Lets have a little about Samsung’s high end flagship Galaxy smart phones; each in turn has been there or thereabouts comparable with the class when launched, from the Galaxy S to the Galaxy S5, although a little on the expensive side. Another trait that has persisted has been the so-so design and the materials used to build the device. One of the changes within the industry, along with higher prices, is that consumers want something that feels expensive for their second or subsequent device. In 2014 Samsung released the Galaxy Alpha, which is a beautifully designed handset constructed of metal but has a couple of compromises. One is that Samsung made the Alpha very thin by giving it a small battery; it sits between the 2011 and 2012 flagship models, and second, the price, which is not so far off the high end flagship model but for decidedly mid-range internals. Their next device, presumably the Samsung Galaxy S6, really should be “something special” in order to recapture the sales magic of yesteryear. And I remember saying this about the unannounced S5 this time last year.
Samsung’s plans for their Smartphone range include reducing the number of devices that they design and sell by around a quarter for 2015. They are also planning to improve their mid range – the one area of the Smartphone business that’s under the least threat – and share components across as many of their devices as possible so as to reduce costs. Having fewer, smaller teams working closer together should help with this.
During 2014, Samsung have also had to deal with other issues. Their entanglement with Microsoft, they also continued push with Tizen which gives them a third operating system. Samsung sold something like 665 million consumer white products in 2014 and wants the majority to be connected to the Internet by the end of this decade, running Tizen.
2015 will be a proving ground for Samsung. They’ve already had their nose bloodied in the sales figures. Apple are encroaching into the
