After several months of wild speculation and rumours the Galaxy S IV is finally an official smartphone. A month still remains before the phone hits store shelves, but Samsung has already created enough hype to be assured of a blockbuster hit. Although the veracity of the preceding statement remains yet to be proved, there are a few lessons that fellow Android vendors can learn from Samsung’s latest flagship phone.
To begin with, Samsung has adopted a new style of presenting the phone to the audience for the first time. Call it innovative or even painful, Samsung has ultimately managed to achieve its sole motive after the event concluded. Everybody is now talking about the phone; good or bad isn’t a consideration as long as there is enough hype being generated. Sometimes it essentially comes down to the marketing strategy adopted by the company. A good understanding of the public opinion could generate returns in the long run, if not immediately.
However, this strategy does require heavy investment initially and is thus a risk that most companies refrain from adopting. For example, HTC needs to market aggressively if it hopes that its flagship phone (the One) will be able to compete against the likes of the S IV or the iPhone. The One does possess sizeable potential, but any product that is marketed badly is seldom sold. Positive signs did emerge when HTC attempted to mock the Galaxy S IV during its launch, which trended well on Twitter. Even LG joined the party, but the magnitude was less in comparison its Taiwanese competitor.
Another way in which other manufacturers are lacking in comparison to Samsung is that they fail to create experiences that ‘matter’. From the features of the Galaxy S IV, it is clear that the company is focussed more on getting the users involved with their devices i.e. implementation of hand gestures, eye scrolling etc. Some call it over-customization, but these aspects tend to make a difference because a user will prefer an interactive interface over a dull one. Though manufacturers pride themselves on ‘innovation’ and unique devices, it may be time manufacturers take Samsung’s example and start integrating what works – an immersive user interface experience. For Samsung, it has left behind the days when it all used to be about the hardware.
