Strange mix of things to be saying. They still haven't really learned from Apple how to do these events.
The 14nm SoC is VERY impressive --- but they give no reason as to why the buyer should care. The 577px/inch seems like the sort of pointless specsmanship that is hurting the Android world. The dual curve business is even weirder --- boasting about something without giving me a reason why I should care at all. On the other hand, the "50% stronger metal than competing smartphones." and Gorilla Glass 4 segment is how you do it RIGHT, providing and describing features that (average) users really care about.
It's fine for J K Shin's first language to be engineering, but they need to hire a VP whose first language is customer experience, both for the phone but even more so for the design of these events.
I agree but in addition I want to add that I always thought Samsung put great specs in their flagship phones. However the problem is the software always makes them feel slow. They can benchmark well, and boast big memory and fast quad core CPUs, but then when they slap all kinds of software and UIs on top of Android it makes the device feel laggy and bloated. That's always been my impression and experience with them. It's something Samsung needs to learn IMO. This is where my experience with iPhone has been superior. The software and OS don't lag the device as much. Not everyone is going to root and debloat their phone so the out of the box experience is very important. That's Samsung's greatest fault for me.
Also their camera comparison is worthless without info on the settings used in both scenarios. I think real world testing will yield different results when they aren't trying to sell the crowd.
Given that Samsung was barely a fab five years ago (go read David Kanter's old reports from IEDM 2010 or 2011 and there is nothing about Samsung there), yeah, it IS pretty impressive that they have a working 14nm process, even if it doesn't have every bell-and-whistle of Intel.
And 18 months+ of process advantage for Intel over the last five years has translated into basically zero phone design wins. So much for the "there is no x86 tax argument". If Intel couldn't get a win when they had such an advantage, it's unclear how they're going to get a win this year.
Part of the issue was that intel was fabbing ultra mobile parts on n-1 processes for quite a while, but I agree. It will be interesting to see if they try something different
It`s much more about intel not having a good modem to pair with their phone Atom or put it inside it until Baytrail, necessitating a twochip solution. OEMs really don`t like such situations, as it increases costs and design complexity a whole lot in already not so margin-friendly part of the mobile space. They had some wins in the past, like with ASUS Padfone series, likely because they conceded something to ASUS on other front, like better binned Cores or the like. It hopefully will change for the better this year, at least they had a lot of partners developing devices on Atom announced.
And 14nm intel advantage still stands largely intact.
The single MOST successful smartphone company, called Apple (you may have heard of them) is perfectly happy with a two chip solution, as are its customers...
Intel apologists have used this "oh we don't have an integrated modem" solution for years, but as far as I can tell, that is all it is --- an excuse, a way to avoid having to confront the deeper reasons why Intel still can't gain traction in this space.
1. NO Removable Battery 2. SHORTER Battery Life 3. NO MicroSD Card Slot - needed even with 128 GB Storage since 200 GB cards are here 4. NO Waterproofing 5. SLOWER Chip than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810 6. 40 FEWER Software Features than the S5 7. Glass on front and back - easier to break
Other than the parts that aped Apple, it feels like a few steps backward for an Android phone. Hopefully, Samsung has an Android phone with real features and a faster chip - like the Qualcomm 820 soon.
I wonder if they will reveal an 18kt gold watch. Seriously.
The S6 looks like what the S5 should have been. The key question is whether Samsung will be able to differentiate itself now that HTC, LG, and even Xiaomi are out there producing phones with high quality materials and good technology.
The reason I thought that Samsung might release a gold luxury Gear model is that Apple effectively pre-announced the April release more than a month ago in their earnings call, and that by announcing a luxury device a week before Apple provides final details about pricing, Samsung would have a chance to steal some thunder, and perhaps influence pricing itself. They seem to be back in compete-with-Apple mode.
Not sure if all these direct comparisons to the iPhone are a good idea. It sounds like they are a little insecure. The ads were clever in 2011, but in 2015?
Yeah and they won't likely match real world tests.
What's up with the focus on knox? That's one of the most hated "features" for enthusiasts who want to root. I guess they are trying to woo business adoption. Further, their push for Samsung Pay will probably not go anywhere. Goodle now owns Softcard's software and is teaming up with carriers to get adoption across the entire line and Apple has deals struck with many banks and merchants already to support their tokenization method. I think Samsung trying to push in is stupid. They should just go with Google Wallet because of Android universal support. I hope they don't try to block Google Wallet in an effort to force adoption of Samsung Pay.
Well many people say that samsung "project zero" was just an push to copy Apple like with the galaxy S after a prety serious stumble (or better said fall) in the smartphone bussines.
And what is the first thing a copycat does ? Tells you how their copy is better than the original.
It's 2015. Whining about lack of replaceable battery (and SD card) is no longer cute, it's like throwing a tantrum because your ultrabook doesn't have a floppy drive. Accept reality and either modify your usage patterns, or resign yourself to buying old phone off eBay.
Either way, the world has moved on, and tech forums are no longer an appropriate place to complain about something that is OBVIOUSLY the new and standard way things are done.
The cost of storage in phones ramps the way it does because businesses like to use variable pricing. It's EXACTLY the same principle as airline pricing, or the cost of Intel CPUs. Complaining about it is like complaining about gravity; and as pointless. If it weren't storage, it would be something else. That's reality of how sales work in a high gini society.
(And please spare us the hysterics. At least in the Apple world, batteries last a LOT longer than a year, and storage upgrades cost nothing close to the base phone's price. If your argument can only sound valid when it is based on exaggeration, then it's not a very good argument.)
And Galaxy Tab. And Galaxy Alpha. And K, Pro, R, W, M, E, Z and Y!!! All with various modifiers. I kid you not --- it's fscking insane: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy
Samsung's stuff is getting dull. I won't be buying any crap with Knox because of this "E-fuse" nonsense. I understand that it has it's usefulness, but downgrading or tinkering with my OS shouldn't be considered (warranty voiding) hardware damage. My USB port needs repair, home button bad...sorry no warranty on that because you changed your OS. ridiculous.
I hope you guys are planning on giving the HTC M9 some proper coverage. HTC is really going all out to give us a great phone with things we want, not some gimmicky screen that wraps around the side and the same old apps.
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adityarjun - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
Please let us know if the camera lens is covered with sapphirename99 - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
Strange mix of things to be saying. They still haven't really learned from Apple how to do these events.The 14nm SoC is VERY impressive --- but they give no reason as to why the buyer should care.
The 577px/inch seems like the sort of pointless specsmanship that is hurting the Android world.
The dual curve business is even weirder --- boasting about something without giving me a reason why I should care at all.
On the other hand, the "50% stronger metal than competing smartphones." and Gorilla Glass 4 segment is how you do it RIGHT, providing and describing features that (average) users really care about.
It's fine for J K Shin's first language to be engineering, but they need to hire a VP whose first language is customer experience, both for the phone but even more so for the design of these events.
cmdrdredd - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
I agree but in addition I want to add that I always thought Samsung put great specs in their flagship phones. However the problem is the software always makes them feel slow. They can benchmark well, and boast big memory and fast quad core CPUs, but then when they slap all kinds of software and UIs on top of Android it makes the device feel laggy and bloated. That's always been my impression and experience with them. It's something Samsung needs to learn IMO. This is where my experience with iPhone has been superior. The software and OS don't lag the device as much. Not everyone is going to root and debloat their phone so the out of the box experience is very important. That's Samsung's greatest fault for me.cmdrdredd - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
Also their camera comparison is worthless without info on the settings used in both scenarios. I think real world testing will yield different results when they aren't trying to sell the crowd.Hulk - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
14nm. So they've caught up to Intel process-wise?Hmm...
name99 - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
Given that Samsung was barely a fab five years ago (go read David Kanter's old reports from IEDM 2010 or 2011 and there is nothing about Samsung there), yeah, it IS pretty impressive that they have a working 14nm process, even if it doesn't have every bell-and-whistle of Intel.And 18 months+ of process advantage for Intel over the last five years has translated into basically zero phone design wins. So much for the "there is no x86 tax argument". If Intel couldn't get a win when they had such an advantage, it's unclear how they're going to get a win this year.
porphyr - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
Part of the issue was that intel was fabbing ultra mobile parts on n-1 processes for quite a while, but I agree. It will be interesting to see if they try something differentMichael Bay - Monday, March 2, 2015 - link
It`s much more about intel not having a good modem to pair with their phone Atom or put it inside it until Baytrail, necessitating a twochip solution. OEMs really don`t like such situations, as it increases costs and design complexity a whole lot in already not so margin-friendly part of the mobile space.They had some wins in the past, like with ASUS Padfone series, likely because they conceded something to ASUS on other front, like better binned Cores or the like. It hopefully will change for the better this year, at least they had a lot of partners developing devices on Atom announced.
And 14nm intel advantage still stands largely intact.
name99 - Monday, March 2, 2015 - link
The single MOST successful smartphone company, called Apple (you may have heard of them) is perfectly happy with a two chip solution, as are its customers...Intel apologists have used this "oh we don't have an integrated modem" solution for years, but as far as I can tell, that is all it is --- an excuse, a way to avoid having to confront the deeper reasons why Intel still can't gain traction in this space.
Stephen Barrett - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
No. Intels 14nm is much better than samsungs. See the pipeline post about this device for a short explanationmedi03 - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
Yeah, like Xbox "it's about choice" guy.They don't talk to customers, they talk to tech reporters. Who could figure WTF 14nm means for their readers themselves.
jameskatt - Monday, March 2, 2015 - link
The Samsung S6 vs The Samsung S5:1. NO Removable Battery
2. SHORTER Battery Life
3. NO MicroSD Card Slot - needed even with 128 GB Storage since 200 GB cards are here
4. NO Waterproofing
5. SLOWER Chip than the Qualcomm Snapdragon 810
6. 40 FEWER Software Features than the S5
7. Glass on front and back - easier to break
Other than the parts that aped Apple, it feels like a few steps backward for an Android phone.
Hopefully, Samsung has an Android phone with real features and a faster chip - like the Qualcomm 820 soon.
maroon1 - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
I hope it have micro-SD memoryRumors are saying that it won't
KPOM - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
I wonder if they will reveal an 18kt gold watch. Seriously.The S6 looks like what the S5 should have been. The key question is whether Samsung will be able to differentiate itself now that HTC, LG, and even Xiaomi are out there producing phones with high quality materials and good technology.
KPOM - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
The reason I thought that Samsung might release a gold luxury Gear model is that Apple effectively pre-announced the April release more than a month ago in their earnings call, and that by announcing a luxury device a week before Apple provides final details about pricing, Samsung would have a chance to steal some thunder, and perhaps influence pricing itself. They seem to be back in compete-with-Apple mode.KPOM - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
Not sure if all these direct comparisons to the iPhone are a good idea. It sounds like they are a little insecure. The ads were clever in 2011, but in 2015?cmdrdredd - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
Yeah and they won't likely match real world tests.What's up with the focus on knox? That's one of the most hated "features" for enthusiasts who want to root. I guess they are trying to woo business adoption. Further, their push for Samsung Pay will probably not go anywhere. Goodle now owns Softcard's software and is teaming up with carriers to get adoption across the entire line and Apple has deals struck with many banks and merchants already to support their tokenization method. I think Samsung trying to push in is stupid. They should just go with Google Wallet because of Android universal support. I hope they don't try to block Google Wallet in an effort to force adoption of Samsung Pay.
Alexey291 - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
It is also a useful feature for the enterprise. Which makes a muuuch bigger market :)KPOM - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
I'm guessing that they are looking to convince businesses that it is safe to go with their technology, or let their employees BYOD the Galaxy S6.GC2:CS - Monday, March 2, 2015 - link
Well many people say that samsung "project zero" was just an push to copy Apple like with the galaxy S after a prety serious stumble (or better said fall) in the smartphone bussines.And what is the first thing a copycat does ? Tells you how their copy is better than the original.
KPOM - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
Interesting. So not much that we didn't know. I thought they might unveil a new luxury Gear model.DRainsbergerII - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
How does this MST technology work? what level of communication is going on here?KPOM - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
Nothing fancy. It is simply a magnetic field that spoofs a magnetic strip on a credit card. It's to support legacy devices.Jimmydonegood - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
Having a replaceable battery was a big seller in my Note 4 purchase. No removable battery is a no go for me!name99 - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
It's 2015. Whining about lack of replaceable battery (and SD card) is no longer cute, it's like throwing a tantrum because your ultrabook doesn't have a floppy drive.Accept reality and either modify your usage patterns, or resign yourself to buying old phone off eBay.
Either way, the world has moved on, and tech forums are no longer an appropriate place to complain about something that is OBVIOUSLY the new and standard way things are done.
cboath - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
People will stop complianing about lack of card access when they stop getting gouged insanely to up the storage on the phones.name99 - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
The cost of storage in phones ramps the way it does because businesses like to use variable pricing. It's EXACTLY the same principle as airline pricing, or the cost of Intel CPUs.Complaining about it is like complaining about gravity; and as pointless. If it weren't storage, it would be something else. That's reality of how sales work in a high gini society.
(And please spare us the hysterics. At least in the Apple world, batteries last a LOT longer than a year, and storage upgrades cost nothing close to the base phone's price. If your argument can only sound valid when it is based on exaggeration, then it's not a very good argument.)
Alexey291 - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
Oh dear lord. When batteries last longer than a year (of active use) and nand storage upgrades don't double the phone's price...Then maybe i'll consider what you're saying. But for now you're complaining about people complaining. And sounding like a right prick in progress.
TedKord - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
Or when unlimited data returns and we get 100% coverage everywhere. Until then, expandable storage is a must.mkozakewich - Monday, March 2, 2015 - link
Stop draining them to 0% and they will last a few years.mkozakewich - Monday, March 2, 2015 - link
Cards are still important. The swappability meets certain use-cases.Meanwhile, yeah, there's little use for an extra battery when you can have an external battery. That works on every phone.
adityarjun - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
correction - Time for Ian and ME to play with the deviceIntervenator - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
This is the second time that I've watched the iPhone event.TedKord - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
But it was better this time.croc - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
LIFO methodology in an article is very counter-intuitive. This has nothing to do with costs, it is just sloppy publishing. Clean up your act.mkozakewich - Monday, March 2, 2015 - link
It makes sense to automatically add posts in LIFO mode during the event. It's afterwards that they need to flip everything.Vinny DePaul - Sunday, March 1, 2015 - link
How much? The Galaxy brand is getting confusing. Too many Galaxy's. The Samsung UI is too sluggish. They should offer a clean Android version.mkozakewich - Monday, March 2, 2015 - link
Galaxy S. Galaxy Note. (Also cheap things like Galaxy Ace.) There's not that much else to it.name99 - Monday, March 2, 2015 - link
And Galaxy Tab. And Galaxy Alpha. And K, Pro, R, W, M, E, Z and Y!!! All with various modifiers.I kid you not --- it's fscking insane:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samsung_Galaxy
royalcrown - Monday, March 2, 2015 - link
@ IanSamsung's stuff is getting dull. I won't be buying any crap with Knox because of this "E-fuse" nonsense. I understand that it has it's usefulness, but downgrading or tinkering with my OS shouldn't be considered (warranty voiding) hardware damage. My USB port needs repair, home button bad...sorry no warranty on that because you changed your OS. ridiculous.
I hope you guys are planning on giving the HTC M9 some proper coverage. HTC is really going all out to give us a great phone with things we want, not some gimmicky screen that wraps around the side and the same old apps.
Gunbuster - Monday, March 2, 2015 - link
Oh boy the Samphone 6, talk about derivative and boring. And that camera wart on the back, Barf...Jyocemirth - Wednesday, March 4, 2015 - link
I believe most of people are toxic for the tech fad, Also including me!