The Korean electronics giant might finally be stepping out of Apple’s shadow in the smartphone and tablet space, says Kushan Mitra
last week, Korean electronics giant unveiled the Samsung Galaxy S IV, the fourth iteration of its top-of-the-line Galaxy smartphone. Unlike Apple, Samsung has made a whole host of Galaxy devices, using the brand for all devices that run using Google’s Android operating system. There are small Galaxy phones, big Galaxy phones, Galaxy ‘phablets’ (the combination of a phone and tablet) and of course large Galaxy tablets. In fact, when you walk into a Samsung store, you will probably see 10 different Galaxy devices on display.
But Samsung, which has now clearly established itself as the main competitor to Apple in the smartphone and tablet space, may not be having everything its own way. While Apple seems like having lost a bit of its sheen of late, with no truly innovative product in a few years, Samsung faces challenges from the likes of HTC and Sony, both companies having launched their latest Android-powered devices. And of course, there is a resurgent Blackberry, making possibly its last play for the smartphone market that it created, and then there is Nokia.
While Nokia seems to have a few hits on its hands with various members of the lumia family, the Windows 8 operating software the devices use has not been the success that Microsoft or for that matter Nokia wished it would be. Nokia has even slipped behind Apple in terms of smartphone shipments in India. And now with news that Microsoft might be making their own devices, Nokia is showing its concern, if its supplier becomes its competitor, then the road back uphill becomes a lot tougher.
So the competition, while picking up, is still several months away from being considered ‘dangerous’, at least at the higher-end of the portable device market and that includes ultra-light notebooks (it is between Apple and Samsung). And Samsung has scored some important points of late over its American rival. Having a wide choice of devices helps Samsung. While it does add complexity and cost, it also ensures a wider range of people join the ‘Galaxy family’ particularly in markets such as India where devices are not subsidised. And since Samsung makes virtually every major component of it devices itself, it manages to control its costs.
The question, therefore, is whether Apple has finally begun to fall off its exalted perch, thanks to Samsung’s constant attacksIJ Unlikely. Apple has several major advantages over its competitors, not least of which is the huge Apple accessory ecosystem. While Android has managed to catch up on the applications front with most developers developing apps for Android as well as iOS, in terms of apps, well you do not see Bose or JBl making docks for them.
Yet, Samsung has managed to not only build the most successful sub-brand in its long history, but it has done so by seeing off rivals. Samsung is still under Apple’s shadow; and that is evident in its design language. Without going into the legal issues between the two companies, the fact remains that Android itself and the Galaxy devices are clearly inspired by the iPhone. And even though Samsung’s attempt with the Bada operating system failed by and large, that will not stop it from trying.
But the most important lesson that Samsung seems to have learnt from Apple is ‘hype’, and the Galaxy S IV has that in droves. But will it knock the iPhone off its perchIJ That remains to be seen; Apple is certainly worried and further legal battles could well be in the offing between the two rivals. But what interests us more is whether this battle will remain a two company fight like Federer-Nadal in the world of tennis four years ago, or will a Djokovic come and knock them both off their perchIJ