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Samsung's 'six appeal' takes back the war

Bonnie Tubbs
By Bonnie Tubbs, ITWeb telecoms editor.
Johannesburg, 02 Mar 2015
Samsung hopes the "six appeal" of its new flagship offering - including the curved S6 Edge - will seduce consumers.
Samsung hopes the "six appeal" of its new flagship offering - including the curved S6 Edge - will seduce consumers.

After losing ground to arch rival Apple over the past year, smartphone maker Samsung has stepped up its war game and seduced the local market with the latest iteration of its flagship smartphone - this time and for the first time, launched hand-in-hand with a curvy counterpart.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge were unveiled ? with what has been said to be more than the usual fanfare ? last night, on the eve of one of the year's biggest tech get-togethers: Mobile World Congress 2015 in Spain.

CEO JK Shin talked up the new devices, which he says were designed from the ground up and which Samsung tags as "the world's most advanced [smartphones]".

While a superior processor, camera and world-first design feature in the curved screen of the Edge version were highlighted by the company as justifying this high praise, local pundits have cast a critical eye and lauded Samsung for taking the ongoing smartphone war to a new level.

Warring edge

World Wide Worx MD Arthur Goldstuck says Samsung has "definitely taken the war back to its rivals" and credits the company for bringing a completely redesigned device to market this time around. The company has, in the past, been criticised for lacklustre design and a failure to do more than just enhance predecessors' attributes with new flagships.

"[This enhancement vs redesign strategy] worked for the S4, but not for the S5, and [Samsung] realised it had to rethink the device. The result is something altogether new. It has taken the innovation across the hardware, software and ecosystem, and that will give it an edge."

Samsung has followed in Apple's footsteps with its dual devices and, while it has been dealt a bout of criticism for "imitating Apple" on social media, Goldstuck believes this will push sales of the new flagship beyond that of its predecessor, the S5, "in the same way the Apple iPhone 6 is outselling the iPhone 5S".

What has impressed industry observers about the new Samsung Galaxy flagship:

1. Wireless charging capability. "Cables are so last season," says Sharman.
2. Samsung Pay. "[The] Samsung Pay ecosystem has been so well thought out and gives Samsung the potential of, once again, overtaking Apple in a key mobile battleground," says Goldstuck.
3. More durable material in the use of Corning Gorilla Glass 4, for "clumsy people who drop their phones constantly," says Sharman.
4. For the appreciation mainly of SA's "tech geeks", the upgrade from DD3 RAM to DDR4 RAM. "Hardcore Android fans live for these upgrades and Samsung didn't disappoint," says Sharman.

In both cases, he says, the latter versions offer a choice of two distinct devices - in Apple's case, a plus-sized version - and represent a significant advance, unlike their immediate predecessors.

Samsung's new "full metal jacket" has also reeled in industry watchers. Kirsty Sharman - one of the women behind Girl Geek Dinners in Johannesburg - says the company's move away from plastic and into metals "will allow it to compete with brands that play more in the luxury space", a target market in which Apple has always had its claws.

BMI-TechKnowledge director Brian Neilson says Samsung has focused on being category leaders - or at least equals - in every department that counts.

Taking on Apple

The jury is out on whether Samsung will conquer the Apple empire with its latest flagships, despite the confidence CEO JK Shin exuded as he announced the new devices last night.

And what has them feeling something is left to be desired:

1. A lack of focus on battery life. "Sometimes we focus too much on new features and neglect necessity," says Sharman.
2. The basic S6 does not feel as smooth in the hand as its predecessors, a result of being "designed to be different", says Goldstuck.
3. Price. "The S6 Edge is expensive compared to the S6. It remains to be seen whether the allure of the Edge in the looks department will rub off on S6 sales," says Neilson.
4. Copycat complaints. Some social media commentators feel Samsung has taken one too many pages out of its rival Apple's book. "JK Shin could have saved us all a lot of time and effort by inviting the audience to take a look at the iPhone Web site for S6 stats," tweets MD of Clockwork Media Tom Manners.

The company describes its new smartphone offering using seductive terms, including "artisanal design", "peerless functionality", "blended in a seamless fusion of metal and glass". It hopes what it markets as "six appeal" will win over consumers from all walks - the toughest to crack being Apple loyals.

Sharman says Samsung may not outdo Apple, "but I'd definitely say it will challenge Apple". She says, at the end of the day, people choose the brand they feel connected to.

"All high-end smartphones essentially do the same things; they have different features but in the end they act as the device that connects us to the world. I think Samsung in the past has felt like a bit of a cheaper brand, not because of the technology, but because they simply did not feel like a high-end brand. The phones felt a bit like plastic and the user interface was a bit more complex than the iPhone. The launch of the Galaxy S6 tells us that Samsung is looking to compete in the simple, elegant marketplace that Apple has dominated for many years."

Goldstuck says it is hard to say whether the Samsung Galaxy S6 will be able to outdo the iPhone 6, "but it will be a fascinating battle, as both now offer compelling pairs of devices that are far ahead of other rivals".

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