'The Galaxy Awaits You' Says Samsung in Anti-Apple Ad Pushing Z Flip 4

[groove-agent]

I can't get into Android, I just can't.

I am however open to the foldable screens, as soon as they figure out to make it creaseless.

 

[Daum]

Anyone who thinks having a phone of any brand is a status symbol has no clue. Sure back in the days of the original iPhone-iPhone 5, yes. But now, everyone and their mom has one. It's not cool, it's trusted, reliable and safe.

Cool, trusted, reliable and safe. exactly... basic!

 

[Analog Kid]

I have never bought a piece of technology to try to gain attention from others. I can't imagine starting now. I buy devices because I want them and what they can do for me, not to show off. Does that really work for people? Does showing off the latest gadget attract people that you would actually want to have as friends?

There's that special person you've had your eye on. You know they're out of your league, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Then you get the new Samsung and everything changes. Next thing you know, they're everywhere you go, asking, begging to flip your phone. Before you know it, you're cool.

One thing leads to another, marriage, family, career. As long as you always have the latest coolest phone.

One year, you just can't justify it. Maybe you wanted a new boat instead. Or just don't think the latest features are worth the hassle of the upgrade. You've still got last years phone, that should be good enough.

And that's when the wheels come off. Your life just starts to take a nose dive. Lose your job, your kids lose respect for you. That special someone is starting to check out other people's phones. Next stop, divorce court. Grounds for divorce? Dated tech. The judge understands. You're stripped of the last of your assets, the last of your dignity, and it really would be better for the kids if they had better influences in their life. People with cooler phones.

There's no recovering. No getting back over that fence.

 

[ericg301]

As someone who's sat in marketing meetings for 15+ years, I just don't understand the strategy here. Either the product stands on its own (err flips on its own), or it doesn't. And if it doesn't, then no amount of marketing will fix a bad product.

 

[JippaLippa]

No thanks, I'll stick with the "forbidden"

 

[siri_3005]

The only way you can sell me with these "foldable phones" is if I can get them repaired with Flex Seal.

 

[JosephAW]

Apple needs to move Rosetta into the iPhone with iOS 17 and allow users to bring their Google apps over to the iPhone in a sandbox. That would be the killer app.

 

[Devin Breeding]

Foldable phones are one of those devices that are fun to look at on a display in the store before I move about my day.

 

[Makosuke]

I don't much care how Samsung advertises, although it's interesting to me that as a general rule, you only run attack ads (whatever the quality or messaging) directly targeting your competition if you're not winning.

Back in the day, Apple ran the Mac vs. PC ad campaign because they were way, way in second place as a platform. Apple does at times compare their products to (usually if not always vague) competitors during product launch presentations, but their advertising does not, because when you're on top you don't need to punch down.

All of which is to say that, for better or worse, if you aren't worried about your market position relative to your competitors, you don't talk about them in your ads.

 

[Analog Kid]

non sequitur | ˌnän ˈsekwədər | noun

a conclusion or statement that does not logically follow from the previous argument or statement:

Apple needs to move Rosetta into the iPhone with iOS 17 and allow users to bring their Google apps over to the iPhone in a sandbox. That would be the killer app.

 

[ian87w]

I was charmed by the Z Flip when it was first released due to its unique and "new" form factor. But as time goes, I am starting to observe that it is not practical nor relevant anymore in today's modern smartphone usage.

The flip form factor works in the days of feature phones, where you only use your phone for calls and basic text. The flip mechanism reduced the phone's footprint, and also protect the plastic screen.

Fast forward today, phone usage has evolved. From simply making calls and text, smartphones have become practically a computer. Notifications have become the core usage. Screens have evolved to be more durable glass, and interactions require touch.

A flip mechanism has become completely counter productive. It actually become a nuisance, an annoying extra step to get you to your phone. Worst, on the Z flip, you are back to less durable screen. It's simply a novelty, a wow factor, but usability tanks hard. Many people I met with the flip ended up putting the phone open on the table so they can get to their notifications etc right away instead of having to unflip and flip it all the time. If that's the case, might as well get a slab form factor.

 

[Davidov82]

And all those guys in this ad using iPhone in real life

 

[4odomi]

Samsung today shared another ad in its anti-Apple "On the Fence" series that encourages iPhone users to switch over to Samsung devices.

In the spot, a man sits on a literal fence while a woman using a Galaxy Z Flip 4 starts a conversation. "I used to be you," she says. "Sitting on the fence between Apple and Samsung." The man laments on how he wants to switch to a Samsung device, but he's worried about what his iPhone-using friends will think. She goes on to explain that he should be, because his friends will be jealous.

"When you pull out your new Galaxy Z Flip 4, people are going to lose it," she says. "They'll never leave you alone." After that, she hands him one of the Z Flip 4 smartphones, and people immediately start popping up around him commenting on how cool the Samsung phone is. "I could get used to this," he says, jumping off of the fence to the Samsung side.

Unlike Apple, Samsung has a habit of naming and shaming Apple devices in its ads. Just this morning, a World Cup-themed ad from Samsung mocked Apple for not offering a foldable smartphone option.

Samsung in November launched the first ad in the On the Fence series, and many of its recent ad spots have been making fun of Apple for its lack of a foldable iPhone. There continues to be no word on when Apple might debut a foldable device, but reliability, durability, and cost could be holding the Cupertino company back.

Article Link: 'The Galaxy Awaits You' Says Samsung in Anti-Apple Ad Pushing Z Flip 4

Samsung haven't worked it out yet, these adds actually sell iPhones 🤣

 

[mnsportsgeek]

Wait, Samsung thinks people want these? Has anyone actually seen one in the wild? I’ve seen one.

 

[davidmx]

android users (like me): we don't like the iPhone but could we at least get long term support, major OS updates and cool designs that do NOT copy the iPhone?

android makers: HEY LET'S REMOVE THE HEADPHONE JACK 🤑🤑🤑 oh and here's an ad mocking iPhones 😆😆😆

 

[noSpeed]

Not only cringe, but the takeaway for me is that people will care solely because it's a modern flippable phone with a foldable screen?

People here go bananas over the iPhone 14 because it’s new, never mind all but identical to the 13…

 

[mech986]

Yeah, "The Galaxy of Deceive".
In the last year several of my friends finally got tired of Android and switched to an iPhone.
Even those who were very stubborn at the beginning, finally switched.

Yep. The number of Android switchers to Apple is much larger than those going the other way. Why? Once you surpass only cost as a limiting factor in your choices, then you have more choice and Apple products become options. Long life, reliability, and high integration become over a 3-6 year lifespan with good resale value along the way gives a better per year cost than others.

I expect these ads are pretty effective for the down-market, anti-apple demographic they're aiming for. Ignoring the fact that those phones simply wouldn't exist in the form they do without Apple's design leadership.

Anti-Apple users for whatever reason will claim software or choice faults, high initial costs, “I can always buy a new phone every 2 years cheaper so why worry about long OS upgradability?”, and various other reasons. They just don’t like Apple for whatever reason and they stick to something else, not really having any brand loyalty.

That’s perfectly ok, they have and made their choices. Apple does perfectly well without them.

Anyone who thinks an iPhone is cool in 2022 has no clue. Sure back in the days of the original iPhone-iPhone 5 yes. But now everyone and their mom has one. It's not cool it's basic. hahaha

Wait, 3.5 billion Android users vs 1.3 billion iPhone users and every who and their mom has one? And each year, Apple has, what, 17-22% of the unit sales marketshare and still everyone has an iPhone? Even in the US, just over 50% have iPhones, the rest have something else.

Perhaps it’s just that iPhones are noticeable and visually or otherwise memorable for whatever reason, and the rest, well, maybe they’re mostly forgettable, fleetingly (maybe recognized) and just as quickly forgotten despite having a much larger numeric advantage workdwide. Or maybe specific demographics have and use their iPhones more frequently while Androids just aren’t seen as much or as well?

As for cool, well, that’s in the eyes and minds of the beholders. The fact that the 14-25 middle to upper class demographic overwhelmingly wants and prefers iPhones (see Piper-Sandler teen survey) which then bleeds into young adulthood as jobs and incomes allow, well, that’s where these Samsung ads are aiming at, aren’t they?

Oh, but that just gives you a unique phone!

Yup!

Yeah screaming Desperation for a company that is going on its 4th Gen flip phone. How about apple?

Screaming desperation is 4 generations of Flips and having sold 1M-2.5M-5M and probably 6.5M for 4 full years of sales through 2022-23 sales years. That’s about 14M total over 4 years. Apple sold 237M total iPhones in 2021, 75% or 178M were iPhone 13 models. Even with the supply disruption, Apple will sell, conservatively, 230-235M iPhone in 2022 FY, with higher Pro Model mix, so probably 60% Pro and Pro Max (141M). Is it possible the unloved iPhone 14 Plus, at maybe a low 5% of sales (11.75M) by next September still outsells either the S22 Ultra or all Samsung Foldables for the 2022 sales year? We’ll see.

What I wonder is how much revenue foldables really make for Samsung. Basically aren't they also trashing their own brand by telling their own customers who don't have/want foldables that they are somehow lacking as well?

In 2021, Samsung sold about 7.1M Foldables, with a 70:30 Flip:Fold ratio, of course split on price and affordability. If we choose $1050 ASP for Flip, and $1850 ASP (not counting any discounts or bundle costs - marketing eats at revenues and profits so this is a best case scenario), then
Flip = 7.1M x.7 X $1050 = $5.2B USD
Fold = 7.1M x .3 x $1850 = $3.9B USD
Total revenue = $9.1B. Pretty decent but I suspect gross profitability is only around 25-30% due to low yields of folding displays and pretty low volume to amortize chassis and R&D development costs, not to mention repairs and warranty issues.

This is backed up by Samsung’s recent Sept. Quarterly earning report showing MX (Mobile) division up 13% revenue YoY but profits falling almost 4%. Net profit for MX division was 10% showing the smartphone division relies mostly on mid to low price (but poor margins) tier sales (A, J, and M series) for the vast bulk of Samsung unit sales. From my research, in 2021, Samsung sold 273M smartphones, and I believe the premium and above S22, Ultra, & Foldables totaled ~47M, or just 17.2% of unit sales.

 

[Col4bin]

Dear Samsung, just because you can, doesn’t mean you should.

 

[svish]

Funny ad. Will be nice to see Apple’s take on foldable devices.

 

[compwiz1202]

Anyone who thinks having a phone of any brand is a status symbol has no clue. Sure back in the days of the original iPhone-iPhone 5, yes. But now, everyone and their mom has one. It's not cool, it's trusted, reliable and safe.

It's definitely not since installment plans were introduced. Even with subsidies, it wasn't a large sum for one. The very first original I believe may have been a status symbol.

 

[compwiz1202]

There's that special person you've had your eye on. You know they're out of your league, but the heart wants what the heart wants. Then you get the new Samsung and everything changes. Next thing you know, they're everywhere you go, asking, begging to flip your phone. Before you know it, you're cool.

One thing leads to another, marriage, family, career. As long as you always have the latest coolest phone.

One year, you just can't justify it. Maybe you wanted a new boat instead. Or just don't think the latest features are worth the hassle of the upgrade. You've still got last years phone, that should be good enough.

And that's when the wheels come off. Your life just starts to take a nose dive. Lose your job, your kids lose respect for you. That special someone is starting to check out other people's phones. Next stop, divorce court. Grounds for divorce? Dated tech. The judge understands. You're stripped of the last of your assets, the last of your dignity, and it really would be better for the kids if they had better influences in their life. People with cooler phones.

There's no recovering. No getting back over that fence.

Now that would be an entertaining commercial

 

[Ace McLoud]

You are always on my mind, you are always on my mind. *sing*

 

[cocoua]

Samsung just need to mock up Apple with the USB 2.0 they use in Lighting for data transfer.

While transferring a 20GB video from the Galaxy to a PC would take 4 minutes, in Apple ecosystem it would take 40 minutes via Lighting. (Sending it by Airdrop would need several try outs, some reboots, switching ON/OFF Bt and WIFI, a trip to Apple forums, ETC)


Every time I tell this to some of my proud iPhone fellas, they call me lier and no-sense saying things like "do you think the most referenced tech company is using USB 2 in their flagship devices? you know nothing, John Snow"

This just shows to me how opaque is tech world and how cheated customers are.

 

[TheOldChevy]

That's nothing unusual. Remember Mac vs PC videos ? Remember PowerPC vs Intel smoke ? Number two is trying to joke about number one.

 

[SoldOnApple]

I notice that none of these American Samsung ads feature teens, it's like Samsung knows it's not even worth trying for that market.