people have no idea what they are talking about when it comes to the next generation. AT&T 4G is at least a year out. AT&T is next releasing a 3G+ expansion, but even that will be behind (and sometimes relying on) T-Mobile's 3G+ network. Sprint claims to have 4G ready (even though all 4G tests in the US show similar speeds to 3G+), but only in a few markets. CDMA carriers will be ready for 4G roll-out beyond the top 10 metros in 2012. But leave it to Apple fanboys to think 4G (maturing in 2012) is months away, especially since they also seem to think HTML5 is months away (2022 for maturity).
You're definitely right. Apple sold ONE phone. ONE PHONE. And took 7% of the market. That's definitely amazing. Think about what they could do if they sold 10 phones! You're absolutely right. Think about it. But not too much, because they were dumb enough not to. And now, they have been lapped. Oops. I guess we now know the part of the body responsible for long-term marketing and consumer satisfaction is actually located in the liver (a part Jobs recently traded out).
Hypotheticals can't be used as an argument. The iPhone could have very well sold 4 times as much as Android and Windows phones combined, if they marketed different phones and different carriers. But they didn't. And so they lose. Unfortunately, Apple and their fanboys won't learn the lesson that's pretty obvious to everyone else.
Sure, it's easy to sell 50 million toys compared to classy high tech devices!
rorytmeadows said:
You're definitely right. Apple sold ONE phone. ONE PHONE. And took 7% of the market. That's definitely amazing. Think about what they could do if they sold 10 phones! You're absolutely right. Think about it. But not too much, because they were dumb enough not to. And now, they have been lapped. Oops. I guess we now know the part of the body responsible for long-term marketing and consumer satisfaction is actually located in the liver (a part Jobs recently traded out).
Hypotheticals can't be used as an argument. The iPhone could have very well sold 4 times as much as Android and Windows phones combined, if they marketed different phones and different carriers. But they didn't. And so they lose. Unfortunately, Apple and their fanboys won't learn the lesson that's pretty obvious to everyone else.
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Click to collapse
Apple has learned their lesson, a lesson Google is about to learn
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/feature/1594673/popularity-killing-android
denco7 said:
Apple has learned their lesson, a lesson Google is about to learn
http://www.theinquirer.net/inquirer/feature/1594673/popularity-killing-android
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Click to collapse
hahaha, a long article attempting to claim closed systems are better. Nice. Considering Google is the leading company when it comes to push updates (balanced nicely without saying "F U" to their customers). Software and OTA updates are still relatively new in the mobile field. Even Windows Mobile 6.5 has a Windows Update function that has never been used! Google pushed multitouch OTA. Who else has done that? Android will continue to gain steam as they cater to developers (Oops, Apple dropped the ball on that one). They will gain steam as Android becomes the popular technology device to purchase, that also includes the ability to do things for less money.
I'm pretty confident in Google. I have a Windows Mobile phone, so I'm not necessarily against seeing different versions of an OS floating around as a bad thing. If you're Android phone doesn't have the ability to update to the latest OS, then go out and buy another one that does. Apple fanboys purchase updated hardware for less of a difference.
It's a shame for all Apple fanboys. It's like Yankee fans dealing with a losing season by talking about pennants from 1923 (like anyone cares about 1923).
(at least we can agree that we hate the Yankees, denco7 )
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB124546193182433491.html

The iPhone is 26 percent Samsung

So Apple is suing the pants off of Samsung in Europe, in Australia and possibly everywhere else. That’s because it claims that (1) Samsung stole the look and technology of the iPhone for the highly successful Galaxy S II Android phones, and (2) Samsung stole the look and technology of the iPad for the rising tablet stars, the Galaxy Tab 10.1/8.1.
But that doesn’t stop the two from being the best of friends when it comes to other business matters.
Utilizing data from “teardown” research firm iSuppli, The Economist reports that the iPhone 4 is 26 percent Samsung. At least in terms of components. According to iSuppli’s reverse engineering data, Samsung supplies three key components for the iPhone 4: the flash memory ($26), DRAM memory ($11.60), and the applications processor ($8.08).
Apple doesn’t do any of its manufacturing, leaving the dirty work to its Asian partners. Manufacturers in fact earn just a pittance compared to what Apple earns, which is an estimated $368 per phone (!). Apparently, that money is tribute money for Apple’s design, marketing and engineering prowess.
So despite the lawsuits and legal wranglings, Apple needs Samsung, and vice versa.
The question now is who needs who even more?
Because the iPhone has captured over 19 percent of the global market, Apple is a lucrative partner for Samsung. On the other hand, few companies can deliver quality components in volume the way Samsung can, so Apple will be hard pressed to find another supplier who can fit the bill the way Samsung does.
Besides, Samsung’s components business unit is separate from its consumer electronics units. So they probably couldn’t care less about what the other is up to… unless the CEO steps in.
You should qualify that with "for now." Once all these chip manufacturers like VIA (via HTC ) and Samsung are done playing with Apple's lawsuit frenzy, I'd fully expect repercussions (especially if it hurts their stock price). Don't expect a board of directors to sit idly by while Apple (their customer) tries to crush their corporate value.
The tech world is pretty incestuous. I bet most tech execs don't actually know where their supplies are coming from half the time.
During WWII The US sold lots of Ford cars to Germany....at the same time when they were fighting on the western front.
$8?!! Cheap!
Sent from my HTC Vision

[Q] G-note for $750 or SGSII (ATT) for $500

Guys, I need advice please.
Right now in Russia I can buy an ATT SGSII for $500, and it does not have warranty, or I can buy a Note for $750 with 1 year warranty. I can inspect both phones before buying.
So, in you opinion, which is a better buy? Is the $250 difference worth to get the Note?
Thanks
pulsarvp said:
Guys, I need advice please.
Right now in Russia I can buy an ATT SGSII for $500, and it does not have warranty, or I can buy a Note for $750 with 1 year warranty. I can inspect both phones before buying.
So, in you opinion, which is a better buy? Is the $250 difference worth to get the Note?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
As you are in the Note section people will off course say to take the Note. I have had both and they`re both good. The big screen is really a pleasure to use while browsing, gaming and watching youtube. The S2 is smaller and easier to put in your pocket, is a bit snappier at the moment but it has had more updates than the note.
It`s hard to choose but i would go with the note, it`s getting faster and faster with every update. And the note has about 3 times the pixels the S2 has!
If you haven't had a 5" screen, hard to make a determination, but I had a Dell
Streak...hard to go back after you have a big screen.
The other thing to consider, I don't know your age, but the older you get, the better you will appreciate the LARGER screen
i've had both... Note is a better phone solely for the browsing experience
p51d007 said:
If you haven't had a 5" screen, hard to make a determination, but I had a Dell
Streak...hard to go back after you have a big screen.
The other thing to consider, I don't know your age, but the older you get, the better you will appreciate the LARGER screen
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
My eyes are good, my arms are to short
gee2012 said:
As you are in the Note section people will off course say to take the Note. I have had both and they`re both good. The big screen is really a pleasure to use while browsing, gaming and watching youtube. The S2 is smaller and easier to put in your pocket, is a bit snappier at the moment but it has had more updates than the note.
It`s hard to choose but i would go with the note, it`s getting faster and faster with every update. And the note has about 3 times the pixels the S2 has!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
F*** AT&T!!! Regardless of whether you ultimately get a Note or an SGS2, never, never, never, (!!!)NEVER(!!!) buy a carrier subsidized device for ANY reason whatsoever!
Here's why:
[ANGRY RANT]
Ok, yes, the unlocked device will cost more up front. HOWEVER, provided you take very good care of your device, chances are, you can probably sell that device for ~$200 less than what you paid for it in about a year anyway. Seems awfully close to what you might have spent on a carrier subsidized device right?
The other thing is that you will never have to deal with carrier limitations or bloat. The AT&T version of the SGS2 will be tightly locked down and monitored. The IMEI will be in their database. AT&T has admitted to putting Carrier IQ on their devices (if you don't know what that is, I suggest you find out!), so they can basically see everything you're doing on the device right down to key presses!
If you buy an unlocked device, it's yours; you can do whatever you want to with it, and whatever the device is capable of; nothing locked down on the device by the carrier. Also, you won't have to deal with pre-installed carrier apps that you'll never use because you don't want them, because they're crap anyway, and you can't (easily) remove. Yeah you won't be dealing with any of that with an unlocked device either.
Oh yeah, and what about software updates? Carrier subsidized devices run slightly different hardware, so basically they're in a niche market; they're in their own little bubble of the world, subject to the whims of the carrier. So, while everyone else around the world (or those that bought unlocked devices) are enjoying their lovely Ice Cream Sandwiches starting in Q1 2012 (according to Samsung), you'll be stuck with the same old stale moldy Gingerbread from 2011, until MAYBE sometime towards the end of the summer of 2012, you'll get some hateful, melted, neutered, bloated, hacked up custom build of ICS designed more to meet the requirements of AT&T than to be a pleasant user experience for you...
Do you really want that? I sure as hell don't...
Basically, we consumers in America need to change this paradigm of seeing the carrier as a retail outlet. By allowing ourselves to be herded like cattle and sheep into carrier "outlets," we are locking ourselves in, and relinquishing our consumer freedom of choice, and thus inhibiting competition and innovation. More and more we see adverts for carriers (and the devices associated with those carriers), and less and less do we see advertisements from the manufacturers themselves, with no carrier affiliation whatsoever. This is sad... This is sad because the fierce competition and innovation that would otherwise draw us to one brand or another, is being lost to indirect association of a carrier instead.
Let retailers focus on selling us the devices we want, and let the carriers focus on providing us with the service we demand. No more of this "mixing church and state" if you will; that **** has GOT TO GO!!
[/ANGRY RANT]
Buy unlocked. It's just better, period.
You'll thank yourself (and me! ) for it later.
You're welcome!
Jade Eyed Wolf said:
F*** AT&T!!! Regardless of whether you ultimately get a Note or an SGS2, never, never, never, (!!!)NEVER(!!!) buy a carrier subsidized device for ANY reason whatsoever!
Here's why:
[ANGRY RANT]
Ok, yes, the unlocked device will cost more up front. HOWEVER, provided you take very good care of your device, chances are, you can probably sell that device for ~$200 less than what you paid for it in about a year anyway. Seems awfully close to what you might have spent on a carrier subsidized device right?
The other thing is that you will never have to deal with carrier limitations or bloat. The AT&T version of the SGS2 will be tightly locked down and monitored. The IMEI will be in their database. AT&T has admitted to putting Carrier IQ on their devices (if you don't know what that is, I suggest you find out!), so they can basically see everything you're doing on the device right down to key presses!
If you buy an unlocked device, it's yours; you can do whatever you want to with it, and whatever the device is capable of; nothing locked down on the device by the carrier. Also, you won't have to deal with pre-installed carrier apps that you'll never use because you don't want them, because they're crap anyway, and you can't (easily) remove. Yeah you won't be dealing with any of that with an unlocked device either.
Oh yeah, and what about software updates? Carrier subsidized devices run slightly different hardware, so basically they're in a niche market; they're in their own little bubble of the world, subject to the whims of the carrier. So, while everyone else around the world (or those that bought unlocked devices) are enjoying their lovely Ice Cream Sandwiches starting in Q1 2012 (according to Samsung), you'll be stuck with the same old stale moldy Gingerbread from 2011, until MAYBE sometime towards the end of the summer of 2012, you'll get some hateful, melted, neutered, bloated, hacked up custom build of ICS designed more to meet the requirements of AT&T than to be a pleasant user experience for you...
Do you really want that? I sure as hell don't...
Basically, we consumers in America need to change this paradigm of seeing the carrier as a retail outlet. By allowing ourselves to be herded like cattle and sheep into carrier "outlets," we are locking ourselves in, and relinquishing our consumer freedom of choice, and thus inhibiting competition and innovation. More and more we see adverts for carriers (and the devices associated with those carriers), and less and less do we see advertisements from the manufacturers themselves, with no carrier affiliation whatsoever. This is sad... This is sad because the fierce competition and innovation that would otherwise draw us to one brand or another, is being lost to indirect association of a carrier instead.
Let retailers focus on selling us the devices we want, and let the carriers focus on providing us with the service we demand. No more of this "mixing church and state" if you will; that **** has GOT TO GO!!
[/ANGRY RANT]
Buy unlocked. It's just better, period.
You'll thank yourself (and me! ) for it later.
You're welcome!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
I`am not on AT&T off course but i would never buy a carrier phone. Most sold phones in Holland are simlockfree (unlocked), even the carrrier phones! Carriers should take care and improve their network, not mess with phones that are payed for by their customers.
gee2012 said:
As you are in the Note section people will off course say to take the Note. I have had both and they`re both good. The big screen is really a pleasure to use while browsing, gaming and watching youtube. The S2 is smaller and easier to put in your pocket, is a bit snappier at the moment but it has had more updates than the note.
It`s hard to choose but i would go with the note, it`s getting faster and faster with every update. And the note has about 3 times the pixels the S2 has!
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Yea, I forgot to understand that iam posting in the Note zone
Thanks for so many replies.
There are also rumors that a new SGS will be announced in February, and the Note is much newer. And sim locked devices are not an option for me.
Any mOre opinions? Thanks.
I got my Note today, and before my Note I was using the SGS2 for about 7 months. Fantastic phone (the SGS2) and much MUCH more pocketable.
If you don't mind the larger phone, you're going to be getting something very similar in specs (internally). the Note has a faster CPU, but seems a tiny bit slower due to all the pixels. Also, I've had 7 months of updates, which is different than the 1 day I've had mine and I had 2 updates to install! Regardless, I like the Note It's a keeper The screen is just GORGEOUS.
You will miss out if you don't get the Note, its every ways better than the SII.
This thread should persuade you: forum.xda-developers.com/showthread.php?t=1406255
I think OP wants to know if it's worth spending the extra $250 on the Note. The answer lies on how you use your phone. Most Note owners use their device mostly for browsing and watching movies and for that, nothing beats the Note and definitely worth the $250 upgrade. Games are also great.
I got mine getting an Iphone 4s through a carrier ($199) then unlocking and selling on ebay for $500 more to finance my Note. I dont mind the contract since i cant lose my unlimited data plan anyway.
--- --- --- ---
A damn proud Galaxy Note owner.
pulsarvp said:
Guys, I need advice please.
Right now in Russia I can buy an ATT SGSII for $500, and it does not have warranty, or I can buy a Note for $750 with 1 year warranty. I can inspect both phones before buying.
So, in you opinion, which is a better buy? Is the $250 difference worth to get the Note?
Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
$250
Will get you:
1 year warranty
Bigger screen
Better battery
Cool factor (results may vary)
Responsive stylus capability
Among a lot of other points
Now don't get me wrong, the sg2 is a beautiful phone, but after I bought myself a note, I can't look at my sg2 without thinking what a little toy it is compared to this beast.
Im in Russia too and I just got the Note for 750$ a few days back. Are you in Moscow to be exact?
Just an update, I got a Motorola Razr for $600, and I am happy with it.
I wanted the Note badly, but a friend with the Note (he just got it) looks very funny, especially during business meetings, where some old guys stare at the him as if his hair are pink.
Btw, The Razr also has dark marks under the screen, visible in a dark room.

Intentional hype?

Am I the only one here thinking that it was part of google's plan to make it look like they sold a bunch of N4s in order to get the media's attention by bragging about how many they sold? Just Google: "nexus 4 sold out". You will find many websites reporting that nexus 4 are selling like hot cakes/or are sold out. I'm going to have to look at the next news paper, I bet we will see it in the headlines. This is wonderful news for Google. Great advertisement.
More over I would like to know what you guys think of this. Don't you think that such a rich company like Google would have for seen this?
Also the fact that the number of sold devices are not being reported, wouldn't that indicate that the amount of devices are actually not that much after all? (mentioning the # of sold units would discredit their bragging right? - Of course, only if it is not high)
Chances are they have a lot on stock but want to sell only a certain amount for the time being.
Now what would concern me is, if it actually is the truth that they ran out of supply. I mean, LG? There are few people who have faith in LG, their android update policy is enough to associate that company with incompetence.
Even with the nexus phone being an LG, they already managed to leave a bad impression in countries with no play store by announcing a price which could be nearly up to double the price of the nexus 4 in the play store.
What if LG is not able to keep up with demand? What is your say? What do you think is going on?
I visited a site that mentioned that Google has done this before, in order to see how high the demand is and to fulfill the needs a few days/weeks/month later. Was not following the galaxy nexus sale , anyone that experienced this here?
Hope this thread doesn't get closed, I could imagine some interesting discussion going on
no, just scumbags trying to make a profit by hogging all the stock
AznDud333 said:
no, just scumbags trying to make a profit by hogging all the stock
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I think it its engineered, why not Apple do it all the time
Naw, I mean, there really weren't any commercials over it or anything. Google has the money to spend on advertising for it, but they honestly didn't. I feel they just weren't too sure on when to do it themselves and that we were probably making more out of it than needed to be.
dahmmy said:
I think it its engineered, why not Apple do it all the time
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google's site never lags
it lagged today.
It's a big global conspiracy to ruin your day. Mission accomplished.
If this was Apple then, yes, I would believe it was intentional but honestly the server was crashing. What I saw you can't fake. It was like a DDoS attack. That server was basically brought to its knees. SERIOUSLY.
Sent from my Nexus 7
Ravynmagi said:
It's a big global conspiracy to ruin your day. Mission accomplished.
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Click to collapse
The Illuminati. Yes! They are watching us!
@above: hmmm. I prefer Lg is incompetent
I think it may be a combination of Google's lack of concern about their customers combined with a poor working relationship with LG. I don't think Google wants publicity about this launch because they and LG won't come off looking too good. Google must have thought it was getting more units from LG because they had indicated they would sell the Nexus 4 via Playstore in the Netherlands and Belgium. Then at the last minute, they had to cancel those commitments because they didn't get enough units from LG. At the same time, non-US carriers selling the phone at a much higher price than Google got units ahead of launch time so their customers could physically have the phone today. Hence, you have a number of users posting threads here about problems with their brand new Nexus 4 phones, which they have in hand. So, LG shorted Google to send phones to vendors that sell the Nexus 4 at a higher price. I suspect the whole sales cycle of this phone may be marked by problems between Google and LG, resulting in supply shortages for the lower priced Google-sold phones. If consumers want the phone and don't want to wait for weeks at a time between LG's periodic shipment of a meager supply to Google, you may be forced to buy from other vendors at a higher price or, in the US, a contract commitment to T-Mobile. It looks like Google + LG= oil + water; they don't mix well.
mke1973 said:
I think it may be a combination of Google's lack of concern about their customers combined with a poor working relationship with LG. I don't think Google wants publicity about this launch because they and LG won't come off looking too good. Google must have thought it was getting more units from LG because they had indicated they would sell the Nexus 4 via Playstore in the Netherlands and Belgium. Then at the last minute, they had to cancel those commitments because they didn't get enough units from LG. At the same time, non-US carriers selling the phone at a much higher price than Google got units ahead of launch time so their customers could physically have the phone today. Hence, you have a number of users posting threads here about problems with their brand new Nexus 4 phones, which they have in hand. So, LG shorted Google to send phones to vendors that sell the Nexus 4 at a higher price. I suspect the whole sales cycle of this phone may be marked by problems between Google and LG, resulting in supply shortages for the lower priced Google-sold phones. If consumers want the phone and don't want to wait for weeks at a time between LG's periodic shipment of a meager supply to Google, you may be forced to buy from other vendors at a higher price or, in the US, a contract commitment to T-Mobile. It looks like Google + LG= oil + water; they don't mix well.
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.... Or maybe not. That's quite the stretch.
shadehh said:
Also the fact that the number of sold devices are not being reported, wouldn't that indicate that the amount of devices are actually not that much after all? (mentioning the # of sold units would discredit their bragging right? - Of course, only if it is not high)
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It is Google's policy not to release sales figures. So it indicates absolutely nothing. Asus released some Nexus 7 sales figures last month and apparently Google was not too happy.
This is what happens when things are under-priced. Whether mandated by law (price controls) or whether a company does it out of its own desire (Nexus 4). Selling something below its true value will lead to shortages because the demand will be too heavy. Combine that with Google probably trying to not overestimate the demand in order to not build too many, it should be no surprise that it sold out so quickly.
FallN said:
If this was Apple then, yes, I would believe it was intentional but honestly the server was crashing. What I saw you can't fake. It was like a DDoS attack. That server was basically brought to its knees. SERIOUSLY.
Sent from my Nexus 7
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very true... i had an N4 in my cart 8 times today (EIGHT freakin times) and each and every time i tried to proceed, i got that craptastic yellow banner telling me that something happened on the back end. their servers were absolutely hammered.
PincheKeith said:
This is what happens when things are under-priced. Whether mandated by law (price controls) or whether a company does it out of its own desire (Nexus 4). Selling something below its true value will lead to shortages because the demand will be too heavy. Combine that with Google probably trying to not overestimate the demand in order to not build too many, it should be no surprise that it sold out so quickly.
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I'm happy with the low price and even if I have to wait a year to get a nexus 4 I'm so happy Google set new standards. I don't find the price too cheap, they could have easily added 50 bucks more for all I care. But I'm glad they set new standards for great hardware all others phone manufacturers must now adjust
I waited all day, from 3:00 AM EST when it was SUPPOSED to launch, to 12:00 PM EST when the "second" launch time was "announced", resulting in two times in which the "Add to Cart" button popped up but didn't work after clicking through. The minute I step inside my house, I rush to my computer, and see a nice, red SOLD OUT sign.
It had to be either a) testing the waters in terms of demand for the device (highly unlikely), b) a publicity stunt in order to garner more (free) attention for the Nexus4 (as we say it, any publicity is good publicity), or c) as stated a shortage of devices as a result between miscommunication/communication breakdowns between LG and Google.
Thoroughly disappointed. I sold my phone (GNexus) in the hopes of upgrading for very little $, and now I'm stuck with no phone at all.
oceansaber said:
I waited all day, from 3:00 AM EST when it was SUPPOSED to launch, to 12:00 PM EST when the "second" launch time was "announced", resulting in two times in which the "Add to Cart" button popped up but didn't work after clicking through. The minute I step inside my house, I rush to my computer, and see a nice, red SOLD OUT sign.
It had to be either a) testing the waters in terms of demand for the device (highly unlikely), b) a publicity stunt in order to garner more (free) attention for the Nexus4 (as we say it, any publicity is good publicity), or c) as stated a shortage of devices as a result between miscommunication/communication breakdowns between LG and Google.
Thoroughly disappointed. I sold my phone (GNexus) in the hopes of upgrading for very little $, and now I'm stuck with no phone at all.
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man, i feel you. i sold my gnex and my backup (g2x) device in anticipation of the nexus 4. I'm old and tired. So, i'm just going to go to my tmobile store and pick up a note 2. I got one for my wife last week and she has been completely satisfied with it. I'll re-evaluate the state of android in a couple months, whereby I might sell the note 2 to finally get the nexus 4. we'll see.
If you believe that its all a conspiracy, put your aluminum foil hat back on and go sit in the corner.
PincheKeith said:
This is what happens when things are under-priced. Whether mandated by law (price controls) or whether a company does it out of its own desire (Nexus 4). Selling something below its true value will lead to shortages because the demand will be too heavy. Combine that with Google probably trying to not overestimate the demand in order to not build too many, it should be no surprise that it sold out so quickly.
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Click to collapse
Finally someone who understand economics.
Put gas half price today. Guess what will happen. Even if gas stations prepared. EVERYONE will gas and you can't prepare for that. Supply is driven by how valuable it is to sell. Demand is determined by how much value you get. They released a 600$ phone at 300$. Take off your tinfoil hats and go to school.
There is no conspiracy. We are talking about about a relatively small cell phone player in LG and a device with a small profit margin. Considering that both these companies are banking on the same profit model, ie, google wants large volume sales for ads and LG wants large volume to compensate for smaller net profits per phone. With the next big phone literally always around the corner, to delay sales in any way is very bad for both companies.
shadehh said:
I don't find the price too cheap, they could have easily added 50 bucks more for all I care.
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Then it is too cheap If people are willing to pay $400 or $450, and they sell it for $350, that's too cheap. That's why demand is (and should be!) so high.
I don't think they did this intentionally, they have a great device at a great price and it sold out.

"Samsung Galaxy S5 Comes Early, And With A Hint Of Desperation"

I found this to be a very interesting read so I thought I'd share it.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/haydnsh...5-comes-early-and-with-a-hint-of-desperation/
Samsung has announced a preview of the Galaxy S5 on February 24th at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona. Sort of. Invites have gone out to the press for what Samsung is describing as Unpacked, Episode 1 with a large 5 emblazoned on the invite (twice). All a big tease. Might it backfire?
The announcement has been picked up around the world. A Galaxy launch is a big event. But there is a hint that this time round Samsung is desperate to get a new device out there and to use the attendant publicity to drive sales in a very tight market. Samsung needs this more than we do.
In the middle of last year, not long after the S4 launch I suggested Samsung had peaked in smartphones. The evidence since then has been pretty compelling. Samsung’s sales seem to have stalled more dramatically than Apple’s.
In June 2013 Samsung gave guidance on record profits. By Q4 Bloomberg reported the first drop in profits in 9 quarters.
Samsung Electronics Co. (005930) posted its first profit decline in nine quarters as new Apple Inc. (AAPL) iPhones won over high-end handset buyers and models from cheaper Chinese producers lured budget customers.
It’s clear that the Samsung pricing cascade is running out of steam. You have to go back some years, to the general consumer electronics industry and in particular TVs to see this cascade at work. Remember it?
Launch at a high price/high margin to soak the early adopters, discount to acquire market share; and when that stops working, launch a new generation product. Soon after the S4 was available the price differential in different parts of the world exceeded $300 as they played this cascade out in different markets.
Now Samsung needs sales, not least to support its vast manufacturing capacity. According to Daewo Securities, “Samsung shipped 13 million units of its S4 in the fourth quarter, down from 17 million in the previous three months.” That’s a reduction of 4 million units in the buying season.
Because of its pricing model, Samsung is also in danger of ceding high margin sales to Apple more generally.
There will be novelty in the S5 to try to win margins back, however. Leaks in January suggest Samsung will sport a new UI in the S5, possible powered by Google NOW. The two companies have been working more closely lately and more product integration would be no surprise. Samsung has also been working hard on its branding, despite being caught out manipulating social media reviews of competitors. I covered some of that brand investment here on Forbes.
Yet it is in software and services integration that Samsung still lags. Software has been named a new national priority for Korea, a move reported by The New Yorker, recently. In the software and services arena, in promoting service revenue in place of hardware margins, Samsung is a decade behind Apple. The strain of being hardware first is beginning to tell.
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Samsung's suffering the same thing Apple is - Western smartphone markets are approaching saturation which is causing a drop in margins as manufacturers turn to emerging markets where selling price and margin are lower. In quarterly revenue, market share, and margin growth Samsung still outperformed all other Android device manufacturers based on last quarter's earnings. Their revenue was actually up but their earning's were depressed because of lower margins in mobile devices. LG (who gets over half their mobile revenue from dumb phones) and the other Chinese (physically based and selling market) manufacturers showed YOY gains but everyone else is dying including Sony, HTC, and Motorola.
So if articles like you quoted predicting Samsung's death and desperation are true I hope you like Apple and iOS. Because if changing market conditions are going to kill Samsung then they'll be the last to go behind every other brand discussed on XDA.
BarryH_GEG said:
Samsung's suffering the same thing Apple is - Western smartphone markets are approaching saturation which is causing a drop in margins as manufacturers turn to emerging markets where selling price and margin are lower. In quarterly revenue, market share, and margin growth Samsung still outperformed all other Android device manufacturers based on last quarter's earnings. Their revenue was actually up but their earning's were depressed because of lower margins in mobile devices. LG (who gets over half their mobile revenue from dumb phones) and the other Chinese (physically based and selling market) manufacturers showed YOY gains but everyone else is dying including Sony, HTC, and Motorola.
So if articles like you quoted predicting Samsung's death and desperation are true I hope you like Apple and iOS. Because if changing market conditions are going to kill Samsung then they'll be the last to go behind every other brand discussed on XDA.
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Quite an intelligent response. I didn't perceive the article as pointing towards the death of Samsung. Samsung obviously isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I'd rather be without a phone than having an Apple product.
Delakit said:
Quite an intelligent response. I didn't perceive the article as pointing towards the death of Samsung. Samsung obviously isn't going anywhere anytime soon. I'd rather be without a phone than having an Apple product.
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The is the problem you going to get In an ecosystem with so many competition. Every manufacturer costs raise to compete with each other and in the end becomes a zero sum game for them. Just like sony needing to exit their PC biz, some manufacturers who can't play well in smartphone world will need to exit too.
Only winner here is Google and in some way Apple owning their own ecosystems, Consumers definitely benefit the most with the amount of choices of phones out there to tinker with
Phones are overpriced anyway. I've never seen the actual costs but it's silly.
I think if anyone's in danger Apple are in trouble. They are still overpricing. I know quite a few who have jumped ship from Apple.
Sent from my HTC One using xda app-developers app
Samsung is being force to compete now, the likes of LG has making them a little bit more competitive, which is a good thing since before Samsung was the Android king and the King of smart phone besting out Apple and Window phones. Since the LG G2 was introduce, Samsung customer have been looking toward LG direction, I am one of them and I am glad I picked the G2 over the S4. Let the two giant battle it out, the winner will be the customer.

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