In smartphone segment, just two companies–Apple and Samsung–are incredibly growing quarter-over-quarters. For everyone, it’s very easy to understand why Apple’s is moving up. But the question is here about why Android-powered Samsung’s smartphones are so popular while other Android vendors are struggling to sustain its market share around the world? If we consider Samsung’s strategy, then we find that the company is stuck with the some smart strategies and it’s focusing to deliver high-quality reliable products. Now, Samsung is the world’s leading smartphone manufacturers in terms of shipments, shipped almost double smartphone in Q2 of this year as Apple shipped during the same quarter. At present, the competition in the smartphone segment seems like two- horse race.
How Samsung Is Different?
Considering about the design, Samsung has always been conscious about the design of their products. If you mull over its recent Galaxy SIII smartphone model, you will definitely feel that the model is extremely thin and having larger screen display. In terms of screen size, Samsung has almost all screen size smartphone what users are wanting. On this context, Apple has clung with the two screen sizes (for iPhone and iPads) for long times.
Finally, Apple has also realized on the importance of screen size of its smartphone, that’s why, it has decided to launch larger screen display iPhone 5 next month. If we compare the price of Samsung’s Android powered smartphones with other Android vendors device (using almost the same OS versions and Processors), then we get Samsung is not selling the device at the lower price compare to other Android vendors. Samsung is different than other due to its endeavor to show off the real value in its products.
Importance Of Brand Value
I quite agree with branding which plays a crucial role for the shipments of devices. Due to branding Apple is so successful in the smartphone market. Samsung is also relying on brand value, that’s why, it has carved a ‘Galaxy’ brand around. The South Korean giant believes that it’s not possible to overestimate the trusted brands and trying to produce trustworthy products.
You might have remembered that Google launched first time its “Nexus” smartphone with HTC, but later it went with Samsung for the production of its flagship. Apparently, Google also supports Samsung for the growth of the Android; it’s well known that Samsung is the largest Android vendor around the world. At present, Google is relying on Samsung to manufacture Galaxy Nexus smartphone.
Stack Of Samsung’s Smartphones
Apple launches only one iPhone every year and each new version is almost the same in design and screen size to its predecessors. Apple fanatics those are willing to have extraordinary design and larger screen will definitely switch to Samsung’s platform. In the contrast, Samsung has a significant numbers of different models, which have been designed as per users’ expectation. For better users’ experiences, the company has even experimented over unconventional concepts and launched Galaxy Note, a hybridized smartphone/Tablet, last year. However, the device was initially lashed out by detractors, but now, the device has surpassed 10 million shipments. The device has been designed for those users who believe smartphone screen is too low and Tablet screen is too big.
Now, Samsung is experimenting over Galaxy Note 10.1 Tab. The company is trying to provide Stylus like feature on big screen Tablet. Undoubtedly, the Tablet has been designed by taking advantages of Apple’s iPad’s limitations in the mind especially for those who want to do some creative activities on the Tablet. What have you got from Samsung strategy? The company is not afraid to do any experiments which are related to better users’ experiences.
Other Android Vendors
If I think about other Android vendor, the name of HTC spontaneously comes into my mind. HTC is a potent competitor for Samsung in the Android realm, but its market share is being eaten by Samsung. HTC is one of the manufactures launched first touch screen device almost 15 years ago. It’s the world’s first company which merged a Phone with PDA, even before the inducement of term ‘Smartphone’. The company launched first 3G Windows Phone, built first Android device and also, brought the first 4G smartphone.
You might fall in dilemma that if HTC was one of the pioneers in the Industry, then how its market share has continuously been declining since last year? Being first in the race has two consequences, either constructive or destructive. If you are pioneer, then the expectation of others increase by default. It’s really great to stand first in the crowd and also, it sounds pleasure how your products are different than other’s products. But, one thing you should keep in your mind that users will not forgive the products that don’t deliver on the promise. Undoubtedly, great product needs time and require intensive testings. You really need to fulfill such requirement otherwise you will be punished for your ignorance, that’s happening with HTC.
I asked to my friends (those have Samsung Smartphone), are they comfort with their mobile handsets? Almost all answered in affirmative. Indeed, the words of friends, acquaintance and relatives play a crucial role for the purchase of any device. My some of the friends have recently purchased Samsung’s smartphone due to pursuance of my other friends.
HTC’s strategies with carriers is somewhat different than other Android vendors. It endeavors to push its brand by allowing the name of carriers along with the name of its products. In this context, we might take an example of HTC’s two products in the U.S. such as “Sprint EVO 4G LTE” and “Verizon Droid Incredible 4G LTE by HTC”, the company named the products after the name of the carriers. I think, it’s a ridiculous approach. On the other hand, Apple is relying only on one network for the sale of its iPhone with its brand name, while Samsung is selling its smartphones tying-up with a significant number of carriers across the world.
Is Software Having An Upper Hand Than Hardware?
It’s true that Android fanatics purchase smartphone due to they want Android OS. That’s why, Android smartphone is growing with the dizzying pace, while market share of Symbian and RIM’s smartphone is continuously declining. In addition to these, users prefer those mobile platform having strong mobile ecosystem such as mobile apps, cloud services, eBooks and more. Hence, iOS and Android OSs are dominating over other OS platforms.
But the question arises when devices have almost the same OS and same processor. At present, considerable number of Android Smartphones have the same OS versions and same processors, despite Samsung is unilaterally augmenting, while other’s market share is continuously plunging.
Apparently, Android lovers have lots of options to opt the devices than other platforms. I have already described numbers of factors such as screen size, branding, mobile ecosystem, friends’ pursuance, price, marketing and more are determining the shipments of the device. Obviously, your friends and majority of people around you are using Samsung Smartphone and they are satisfied with their smartphones. Definitely, it creates an impression into yours’ mind.
At present, Samsung and Apple are investing huge dollars on their ads campaigns in order to make people aware with their products. It’s pretty clear that Apple is making very aspirational product and it’s generating a hoard of cash from iPhone. On the contrary, Samsung is manufacturing a lot of phones and selling it on large-scale. Samsung has adopted a winning strategy rather than money-making. Besides, Samsung is also working on its Bada platform and the OS has succeeded to make its presence in the emerging markets.
Samsung Is Creating An Environment Around
In matured markets, carriers subsidize the smartphone so that user can easily afford the device. But it’s not happening in the emerging markets like India, where users need to pay a huge amount at the purchase time to own the device. This the reason why Apple is struggling to mount up its market share in India. In India, users are looking for the cheap smartphone having number of features. In such markets, Samsung has a wide range of different Smartphones with different specifications at the affordable prices.
However, a sequence of cheap Android running smartphones are available in India, but they are compromised with the quality or functionality. Here, users are still more willing to own Nokia’s Symbian and Samsung’s Bada smartphones due to their non-compromise quality. Samsung is trying to create an ecosystem around the mobile users (price sensitive and non-price sensitive users) with quality commitment. In this context, HTC is considered as over-priced smartphone in emerging markets.
Focus On Innovation Rather Than To Watch The Move of Others
It’s fact that a year before, a significant number of tech-savvies loved HTC smartphone rather than Samsung. But, now the scenario has changed, Samsung is quite ahead of HTC. I have already described above how Samsung has been experimenting over Galaxy S, Note and other models. Since last couple of years, Samsung has quite committed towards its smartphone production, on the other side of the horizon, LG has been just watching the move of the South Korean giant. Samsung experimented on Phablet almost a year before, but HTC has decided to launch its Phablet (hybrid of smartphone and Tablet) later this year.
Just a year before, people hailed to HTC due to its pioneer attitude, but now, the company has forgotten its value. Likewise, the condition of LG and other Android’s smartphone vendors (expect Samsung) are following the same strategy which Apple creates. This time, HTC, LG and other Android smartphone vendors really need to work hard in order to surge their worldwide market share.
