I would like you to click on Android Phone Menu(s) [opens in new window.]
All look alike, work alike, have similar hardware configurations, applications and functionality. Good for the customer ? May be and May be not!
I own laptops of various makes, but stuck to thinkpad over the years for one reason, I got addicted to the layout. though the underlying operating system either windows/linux/mac is going to be the same experience matters a lot too. with computers you have more freedom and possibility to differentiate the product substantially to make the switch little more difficult, you can play with fn keys, number pad, combination / convenience keys touch pad,trackpad,trackball you name it.
In the recent past, I upgraded to new ubuntu, which was way different in look and feel compared to the earlier versions, some liked it and majority hated it for lack of usability, it looked more like a fancy toy than operating system to us, so like many other I tried to find a way to get back to the look and feel I wanted it to have, changed the configurations to suite my tastes. this is laptop/desktop story.
With mobiles you are constrained to do any of that unless you really customise to great extent without making it useless in terms of upgrades etc., Mobile OS != Desktop OS.
With Android as underlying operating system google apps/play as the appstore you pretty much get the same menu,same apps, same look,feel and functionality.
There are only two possibilities if the user gets bored of the looks which can be possible after seeing same thing everywhere ... because we like to see the change and obvious choices are either iphone or blackberry or a windows phone.
Ok lets assume users are not bored of it, but want to upgrade their phone for some reason, How difficult it would be to a samsung customer to choose a motorola or lg or some other and function exactly the same way he used to ? Not difficult at all ... he has got same apps, same looks and same features but may be they load faster because of underlying processor.
One thing Amazon's kindle (New) guys realised is how it is killing their ecosystem and started moving away from the appstore. No matter how hard a user is going to cry, they don't give a bit of attention and they won't move or let the google play accessible on their kindle. they will promote their machine and experience they may call it to hold the customer.
Windows doing similar thing, their operating system weather it is good/bad or ugly have got something to differentiate and hold the customer.
Should Samsung sell Android phones ? May be they should because there aren't many options left, but they should really work hard on giving better experience to the user, differentiate, customise and create an ecosystem to support such efforts. My Suggestion would be probably to promote and customise the application preloads to match business user/teenager/older user and bundle the phones in those lines to attract the customers.
They Need to focus on being in touch continuesly without hurting the privacy of the users. They need innovation more than any one else because Motorola+Google is going to suck the blood out of the other manufacterers weather they reveal or not.
Now its time to think original, think wise differentiate significantly. Samsung ads can't and should not look like apple's any more.
Weather its Samsung or #HTC or any other ... With Android you are in no position to dominate, its Android that is going to matter weather you take it or leave it.
Not convinced ? Try it yourself with following
Link:https://ddg.gg/?q=Porters+Five+Forces+!w
