Is Samsung Bigger Than Android? Part I

Legal Ramblings and Billions
2012 was dominated by headlines referring to Samsung and Apple. The two Giants went to court and over 1 billion dollars were at stake. Apple claimed that Samsung (Sammy) copied the look and feel of their world famous iPhone, and it seems like the jury agreed because Apple wound up victorious in the heat of the Summer battle.

Many saw it as a slap on the wrist to Sammy which had been making billions of dollars since the introduction of its Galaxy S line of phones. Just this past quarter, Samsung made more than 8 billion in profits and this, my friends, is no mean feat. These kinds of figures are only posted by the big boys of the game. Indeed, Samsung has announced, not only their arrival, but also their intention to play ball in the mobile arena.

The beautiful Gnex as presented by Samsung and Google

Resemblance of Galaxies and Apples
As rosy as things have been for the company from South Korea, pundits, forecasters, industry experts and fans alike have been watching the movements of Samsung closely. I think that if we were to be honest, we would admit that the original Galaxy phones looked quite similar to the iPhone, especially when they had the physical home button. The S2, and the S3 have each strayed a little further away from the iOS look and we are all thankful for this. Whether it was because of legal action or because Samsung discovered a superior design, we'll never know, but thankful we surely are. 

Persistence of Physical Home Button (PHB)
With each new release of a Samsung phone, I can't help but cringe at the presence of a physical home button. The first Android handset to have full onscreen buttons was made by Samsung and it was dubbed the Galaxy Nexus. That's right, Samsung knew that Android was heading towards on screen buttons before most or all other OEMs. Despite this knowledge, Samsung has released the S3 with a physical home button, the Note 2, which was expected to be honest, and even now, there are pictures floating around about a Note 8 and, would you believe it? it has a physical home button according to the early images.

These are my opinions but, I think that the Note 8 looks ugly and many have expressed similar views, and not only that but, I think that the home button on the S3 is also ugly. The industry laughed at the hideous nature of the S3 before it went on to be crowned the phone of 2012 by Cnet. I often wonder why Sammy, as they are affectionately called, persists with P.H.B on their devices. Are they afraid that if it is removed, they will lose their identity? Is it an effort to mimic the home button of iOS devices? Or is it simply to prove that they can create their own design standards, deviate from Google's ideas, and still be the top Android OEM?

Aesthetics and Power
I love technology, and the designs that companies attach to their products. I think it helps to set some companies apart from others. I just don't think that Samsung shares some of my views about what is aesthetically pleasing and what is not. That said, I probably should not argue with a company that turns in those kinds of figures. Alas, the question still burns in my mind; are they now bigger than Android itself? There's something fishy brewing in the labs of Seoul, and powerful companies tend to do unexpectedly devious things. One only needs to look at Apple and the Microsoft of yesteryear to understand this fully. Am I just being paranoid, or is Samsung up to something? What do you think?



In Part II, we will explore some of Samsung's plans for the future and how they plan to grow as a mobile giant. 

Screen Shots!!!

Let's cut to the chase here. We all love screen shots. We post them, we share them, we view them from other's and we ask, "how did you do that?" Without further ado, let's get into it. The following are screen shots that I was able to capture from the +Google+ community over the span of two days. Creators or providers of the content will be tagged in each case so feel free to reach out to them.

Also, let me know which one was, in your view, the best of the lot. Enjoy.

 Captured on my HTC sensation 4G.

Like It or Not: Apple Should Be Considering a Cheaper iPhone

Apple; a name we're all familiar with, whether we're referring to the fruit or what is considered the most valuable company in the world. There's no need to go into the early history of Apple as a company as it is not relevant at this time, but we will look at the fact that they seem to be slipping somewhat and what they can do to reverse this trend. We will also look at their rise to dominance since the introduction of the iPhone in 2007.

When the iPhone was introduced, and I think I speak for every one when I say this, the phone industry was flipped on its head. It was by no means the first smart phone, but it was the first phone that, to many, felt truly smart. It was first greeted with much skepticism as well as eager eyes and minds. It set the bar pretty high, and all other players in the market couldn't help but take note.

High rollers at the time included +Nokia, which until recently was the largest manufacturer of phones globally. They have since lost that crown to +Samsung Mobile as indicated by The Verge in this post. Another player who had been experiencing a wildly successful time when the iPhone was launched was +BlackBerry. Seen by many as being a phone for the business man at first, Blackberries did become mainstream and were adopted by many as their phone of choice.

In the years following 2007, the iPhone, originally launched as an AT&T exclusive in the U.S. gained traction around the world. Steve Jobs, with his ability to woo people into buying anything he wanted to sell, did a great job of presenting successive iPhones to the masses, and each subsequent iPhone has garnered more customers and more support.

But something else happened. Android happened. In 2008, Google dropped Android, and while I won't go into the history of Android, I will say that it has now gained the majority of the world's market share with over 1,000,000 activations per day.

Recently, there have been reports of waning desire for the iPhone 5. It is also evident that Android dominates in emerging markets. Apple charges quite a premium for their handset, and not everyone is willing to spend that kind of money on a phone. It's not that Android doesn't have expensive phones, but it's the choice that Android provides that allows it to cater to more persons in both developed and developing markets.

Just like they did when they launched the iPad Mini, Apple should also launch a cheaper phone. The Android army grows daily, and with each person that buys into the Android eco-system, it's one less person that buys into iOS. Despite claims that they would never make a cheap iPhone because it is unlike them, I want to state that they also denounced smaller tablets before launching one of their own. With tumbling stocks and a few customers who are disgruntled by the stagnant nature of iOS, a cheaper iPhone cannot come soon enough for Apple and I don't think we should be surprised if they do launch one in the near future.

How To Get Your Child To Read Published Content

As a teacher, it pains me to read a report, essay, or short answer written by a student, which lacks the basic use of grammar and sentence structures. It also pains me to realise that this happens all too frequently today. Our children are unable to construct simple sentences and I think I know the reason why.

While completing my degree in Reading and Education, (teaching children to read), we learnt that the best way to get persons to read was to provide them with content that they liked. The truth is that everyone, once he or she is capable, reads at some point during the day. We read text messages, emails, +Facebook and twitter posts, and the dirty jokes that are scribbled on the walls of public bathrooms. That's right, we read everyday. So we have highlighted the fact that it's not so much a lack of reading, that leads to the inability to construct proper sentences, but a question of what exactly is being read. This, my friend, is where the problem lies.

As Oprah Winfrey noted, reading is about pleasure, and we need to understand that. We all read what we do because we want to, unless it's mandated by school or work. Children generally don't want to read text books, it does not interest them. This problem is easy to solve. We need to determine the interests of the child and provide them with content in that field or genre. Imagine giving a boy a book about trucks, or baseball players with pictures. Now imagine giving that boy a book about romance stories or about dresses. The average boy will likely go for the book about cars and trucks, or football players, or even Robin Hood.

If we can understand the interests of the child, and provide him or her with the content that they desire, whether it be in a traditional book, on a tablet pc, or on a computer, you will find it difficult to separate that child from the source of that content, from the source of such pleasure. As a boy, there were books that I read over and over again, including Robin Hood and Sherlock Holmes. It wasn't until adulthood that I realised my attraction towards adventure and mystery. There were other books that I wouldn't look at twice because they did not appeal to me in the same way.

This is how we need to get our children to read published content. We need to give them official content that covers topics that they're interested in. Once this is achieved, the level and standard of writing in our schools, and even probably on our social media sites will improve. Let's give it a try. Let's see if we can make a difference in the lives of our children today, and the lives of their children tomorrow. Just ask your child what type of story they would like to read or you can read it to them if they aren't quite capable yet.

Why We Need Multiple Nexus Devices - Part II

Cont'd from Part I 

For reasons that we will not explore now, the OEMs decided to stick to their skins, with the exception of +Motorola Mobility for obvious reasons. Following the release the of Galaxy Nexus, so affectionately called the Gnex, Google released the Nexus 4, and this is where things went crazy. Made by LG, the phone, arguably the best ever Nexus, was sold by Google at a ridiculously low price of $300 for the 8GB model, and $350 for the $16GB model. To this date, Google has been unable to keep it in stock on the Play Store. The phone sold out within minutes in Australia, and the EU. Like the Nexus 7 before it, it was an instant hit.

Many have been left stranded by the inability of Google and LG to meet the demands, not to mention their supplies to +T-Mobile and other carriers around the world. In discussions with fellow enthusiasts, we explored the issues plaguing the N4, and what could be done. I often project the view that this stressful situation can be alleviated if we have multiple Nexus devices to purchase.

Stock Android is pretty, and the N4 has some serious power within. People want upgrades on time and the price is just right but, and this is a huge but, we cannot purchase the device. It is, for the large part, no where to be found. This is why I suggest that we have at least two phones running stock Android. They will be made by different manufacturers, offer different physical features, different screen sizes and maybe even different storage capacities. Most importantly, more persons will be able to buy Nexus devices because there will be more manufacturers. It's a simple supply and demand problem and at the moment, demand greatly overwhelms the supply.

I am pleading with the Overlords at +Google, please, in all your great wisdom, consider offering multiple Nexus phones just as you have offered multiple Nexus tablets. Cater to the colourful diversity that is the Android crowd. Make a greater effort to stem our insatiable hunger for your products. Many have bought alternative devices and now grudgingly look on as several others sport their Nexus 4s. I know that it is not the end of the world, but one cannot help but wonder what would have happened if we had just one more Nexus phone to purchase. Wouldn't we all have been just a bit happier?

Why We Need Multiple Nexus Devices - Part I

As a lover of technology and by extension, smartphones and their OS's, I have gone head first into many arguments over the past year or so. I respect all the operating systems for what they do and their unique abilities but the truth is that the one I use the most is that thing called Android. Yes, yes, we've heard the word on many occasions whether we wanted to or not and I am aware of the fact that we all have various feelings about the said OS.

There's an ever present issue in the world of Android. The issue of skins vs stock Android. All Android OEMs put a skin, or, to put it simpler, a variation of the 'User Interface' as some might put it, on their devices. We've had Touchwiz from +Samsung Mobile, HTC's Sense and Motorola formerly had Motoblur which, if you ask me, is an absolutely terrible name. Each of these manufacturers, and many others around the world place their own twist on Google's idea of what the UI should be. Some of them, like +HTC even go a step further and tinker with the multitasking of the OS.

The truth is that some persons are quite fond of these 'skins.' Another fact is that many persons are not and rather the stock experience because it has now become refined and pretty to say the least.

Let's have a look at what led to this moment. In the year 2010, Google unveiled the first Nexus device, the Nexus One by HTC and it was touted as a developers phone. It was unadulterated. No skins, no carrier bloat, no twist in the puzzle; it was just pure Android. In the same year, Google also released the Nexus S by Samsung. Again, the same held true. No bloat, no skins, even though this one was released on a couple carriers because the popularity of Nexus devices among the Android faithful had already grown immensely.

In 2011, we all watched with mouths ajar as Google unveiled Sammy's second Nexus device, the Galaxy Nexus.  What was even more important was the presence of Ice Cream Sandwich. This was the latest version of Android and this is the version that turned the tide. The inclusion of +Matias Duarte to the Android team made the OS a site to behold. It was no longer jagged and unsightly; it was finally pleasing to the eye. We thank you for this Matias. As joyful as this moment was, it raised a very stirring question. What's going to happen to all the skins that were needed to make Android pretty? They were obviously no longer needed, but would the OEMs concede defeat to the mighty Google?

Join me in Part II as we delve deeper into this mystery.

How to Make Tech Stick - Tales From Apple, Samsung and Google

It's the beginning of a new year, and we have started off with a bang. January has already been littered and bombarded with tech news from the world over. Rumours of new phones, new TVs, cars with LTE and computers that think have been shown to us and the year seems to be one of the most exciting years yet.

Despite the bright opening to the year, something worries me greatly. In fact, it has worried me for quite some time now. What's disturbing is that companies invest hundreds or thousands of work hours and millions of dollars into research and development of new products, which, to be honest, don't always stick. What do I mean by stick? Well, to put it simply, no one falls head over heels in love with the devices. 

This happens time and again, and giants such as HTC and +Motorola Mobility before their Google take over, made losses quarter over quarter, year over year. All this happened while +Samsung Mobile and Apple ran away with almost 90% of the industry's profits as quoted by Appleinsider. These two companies, along with Nokia in the past and also +BlackBerry at some point in time found a way to make their tech stick. They found a way to make people want their products and I think that this is the goal of every Original Equipment Manufacturer out there.

For starters, these companies, at some point in their business lives studied the markets that they were catering to and would have spent significant resources designing the products to make them visibly appealing and kind to the touch. Operating system? No problem. Samsung and Apple make phones for the two biggest mobile OS's at the moment. Blackberry and Nokia once had these boastful titles as well.

Marketing is the name of the game. Apple regularly has ads on television and we know about Samsung's arguably successful attempts to tarnish the name of the aforementioned company and to boost their own products while they're at it.

Support and accessories are also 'part and parcel' of the success story. The iPhone has arguably the best accessory support that one can find on the market as alluded to by +The Verge. The Galaxy S3, because it now has one form factor across all carriers, has also seen it's fair share of support on the market. Likewise, software updates are essential. The only top notch phone that matches the iPhone at the moment in terms of software updates is the Nexus 4, even though it's still not readily available. Again, the Galaxy S3 has also seen a fairly good rate of software updates from Samsung barring the interference of some carriers.

Lastly, we look at price, and this is where things get dicey. On one hand, Apple charges a premium for their products, known as the Apple tax, and none can blame them because they sell like water would in a desert. On the other hand, Google employs a tactic that encourages great products at almost cost price and this creates mass hysteria among those looking to cop the latest +Nexus  hardware. Samsung, like Apple, charges a premium for its devices and it has proven to be quite successful for them, with 2012 Q4 profit estimates rumoured to be above 8 billion.

So what have we discovered thus far? Firstly, OEM's need to know what the customers want and they need to 'get with the times.' Manufacturers need to make their devices appealing to the eye and the hand. The devices need mass accessory support and huge software support as well. Advertising is the key as this will inform the mass public of your life changing gadget and lastly, you must price your device correctly. Please bear in mind that pricing may be high, or low, or even somewhere in between. As 2013 rolls along and products are introduced, I do hope that we will see some pointers from these big 3 companies adopted by others in the industry.