'The Samsung Galaxy S6 Sales Disaster'

[touchstoned]

I hear a lot of people talking about the S6 hardware being a cut above the iphone 6 and that Apple have to catch up. It doesn't appear that the sales numbers are reflecting this.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspe...gle-samsung-galaxy-s6-sales-note-launch-date/

Android Circuit: Galaxy S6's Sales Disaster, New Samsung Galaxy Launch Date, Xperia Z4 Tablet Review


Taking a look back at seven days of news across the Android world, this week’s Android Circuit highlights a number of stories including the low sales of the Samsung Galaxy S6 family, the early arrival of the Samsung Galaxy Note 5, early reviews of the Sony Xperia Z4 tablet, Microsoft Office preview for Android, the new OnePlus 2 handset is benchmarked online, Android Wear updates, MixRadio arrives on the platform, and the release of AdBlock’s Android browser.

Android Circuit is here to remind you of a few of the many things that have happened around Android in the last week (and you can read the weekly Apple news digest here).

Galaxy S6 Sales Disaster

While there are no confirmed numbers (and Samsung’s comment is “no comment”), the reporting of the first month of sales on the Galaxy S6 is not what the South Korean manufacturer would have been hoping for. Ten million is not just on the low-end of expectations, it’s crashing through the floor and have a serious effect on the finances of the parent company.

Korean news agency Yonhap reports that it has taken a month for sales of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge to reach 10M. Speaking to Yonhap a ‘high-ranking Samsung official’ confirmed this figure for the first time. Trying to put a positive spin on it the official said: “The sales of the Galaxy S6 series have already surpassed 10 million.”

Notably the Galaxy S4 shipped 10M units in 27 days while the much criticised Galaxy S5 took 25 days to ship 10M units. In fact it was the lack of growth from the Galaxy S5 that inspired the radical reboot of the line seen in the S6es.

Consequently for combined sales of the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge to only pass 10M in a similar timeframe to the S5 and S4 represents a disastrous return. This is particularly true for the cheaper Galaxy S6 given Samsung has already confirmed demand for the Edge variant has been unexpectedly high.

All of which poses the obvious question: if Galaxy S6 Edge sales are performing above expectations, just how bad are Galaxy S6 sales?

I’ll be keeping a close eye on the numbers around the Galaxy S6 family. Given the crash in profits and revenue during 2014, right now Samsung’s Mobile Division looks to be a huge fiscal drag on the company’s bottom line.

Is The Galaxy Note 5 Arriving Early?

Will Samsung reveal the Galaxy Note 5 ahead of the expected annual schedule? Traditionally Berlin’s IFA event has seen the South Korean company refresh its phablet line, but sources in the supply chain point to a potential earlier release.

…Samsung is also apparently preparing to release its Galaxy Note 5 in late July, according to WhowiredKorea. It is claimed Samsung has already confirmed the final specification of the phablet and shown prototypes to global telecoms partners… For Samsung bringing forward the Galaxy Note 5 launch would make sense. Samsung Pay is set to launch in July which would unite it with the new phablet and it would also give Samsung the drop on Android rivals expected to launch their devices at the IFA tech show which is held in Berlin in September.

Given Apple’s tendency to release devices in September, Samsung may also have thought this would give it the drop on the new iPhone 6S Plus. If I was looking for an easier answer, I’d suggest Samsung want far more units available at launch than in previous years to get an immediate ‘hit’ phone.

Sony Xperia Z4 Tablet Reviews

The Guardian’s Samuel Gibbs has been taking a look at a pre-release version of Sony’s latest tablet. The Xperia Z4 Tablet doubles up as an ultraportable laptop with the keyboard cover, and continues to push the idea of a high-specification waterproof tablet:

The Xperia Z4 Tablet will be familiar to anyone who has laid eyes on a Sony smartphone or tablet made in the last couple of years: a thin, waterproof body, black bezels and a brilliant LCD screen.

The big change for the Z4 is the size of the housing. The screen is the same 10.1in, now quad HD with a pixel density of 299 pixels per inch, but the bezels around the screen have shrunk – the tablet is 12mm shorter and 5mm narrower, making it one of the smallest 10in tablets available.

While the future of Sony’s mobile division is still unclear, the hardware that is being manufactured continues to impress. We’ll have the Z4 Tablet to review on Forbes when it is released to the public.

Microsoft Office Preview App Released For Android

Following on from successful release of OneNote and Outlook, Microsoft has rolled out Office for Android as a preview application. Tony Bradley takes a look at the strategy behind Microsoft’s next encroachment into the Android world:

Initially Microsoft worked to just get some version of the Office apps out there for competing platforms like iOS and Android. The focus lately has been on ensuring the look and feel are consistent across all of the different devices and operating systems. It’s nice to be able to use the same basic tools on different devices but users shouldn’t have to re-learn how to use Word, Excel or PowerPoint depending on which device they choose. It should be simple and intuitive to use a Microsoft Office app no matter which platform it’s on.

Microsoft’s move to a cloud-based strategy has an impact on how the mobile Office app earns money. While it works as a viewer for free, the single sign-up to Office 365 will open up all the features in the application.

Microsoft has made the basic functionality of viewing and editing Microsoft Office files free for everyone. You must subscribe to Office 365, though, if you want the full range of features and capabilities. That shouldn’t really be an issue for most people—Office 365 is a much better value than buying Microsoft Office the old-fashioned way.

Shenzhen-based manufacturer OnePlus is expected to release its second handset by the end of the year. Named the OnePlus 2, it appears that some handsets have browsed to the online benchmarking sites to see how they compare to the competition. 9to5Google has the details:

Rumors regarding the successor the popular OnePlus One smartphone began emerging earlier this year and now a mysterious device from the company has appeared in GeekBench test results. While the results don’t reveal much, the show what is likely the OnePlus 2. The device appears to be running Android 5.1 and features an 8 core processor, likely in the 4+4 setup, clocked at 1.55GHz.

The processor is most likely the Snapdragon 810,which has been said to suffer from overheating issues since its launch. The test results show the device as carrying the model number A2001. The original OnePlus One carried the A0001 model number.

 

[The-Real-Deal82]

There is no doubt it is a superb phone, but it's apparently selling very well according to posters on other threads here. Also it depends on which discussion you are in because the iPhone sales are usually compared to the entire Samsung range rather than the flagship devices in its particular market.

To be honest though, sales should mean nothing to us. We buy what we like and can afford, let Samsung and Apple worry about the books.

 

[Michael Goff]

I hear a lot of people talking about the S6 hardware being a cut above the iphone 6 and that Apple have to catch up. It doesn't appear that the sales numbers are reflecting this.

http://www.forbes.com/sites/ewanspe...gle-samsung-galaxy-s6-sales-note-launch-date/

So now sales are an indicator of quality?

 

[skratch77]

The s4 and s5 were world launches and hit like 80 countries at once.

This is just click bait journalism

 

[The Game 161]

S6 edge has eaten into the sales...bit like it matters. IPhone sells millions even if it was an average phone...so sales isnt a measurement on how good a phone is

 

[nia820]

Sales isn't a good measure of product quality. S6 is still a more advanced than the iPhone. But the masses like iphone because it's the cool thing to have. It's like with the black berry craze. It was trendy at one point to have a blackberry even though there were better phones out there.

I have a iphone 6 plus and a s6 edge. And my s6 definitely feels more modern than my iPhone 6. But the average consumer just want a trendy phone with basic features.

 

[Abazigal]

So now sales are an indicator of quality?

Yes and no.

Sales do suggest what sort of features matter more to consumers. Specs are the means, user experience is the end. All the specs in the world mean squat if they don't result in a better user experience that the end user can appreciate.

It's like the parable of the 4 blind men and the elephant. Sales by itself doesn't tell the whole story, but it does offer insight into what products consumers like (and by extension, what features they prize more than others), and so sales shouldn't be discounted entirely either.

 

[maka344]

Sales isn't a good measure of product quality. S6 is still a more advanced than the iPhone. But the masses like iphone because it's the cool thing to have. It's like with the black berry craze. It was trendy at one point to have a blackberry even though there were better phones out there.

I have a iphone 6 plus and a s6 edge. And my s6 definitely feels more modern than my iPhone 6. But the average consumer just want a trendy phone with basic features.

How do you juggle both devices? I'm in the same predicament and love both but realistically I don't need both handsets.

 

[Michael Goff]

Yes and no.

Sales do suggest what sort of features matter more to consumers. Specs are the means, user experience is the end. All the specs in the world mean squat if they don't result in a better user experience that the end user can appreciate.

It's like the parable of the 4 blind men and the elephant. Sales by itself doesn't tell the whole story, but it does offer insight into what products consumers like (and by extension, what features they prize more than others), and so sales shouldn't be discounted entirely either.

I completely disagree. If every option were available in every market at every time, I might agree. But sales have so many variables that it's really hard to take them as an indication of much. The S6, for example, has every feature the iPhone 6 does.

 

[I7guy]

I completely disagree. If every option were available in every market at every time, I might agree. But sales have so many variables that it's really hard to take them as an indication of much. The S6, for example, has every feature the iPhone 6 does.

Sales lead to revenue which leads to profit. Sheer numbers are meaningless and don't tell the whole story, they do tell part of story however.

 

[Abazigal]

I completely disagree. If every option were available in every market at every time, I might agree. But sales have so many variables that it's really hard to take them as an indication of much. The S6, for example, has every feature the iPhone 6 does.

Not all specs are created equal, and the iPhone also competes in ways that cannot be readily quantified on a spec sheet. Not everything that can be measured matters, just not not everything that matters can be measured.

How do you put a number on a smooth scrolling experience on a touchscreen, or great warranty service, or the benefit of having many apps available on your platform first or exclusively, or intangibles like being able to airplay my iPad to my Apple TV? You can't, but that doesn't mean they are irrelevant, or that they somehow "don't matter" to the end user. Because they clearly mattered to enough people to make Apple immensely profitable.

This just shows that what makes a great product goes beyond simply cramming the latest and best specs into a metal shell and calling it a day. Apple realised this right from the very start. Samsung realised this too late, and they have effectively marketed themselves into a corner because they chose to adopt Android instead of developing their own ecosystem, and because they decided to prioritise specs over the end user experience. Samsung settled for short-term market share at the expense of long-term sustainability.

Both Apple and Samsung are now reaping what they have sown. History has spoken and decided who was right and who, well, wasn't as right.

 

[spinedoc77]

Yes and no.

Sales do suggest what sort of features matter more to consumers. Specs are the means, user experience is the end. All the specs in the world mean squat if they don't result in a better user experience that the end user can appreciate.

It's like the parable of the 4 blind men and the elephant. Sales by itself doesn't tell the whole story, but it does offer insight into what products consumers like (and by extension, what features they prize more than others), and so sales shouldn't be discounted entirely either.

Sales can also indicate a product purchased for fashion purposes with less regard to functionality. It happens all the time and there is a huge industry focused on selling fashion first, functionality 2nd. I'm not saying the iPhone isn't functional, I'm just saying that a large part of its appeal is fashion. Nothing wrong with that and Apple is that much more of an incredibly smart company for maximizing this aspect.

All the specs in the world mean squat if the consumer simply does not want the fashion aspect to represent them. Samsung doesn't engender a sense of fashionability, people don't line up to buy it to fit in with their friends or due to a worry what others will think of them when they flash their phones.

Interestingly enough Samsung ditched much of there superior functionality like the removable battery, SD card capability, etc and it's possible this may have backfired on them. I suppose Samsung thought they could compete with Apple on the fashion first end.

 

[Michael Goff]

Not all specs are created equal, and the iPhone also competes in ways that cannot be readily quantified on a spec sheet. Not everything that can be measured matters, just not not everything that matters can be measured.

How do you put a number on a smooth scrolling experience on a touchscreen, or great warranty service, or the benefit of having many apps available on your platform first or exclusively, or intangibles like being able to airplay my iPad to my Apple TV? You can't, but that doesn't mean they are irrelevant, or that they somehow "don't matter" to the end user. Because they clearly mattered to enough people to make Apple immensely profitable.

This just shows that what makes a great product goes beyond simply cramming the latest and best specs into a metal shell and calling it a day. Apple realised this right from the very start. Samsung realised this too late, and they have effectively marketed themselves into a corner because they chose to adopt Android instead of developing their own ecosystem, and because they decided to prioritise specs over the end user experience. Samsung settled for short-term market share at the expense of long-term sustainability.

Both Apple and Samsung are now reaping what they have sown. History has spoken and decided who was right and who, well, wasn't as right.

But then we're going into the realm of subjective truths vs objective ones. Some people look at an S6 and see a phone that can go toe-to-toe with the latest iPhone and some don't. I also don't know if I agree that history has decided who was right. That's, once again, placing the value of a device on sales. From a corporate perspective, that is true. But value doesn't always equate to sales and sales don't always equate to value.

Another weird thing you talk about is Samsung "deciding to prioritize specs over end user experience" as if the two are completely mutually exclusive and as if Samsung doesn't think they're actually adding to the UX through their software. I doubt Samsung puts in S-Voice for laughs, they think it is something that the majority of people actually want.

 

[I7guy]

Not all specs are created equal, and the iPhone also competes in ways that cannot be readily quantified on a spec sheet. Not everything that can be measured matters, just not not everything that matters can be measured.

How do you put a number on a smooth scrolling experience on a touchscreen, or great warranty service, or the benefit of having many apps available on your platform first or exclusively, or intangibles like being able to airplay my iPad to my Apple TV? You can't, but that doesn't mean they are irrelevant, or that they somehow "don't matter" to the end user. Because they clearly mattered to enough people to make Apple immensely profitable.

This just shows that what makes a great product goes beyond simply cramming the latest and best specs into a metal shell and calling it a day. Apple realised this right from the very start. Samsung realised this too late, and they have effectively marketed themselves into a corner because they chose to adopt Android instead of developing their own ecosystem, and because they decided to prioritise specs over the end user experience. Samsung settled for short-term market share at the expense of long-term sustainability.

Both Apple and Samsung are now reaping what they have sown. History has spoken and decided who was right and who, well, wasn't as right.

What is missing is Samsung's sales targets as that information will likely never be seen by the public. If Samsung projected to sell 5m devices the first month, by all accounts they are doing well. If they projected to sell 30m devices the first month, not so much.

 

[skratch77]

Ceo responds to this saying the news outlets are incorrect

 

[Abazigal]

What is missing is Samsung's sales targets as that information will likely never be seen by the public. If Samsung projected to sell 5m devices the first month, by all accounts they are doing well. If they projected to sell 30m devices the first month, not so much.

True. Until Samsung releases sales figures (and I believe they will eventually have to), all this is pure speculation at any rate.

 

[I7guy]

But then we're going into the realm of subjective truths vs objective ones. Some people look at an S6 and see a phone that can go toe-to-toe with the latest iPhone and some don't. I also don't know if I agree that history has decided who was right. That's, once again, placing the value of a device on sales. From a corporate perspective, that is true. But value doesn't always equate to sales and sales don't always equate to value.

Another weird thing you talk about is Samsung "deciding to prioritize specs over end user experience" as if the two are completely mutually exclusive and as if Samsung doesn't think they're actually adding to the UX through their software. I doubt Samsung puts in S-Voice for laughs, they think it is something that the majority of people actually want.

The mobile phone market seems more divided than some other markets like TVs. I think this market is much more fickle and with good cause as your digital life (and real life) are tied to your phone these days.

Samsung makes good electronics...our house has Samsung tvs exclusively. Ultimately the same types of things can be done with all phones, just in different ways. A lot of what is discussed here is preference with little objectivity and a lot of subjectivity thrown in.

 

[BullittMustang]

How do you juggle both devices? I'm in the same predicament and love both but realistically I don't need both handsets.

I too had both, an iPhone 6 plus and a S6. My original thought was to possibly keep both. Although the S6 is a nice phone with a camera and display that is unmatched, I decided to return it within my 14 return period. The battery life was not very good and niether was the Touch ID. I couldn't see letting a perfectly good 6 plus just sit there not being used. My 6 plus has a crazy good battery, but I'm really missing the beautiful display of the S6. I'm staying put with the 6 plus until I see what the next generation of phones brings.

 

[Abazigal]

But then we're going into the realm of subjective truths vs objective ones. Some people look at an S6 and see a phone that can go toe-to-toe with the latest iPhone and some don't. I also don't know if I agree that history has decided who was right. That's, once again, placing the value of a device on sales. From a corporate perspective, that is true. But value doesn't always equate to sales and sales don't always equate to value.

Another weird thing you talk about is Samsung "deciding to prioritize specs over end user experience" as if the two are completely mutually exclusive and as if Samsung doesn't think they're actually adding to the UX through their software. I doubt Samsung puts in S-Voice for laughs, they think it is something that the majority of people actually want.

Well, even specs can lie.

Anyone remember Anandtech's article covering the A7 processor in the iPhone 5s, and how it ran rings around quad-core snapdragon processors despite having just 2 slower cores itself? This shows that larger numbers on paper don't always translate into better real-life performance.

Many people seem to have this mistaken notion that every consumer shops based purely on specs and will automatically choose a device with the largest numbers. I don't think this is always true. There are other factors like the aforementioned "fashion" aspect which are intangible and cannot be readily distilled into a number, but are nevertheless very real factors that influence a consumer's final decision.

And I guess that when you put an iPhone and a S6 side-by-side, compare only their specs in a vacuum while ignoring everything else, that just irritates me because it's clear this isn't how people shop in real life.

I agree that it is highly subjective as to how we go about gauging how successful a product is. Why then are we looking solely at specs when there are clearly so many other factors that affect the final value of the device?

 

[GadgetSN]

I own a 6+ and Note 4 and carry two phones with me everyday. The 6+ is my main phone simply because it is nicer to use and also looks and feels nicer. The Note 4 feels like another average Samsung product. I like how the S6 and S6 edge have improved in quality but they are still a ugly phones especially from the back.

The S6 and S6 edge therefore just do not have the physical desirability to attract customers before hooking such customer with specs. Those that dont mind ugly looking phones are then put off by the non removable battery and lack of SD card option.

I am hoping the Note 5 builds on the S6 and truely changes the game. I prefer Android but currently dislike all Android hardware.

Samsung also need to realise they will never be in the same league as Apple. They need to stop pricing their devices at similar price points or even worse at higher price points. Its like their 9 series laptops being more expensive that the Macbook Pros. Sony flagship phones are much nicer than Samsungs and sell at much lower prices fromthe outset.

 

[Michael Goff]

Well, even specs can lie.

Anyone remember Anandtech's article covering the A7 processor in the iPhone 5s, and how it ran rings around quad-core snapdragon processors despite having just 2 slower cores itself? This shows that larger numbers on paper don't always translate into better real-life performance.

Many people seem to have this mistaken notion that every consumer shops based purely on specs and will automatically choose a device with the largest numbers. I don't think this is always true. There are other factors like the aforementioned "fashion" aspect which are intangible and cannot be readily distilled into a number, but are nevertheless very real factors that influence a consumer's final decision.

And I guess that when you put an iPhone and a S6 side-by-side, compare only their specs in a vacuum while ignoring everything else, that just irritates me because it's clear this isn't how people shop in real life.

I agree that it is highly subjective as to how we go about gauging how successful a product is. Why then are we looking solely at specs when there are clearly so many other factors that affect the final value of the device?

No, some people have used both and think they're competitive. :|

 

[nfl46]

But the masses like iphone because it's the cool thing to have.

People have being saying this since 2007. Come on, guys, lets find another excuse.

 

[jamezr]

I hear a lot of people talking about the S6 hardware being a cut above the iphone 6 and that Apple have to catch up. It doesn't appear that the sales numbers are reflecting this.

Oh so sales are the deciding factor? Truth is Apple is STILL playing catchup to Samsung and the rest of the Android phones GLOBALLY
Great so then there is this.......
So consumer have spoken with the dollars to equal actual sales!

http://i.imgur.com/Bm4vYacl.png[/img


[img]http://i.imgur.com/QvL2hHRl.png

 

[GadgetSN]

Oh so sales are the deciding factor? Truth is Apple is STILL playing catchup to Samsung and the rest of the Android phones GLOBALLY
Great so then there is this.......
So consumer have spoken with the dollars to equal actual sales!

http://i.imgur.com/Bm4vYacl.png[/img


[url=http://i.imgur.com/QvL2hHRl.png]Image[/url][/QUOTE]

Come on. Stats like this is useless. Compare the Iphone to the equivalent single flagship model. Of course android will sell more phones because Apple only make one high end model.

You do know Ford sell a hell of alot more cars than Ferrari.

 

[jamezr]

Sales lead to revenue which leads to profit. Sheer numbers are meaningless and don't tell the whole story, they do tell part of story however.

This is utter BS! The people who buy phones do not make this part of their buying decision. Oh I am going to buy an Apple phone because they make more profit from me! See I like how they can overcharge me and make more profit! No! They buy based on needs and requirements.
This whole sales only count if you make the profits Apple does is stupid! It does not factor into people's decision to buy a phone.
Sales are king. Apple/IOS is very far behind Android/Samsung
Lets add some actual real sales figures to the discussion.

----------

Come on. Stats like this is useless. Compare the Iphone to the equivalent single flagship model. Of course android will sell more phones because Apple only make one high end model.

You do know Ford sell a hell of alot more cars than Ferrari.

It is a direct one to one comparison. Apple makes the iPhone and they are the only one to make a phone with IOS. Apple makes it that way. They don't allow any one else to make a IOS phone. So they put themselves in the this position. You can't punish Samsung (or Android OEMs) because Apple doesn't want to license IOS.