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Samsung is combining the true openness of Android with Apple-grade hardware, and keeping it affordable. No one else can compete currently at this level. The S

Samsung is combining the true openness of Android with Apple-grade hardware, and keeping it affordable. No one else can compete currently at this level. The Software Advantage: Samsung sent a Galaxy S II and sources to the CyanogenMod developers. They are learning very fast -- the home mod community made very significant improvements to the original Galaxy S, and in direct contrast to Apple (and Apple's hate-and-steal technique of 'innovation': denying feature importance and then stealing said feature from jailbreak devs), Samsung is involving those talented devs directly, at practically no cost to Samsung. With this move they have cemented sales among several thousand android devs/enthusiasts -- a small percentage of total sales, but more importantly Samsung is gaining invaluable software improvements and beta testers at the cost of a device or two. It also means they're avoiding the bad press that many Android handset manufacturers (HTC, Motorola in particular) have gotten in the past for staying locked-down and not releasing sources. The Hardware Advantage There is a very important detail the article skims over: "We’ll bring the chips, thank you. Unlike Nokia, Samsung designs its own smartphone processors, just as Apple began to do with the A4 chip it brought to the iPhone 3GS." Samsung manufactures that A4 iPhone core chip and the Galaxy's Cortex-A8 is its brother. If anything, the A4 is a stripped-down version of Samsung's S5 [1]. Samsung again gets to learn and implement tech improvements (this time from Apple) at little or no cost. The Galaxy Tab shares tech with the iPad, and the Series 9 (Macbook Air competitor) mentioned in another comment here [2] is the next example. Also not mentioned is the breadth of Samsung's display advantages. Now that the screen is the most obvious selling (or dick-measuring) point for smartphones, imho their AMOLED is the one to beat. They have such a long advantage in this field [3] it is almost impossible for competitors to compete on price for display tech. They have solid worldwide distribution and can basically sell the same handset in every market. My hope right now is this continues as long as possible! I'm already lamenting the sale of Samsung's HDD division to Seagate. [1] http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4200451/Apple-s-A4-dissected-discussed--and-tantalizing?pageNumber=1 http://www.eetimes.com/electronics-news/4200451/Apple-s-A4-d... [2] http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2656958 http://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=2656958 [3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_light-emitting_diode#Samsung_applications http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Organic_light-emitting_diode#Sa...

Steko 15y ago
I find this entire comment dubious. "the true openness of Android" Which part of the 'true openness' of Android killed Samsung's deal with Skyhook? Was it the part when Android boss Andy Rubin said Samsung couldn't ship if they used Skyhook? edit: confused "stop ship" of Motorola with Samsung. Same idea for both deals though. Don't get me wrong Android much more open then iOS but it's farm from the promised land google fanboys claim it is. "Apple-grade hardware, and keeping it affordable.." In case you didn't notice, Apple's iPad has been somewhat competitive on price and phones too. Apple and HTC are both more profitable unitwise then Samsung, I don't know where you get off saying "no one else can compete at this level" Your Software Advantage is "cemented sales among several thousand android devs/enthusiasts." Is that seriously their software advantage? I think Apple, Microsoft and other companies that actually sell software by the billions might take issue with Samsung having an advantage here. Your Hardware Advantage is that they make their own chips. Which are apparently so awesome they're running NVIDIA chips in their flagship tablet. Their screens are excellent but there is plenty of competition. Google "best smartphone display" and a bunch of iphone 4 links pop up.
- nl 15y ago
  Which part of the 'true openness' of Android killed Samsung's deal with Skyhook? No - that was great PR on behalf of Skyhook, but don't fall for it. Google had no problem with Samsung (or Motorola) shipping Skyhook. The problem was that Skyhook demanded exclusive access to the WiFi access point data (ie, if they shipped Skyhook they couldn't let Google get the same data). Among those other issues was the provision limiting data collection to Skyhook. Motorola asked Skyhook to waive that restriction, so as to enable Motorola to comply with its obligations to Google with respect to GMS. Skyhook refused to do so, proposing instead that Motorola disable the data collection functions of GMS on its devices, which Skyhook contended would not affect performance of other functions of GMS. Motorola responded that it could not proceed in that manner without violating its obligations to Google and its carriers, and that it was therefore absolved of its obligations under the Skyhook contract. [1] To quote Wikipedia: In December 2010 a judge denied Skyhook's motion for preliminary injunction, saying that Google had not closed off the possibility of accepting a revised version of Skyhook's XPS service, and that Motorola had terminated their contract with Skyhook because Skyhook wanted to disable Google's location data collection functions on Motorola's devices, which would have violated Motorola's obligations to Google and its carriers. [2] [1] http://www.socialaw.com/slip.htm?cid=20416&sid=121 http://www.socialaw.com/slip.htm?cid=20416&sid=121 [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)#Licensing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)#Lice...

Steko 15y ago

I find this entire comment dubious. "the true openness of Android" Which part of the 'true openness' of Android killed Samsung's deal with Skyhook? Was it the part when Android boss Andy Rubin said Samsung couldn't ship if they used Skyhook? edit: confused "stop ship" of Motorola with Samsung. Same idea for both deals though. Don't get me wrong Android much more open then iOS but it's farm from the promised land google fanboys claim it is. "Apple-grade hardware, and keeping it affordable.." In case you didn't notice, Apple's iPad has been somewhat competitive on price and phones too. Apple and HTC are both more profitable unitwise then Samsung, I don't know where you get off saying "no one else can compete at this level" Your Software Advantage is "cemented sales among several thousand android devs/enthusiasts." Is that seriously their software advantage? I think Apple, Microsoft and other companies that actually sell software by the billions might take issue with Samsung having an advantage here. Your Hardware Advantage is that they make their own chips. Which are apparently so awesome they're running NVIDIA chips in their flagship tablet. Their screens are excellent but there is plenty of competition. Google "best smartphone display" and a bunch of iphone 4 links pop up.

nl 15y ago
Which part of the 'true openness' of Android killed Samsung's deal with Skyhook? No - that was great PR on behalf of Skyhook, but don't fall for it. Google had no problem with Samsung (or Motorola) shipping Skyhook. The problem was that Skyhook demanded exclusive access to the WiFi access point data (ie, if they shipped Skyhook they couldn't let Google get the same data). Among those other issues was the provision limiting data collection to Skyhook. Motorola asked Skyhook to waive that restriction, so as to enable Motorola to comply with its obligations to Google with respect to GMS. Skyhook refused to do so, proposing instead that Motorola disable the data collection functions of GMS on its devices, which Skyhook contended would not affect performance of other functions of GMS. Motorola responded that it could not proceed in that manner without violating its obligations to Google and its carriers, and that it was therefore absolved of its obligations under the Skyhook contract. [1] To quote Wikipedia: In December 2010 a judge denied Skyhook's motion for preliminary injunction, saying that Google had not closed off the possibility of accepting a revised version of Skyhook's XPS service, and that Motorola had terminated their contract with Skyhook because Skyhook wanted to disable Google's location data collection functions on Motorola's devices, which would have violated Motorola's obligations to Google and its carriers. [2] [1] http://www.socialaw.com/slip.htm?cid=20416&sid=121 http://www.socialaw.com/slip.htm?cid=20416&sid=121 [2] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)#Licensing http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Android_(operating_system)#Lice...