Hasta La Gadget!

In a lot of things, being the best generally leads to victory. Usain Bolt is the fastest man in the London Olympics? He wins the gold. A hosting company has the best recorded uptime? It takes home an award. Google launches the fastest consumer broadband available in the US? Boom, victory.

But every so often, life throws us a curveball. For every 1972 Dolphins team, there’s a pack of believers from NC State eager to do something crazy in 1983. And in more germane terms, there’s presently no rhyme or reason why HTC has continually outgunned Samsung in terms of design prowess, yet continues to bleed cash while its Korean rival mints it. Actually, there is a reason. It’s called marketing.

Filed under: Cellphones, Mobile, Samsung

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I remember a time, not long ago, when the idea that Samsung and Apple would be in a war for technology dominance seemed laughable. The companies were partners in chip production, Samsung’s products were largely also-rans, and it was perhaps best known for its televisions and home appliances.

But now, with the Samsung Galaxy S4’s unveiling almost upon us, we’re here wondering if there will ever be a day when Samsung and Apple aren’t going for each other’s necks. The companies literally can’t stand each other. And although they’re both generating all of the profits in the mobile space, they’d like nothing more than to take each other down.

The issue is, neither company is succeeding at even putting a dent in the other’s business. And although the iPhone and Apple now have true competitors in the Galaxy S and Samsung, each year brings new devices and new opportunities for one of them to pull ahead.

Which brings us to the Galaxy S4.

Samsung’s upcoming device looks – at least according to the rumor mill – to be the kind of device that we might all want. The handset, the reports claim, will come with a 5-inch screen, a beefed-up processor, and all of the Samsung bells and whistles that we’ve come to expect. The device, in other words, could be even better than the already popular Samsung Galaxy S3.

But what does that mean for Apple? The iPhone maker has for years now been the leader in the smartphone market, but Samsung is coming on strong, and in some quarters, actually beating out Apple’s smartphones. What’s worse for Apple, an increasing number of consumers who years ago would only consider the iPhone are now saying that the Samsung Galaxy S3 (and soon, the S4) are the kinds of devices they would want to buy.

“If Samsung wasn’t a threat, Apple wouldn’t be suing its pants off”

So, is it time for Apple to fear Samsung and its upcoming smartphone? The folks out in Cupertino, always ready to prove their confidence, would scoff at such a claim. But let’s not let that go to our heads. If Samsung wasn’t such a big threat, Apple wouldn’t be suing its pants off everywhere in the world. And if Samsung’s products weren’t selling so well, Apple might not find so much trouble with the company. In other words, Samsung is a threat.

But being a threat and being enough for Apple to fear Samsung are two entirely different things. And it’s important that we point that out. Apple and Samsung are certainly at odds and there’s a chance that the companies’ battle will only get worse over time. But it’s also important to note that Apple is extremely strong. And its products, despite the challenges Samsung presents, are no slouches in their own right.

It’s hard to say what the future holds for the mobile market. On one hand, Apple could very well become the dominant force and prove that Samsung is nothing to worry about. On the other, Apple might quickly find that yes, it should fear the Galaxy S4, and there is something very, very serious to worry about.

I guess we’ll find out soon when Samsung unveils its new smartphone and Apple has a chance to respond with one of its own.

Should Apple Really Fear the Galaxy S4? is written by Don Reisinger & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

I liked BlackBerry’s Z10. Not enough to have it replace my current phone, mind, but enough to give it a reasonable rating, and to believe that BlackBerry, AT&T and Verizon are having a laugh if they think $200 is the right price. AT&T waded into the Z10 preorder field today with the announcement that, just like Verizon told us it would earlier this month, be asking $199.99 with a new, two-year agreement for the first of the BlackBerry 10 phones. That’s par for the course for a new flagship, but it’s also much, much more than BlackBerry should be targeting.

$200 has become the “norm” for a new high-end phone launch. The Galaxy S III arrived at $199.99; the iPhone 5 did too. HTC’s One will likely command the same amount when it hits US carriers in the coming months. The carriers have settled on a figure that has proved to be psychologically acceptable for the mass market (even if that mass market would probably save itself some money by paying full-whack for its new phone rather than expecting a network subsidy).

Whether it’s AT&T, Verizon, or BlackBerry itself, however, the pricing for the Z10 seems to have been knee-jerk rather than fully thought-through. Yes, $200 may be the expected price, but the Z10 comes to the market as a challenger, not as another proven quantity. Price was the first point at which the networks could properly express that challenger appetite, but they opted not to.

“BlackBerry 10 needs fresh blood, not more of the same”

Sure, the BlackBerry faithful will probably stomach two-hundred bucks to get their hands on what’s a significant improvement over their existing phones. Yet selling to the same, minority-share market – one which has seen many deserters already jump ship to Android or iPhone – isn’t a strategy for growth. BlackBerry 10 needs fresh blood attracted to the platform, not just more of the same.

The closest comparison is probably Windows Phone, which is also fighting to build its share in the smartphone segment. Verizon will sell you an HTC 8X for $99.99 with a new agreement, however, while AT&T will happily hand over a Nokia 920 at the same price. Like the Z10, neither is a perfect device, but Windows Phone undoubtedly has its strengths and with the pricing, both carriers are making them look especially appealing for new smartphone users.

BlackBerry took the decision to eschew Android and use its own platform; I can respect that. However, it also needs to wake up to the reality of the situation it thus finds itself in as a company, trying to break into a hectic and aggressive market with an unproven OS. That’s a tough fight at the best of times, but pushing for premium pricing as well seems at best an unnecessary challenge and at worst a clear misreading of the mobile industry today.

$200 is just too much for the BlackBerry Z10 is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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You might say the week is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workweek, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Weekly Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 7 days — all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

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