3 ms·

It's not bewildering if it's literally always been true. A few points: Samsung is not cool. Or rather, maybe a little bit among some very middle/lower class p

by jariel 6y ago

It's not bewildering if it's literally always been true. A few points: Samsung is not cool. Or rather, maybe a little bit among some very middle/lower class people. Selling mobiles is done primarily through carriers - this is not about Samsung direct advertising mostly, by and large, it's through the deals made with carriers. Google has never taken their phone and it's manufacturing/distribution as seriously as Samsung. Carriers may have also specifically not wanted Google to win, because it gives G too much power, they hate Apple and don't want to have to be told what to do. Samsung has always had a huge variety of phones, a much bigger and broader approach. They have always led with a kind of crappy, thrown-together feature, but it was enough to put some wrap a bad campaign around good enough for a bulk of the Android community.

billfruit 6y ago
Outside of US, carrier bundling is rarely seen, people buy phones and carrier plans often prepaid separately.
- carschno 6y ago
  The US is a pretty large market, plus carrier bundling is quite common in Europe too. You are usually free to choose a non-bundled phone as well, but I have no ideas what the numbers are. Within the bundled packages, my impression is that Samsung is very dominant as well among the Android phones.
  - billfruit 6y ago
    China and India are the two largest smartphone markets in the world, and I am thinking in these big markets carrier bundling isn't a thing at all.
- kiwijamo 6y ago
  New Zealand is outside the US and it's not unusual for people to buy their phones from their carrier alongside signing up to a plan especially if they are spending a lot of money. Phones purchased directly from the carrier are guaranteed to have the correct LTE bands which makes it easier to be sure you will get the best performance. Also carriers offer sweet interest-free deals with free stuff throw in which makes it more appealing than buying a phone outright. It's usually people buying cheaper phones that may just pair up an cheap phone from an independent store with a cheap plan often from a virtual operator.
  - jowsie 6y ago
    It's the same in the UK as well.

by jariel 6y ago

billfruit 6y ago

Outside of US, carrier bundling is rarely seen, people buy phones and carrier plans often prepaid separately.

carschno 6y ago
The US is a pretty large market, plus carrier bundling is quite common in Europe too. You are usually free to choose a non-bundled phone as well, but I have no ideas what the numbers are. Within the bundled packages, my impression is that Samsung is very dominant as well among the Android phones.
- billfruit 6y ago
  China and India are the two largest smartphone markets in the world, and I am thinking in these big markets carrier bundling isn't a thing at all.
kiwijamo 6y ago
New Zealand is outside the US and it's not unusual for people to buy their phones from their carrier alongside signing up to a plan especially if they are spending a lot of money. Phones purchased directly from the carrier are guaranteed to have the correct LTE bands which makes it easier to be sure you will get the best performance. Also carriers offer sweet interest-free deals with free stuff throw in which makes it more appealing than buying a phone outright. It's usually people buying cheaper phones that may just pair up an cheap phone from an independent store with a cheap plan often from a virtual operator.
- jowsie 6y ago
  It's the same in the UK as well.