Samsung is the manufacturer to some of the best, if not the best smartphones in the world, and one of the biggest suppliers to manufacturers for their mobile component needs. The former has established itself as a reputable handset maker and has grown exponentially in market share and reputation, due to their flagship Galaxy and Note line-up.
You would think with all this continuous momentum and ever-growing popularity in its brand, they would condense and coalesce their product portfolios to be less perplexing and more distinguishing. I don't know why we would have a Galaxy S4, along with various other mid-ranged devices that mirror each other almost exactly alike, but just serve to dilute the brand-name. (Galaxy S II+, Galaxy Express, Galaxy Premier, Galaxy Duos, Galaxy Grand, Galaxy Win, etc) there are dozens more low-end and similar mid-ranged devices like that.
Same thing with the secondary flagship series, the Note ("phablet") series. It also seems to be less esteemed than it could be, because it's sharing a similar branding with a lot of mid-ranged, half-baked tablets or just devices doing its niche. The Galaxy Note 10.1, Galaxy Note 8, Galaxy Mega 5.8, Galaxy Mega 6.3. They would have done well to have segregated their tablet branch by simply just calling them all "Tabs" - instead of using the moniker "Tab" and "Note" to distinguish the quality of each tablet in relation to each other..
I feel the same way about the recently introduced Galaxy Mega series, intended to be mid-ranged "phablets" - they just don't seem that necessary or practical, they only serve to really confuse consumers and could potentially be cannibalizing to the sales of the premium flagship devices, like the Note series.
HTC is no better in that regard, there are dozens HTC One units, with various degrees of qualities and branching off, due to carrier branding or re-released enhanced variants of a flagship for a given year. Both HTC and Samsung seem to be trying to make a statement about their products, but should their product line-ups reflect this push towards being more competitive, by being more unified and coherent?
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The Android smartphone segment keeps getting stronger, and the Samsung Galaxy S looks set to be a key player in 2010. Not only does it get the company’s coveted Super AMOLED display, but a 1GHz processor, 720p HD video recording and plenty of wireless connectivity. Now freshly announced as incoming to Verizon as the Fascinate, T-Mobile USA as the Vibrant and of course AT&T as the Captivate, the Galaxy S is certainly spreading itself around. So how does this Android 2.1 device compare with Apple's iPhone 4? We will take you through the key differences in features and performance between the two devices.
I am really hesitated which one to get,
The note is elegant tablet with the s-pen which I like too much and it is equivalent to note 3 mobile (big note 3).
The tab s is expected to be released in markets within the coming few days, the best resolution and color saturation ever produced in a tablet, it is equivalent to s5 mobile (big s5) and equipped with finger print security, thinner and lighter than note.
Hardware and software are almost similar from all aspects.
Actually I can say that the main difference is the absence of s-pen in the tab s, other differences are not major
Really appreciate opinions and advices. Thanks
seawhale said:
I am really hesitated which one to get,
The note is elegant tablet with the s-pen which I like too much and it is equivalent to note 3 mobile (big note 3).
The tab s is expected to be released in markets within the coming few days, the best resolution and color saturation ever produced in a tablet, it is equivalent to s5 mobile (big s5) and equipped with finger print security, thinner and lighter than note.
Hardware and software are almost similar from all aspects.
Actually I can say that the main difference is the absence of s-pen in the tab s, other differences are not major
Really appreciate opinions and advices. Thanks
Click to expand...
Click to collapse
Are you going to use spen and note apps? If yes go for note. If no go for tab s.
I know a lot of it comes down to a matter of personal preference and opinion, but in terms of sheer processing power, hardware and functionality what would some of you tech gurus consider to be the top 3 phones and tablets?
And additionally, where do Xiaomi and the OnePlus fit in? Any insight would be helpful. I'm really just curious if the IPhone and Galaxy are best around or just the most heavily marketed.
Samsung Galaxy Note Edge would be my first pick. And its a little bit better than the Galaxy Note 4. 2015 is a year of some big releases but as far as late 2014 early 2015. LG G3 or Curve. One plus One, HTC One M8. Samsung Galaxy S5. Phone technology now is huge compared paslike 2009 or 2010 when there was a "best phone" which was the iphone but now all manufacturers even the Tier 2 or Tier 3 companies have amazing phones. Everybody has quad and octi cores now. Everybody has 2-3gb ram i think 4gb will be a standard coming soon. So it comes down to phone size, look of the phone and individual features cause Go I got e, Moto, HTC, LG, Sony, Samsung, etc etc all have strong, powerful feature rich devices
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T-Mobile to tackle customers who abuse unlimited data
by:*ROB TRIGGS30 MINS AGO
93
201756
T-Mobile’s*John Legere has published an open letter to its consumers, informing them about upcoming action to be taken against individuals who have been “stealing data from T-Mobile”. While that might sound a little odd, the company is actually planning to target customers who have been abusing its unlimited data plans, by consuming as much as 2 terabytes of tethered data each month.
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According to Legere, only a small fraction of consumers are abusing the rules. They have apparently been doing so by concealing tethered connections in an attempt to use high-speed LTE data as an alternative to a traditional broadband. Mobile bandwidth is a more limited resource, so these high consumption users are hogging resources that should be spread across a wider selection of T-Mobile customers.
“These aren’t naive amateurs; they are clever hackers who are willfully stealing for their own selfish gain. It’s a small group – 1/100 of a percent of our 59 million customers – but some of them are using as much as 2 terabytes (2,000GB!) of data in a month.”
To combat the issue, T-Mobile has apparently developed technology that is able to detect when customers are trying to hide their tethering activity. The company will be warning suspected customers about their activity before moving them over to a limited 4G LTE data plan, where it can more effectively cap their usage. T-Mobile has already identified 3,000 users who will begin hearing from the company this week.
“We’re warning these customers that they are violating our terms and conditions. If they continue to break the rules at any time, they’ll lose access to our Unlimited 4G LTE smartphone data plan and we’ll move them to a limited 4G LTE plan.”
The carrier is keen to point out that this decision is not about throttling the data of the vast majority of users who make sensible and fair use of their data plans. The company actually has a 7GB tethering limit on its unlimited data plan, after which speeds are already throttled down. T-Mobile is only after those customers which are deliberately trying to circumvent the contract rules regarding tethering.
Legere states that he “won’t let a few thieves ruin things for anyone else”, but do you feel that T-Mobile is treating its customers fairly?
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OPPO’s major role in the competitive mid-range market
by:*SPONSORED POST1 HOUR AGO
56
2036
Over the past few years, the mid-range smartphone market has changed dramatically all over the world. With the specification wars raging on in full force, major handset manufacturers are constantly competing with each other for the top spot in the premium market segment. This comes at a price, though. Certain devices from major OEMs can cost upwards of $900 unlocked, but recently, it seems as though consumers*aren’t willing to pay as much*as they used to.
For those of us who aren’t willing to pay almost $1,000 for a smartphone, what are our options? The mid-range market has been growing over the years, sure, though it’s been proven quite difficult to penetrate. Unlike*Motorola’s Moto G, which has arguably found the winning formula for great performance in the low-end market, mid-range devices haven’t quite hit their stride yet. It seems like many OEMs have been trying to find the correct balance between high-end specs and a low price point, but none have really produced too many memorable options that check all of the boxes.
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Of course, this is just now beginning to change, as we’re now seeing a handful of notable smartphone makers*approach the winning recipe for success in the mid-range market. One OEM*that’s a good example of this is*OPPO, the Chinese smartphone manufacturer. Build quality and features aside, OPPO’s most recent mid-range offerings seem to check most of the boxes many consumers look for when seeking out a capable mid-ranger. Today we’re going to take a look at theOPPO R7*and*R7 Plus, two handsets that were announced last May, and how exactly these smartphones are providing a good example for the rest of the mid-range market to follow.
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The OPPO R7 Series and the current mid-range market
OPPO announced its R7 and R7 Plus handsets back in May, and we’ve already*posted our full review*of the smaller handset. Suffice it to say, we’ve really enjoyed our time with the R7, and that’s no accident. The R7 features a 5.0-inch Super AMOLED display with 1920 x 1080 resolution, a*1.5 GHz octa-core Qualcomm Snapdragon 615 processor, 3GB of RAM, 16GB of on-board storage and microSD expansion up to 128GB. Not only that, it comes with a non-removable*2,320mAh battery, a 13MP rear-facing camera with f/2.2 aperture and an 8MP front-facing camera. This device’s bigger brother, the R7 Plus, features mostly the same specs, but also boasts a 6.0-inch Full HD display, 32GB of base on-board storage and a much larger 4,100mAh battery.
These devices are being offered*starting at just $400 unlocked, which is a steal. However, that’s not really the most important thing, here. Sure, the mid-range market is arguably defined by the prices at which smartphones*are sold, but there’s more to it than that. When you’re not trying to create a phone that’s the most low-cost or highly-spec’d device out there, you need to focus on the overall user experience to bring*the ultimate value to users, which is what OPPO aimed to do with the R7 and R7 Plus.
When talking about specific features, both of these devices provide many enhancements that you normally would only see in high-end devices. The Color OS software overlay is highly customizable, and there are even a few nifty gestures built in to the device that allow you to launch specific applications or turn on the device more easily. There’s even an “eye protection display” mode that places a warm hue over everything when triggered, which is perfect for users with sensitive eyes. OPPO believes these are features most users will enjoy, but don’t readily have access to given the high price of other flagships on the market.
Consumers aren’t the only people who are excited about the R7 series. According to*Sino-Market Research, the R7’s launch in May bumped OPPO’s marketshare up in China’s offline markets, with the company managing to surpass Samsung the following month and today*only trailing Apple.*Not only do the specs and build quality help out with the R7’s successful sales, the naming scheme also has something to do with it, too. Customers will remember a product much easier*if the device names aren’t all over the place. For instance, Motorola’s Moto X, G and E lines employ a similar*strategy, in turn making it much easier for consumers to remember which products fit in where.
Where is the mid-range market headed?
In a global smartphone market that’s slowly adopting off-contract pricing and getting rid of carrier subsidies, the mid-range market*might see the most change out of all of the smartphone tiers. It used to be extremely difficult to afford an unlocked smartphone without a carrier’s help, but that’s changing now. Two or three years from now, if all carriers get rid of subsidies, nobody is going to want to pay almost $1,000 on a smartphone, especially if there’s something comparable out there for less than half of the price.
With manufacturers like OPPO putting more and more focus on user experience as opposed to checking off boxes on the spec sheet, consumers are now starting to realize a great smartphone doesn’t need to cost an arm and a leg. Because of this, the mid-range market will only grow from here.
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As a budget phone owner who’s not looking to spend more than $300 (or $400 at most) on a new device, it was with great interest that I saw the recent release of the Samsung Galaxy A23 5G. It has good specs for its price and it seems like it would be a very decent phone all around. So it was with great dismay that I noticed the overall size of the phone... 6.5 inches from top to bottom. Once again...
Is it just me, or is there a significant group of phone owners out there who want phones that actually fit into smaller pockets, don't fatigue the hands, and can be used with one hand when needed? I want a phone, not a tablet or a “phablet”!
When it comes to its S-series, Samsung releases a small version each year, along with a bigger sized “Pro” version, and an even bigger “Ultra” version. But when it comes to the A-series phones, almost every single one of them is bigger than the S22 Ultra! In the recent American A-series model lineup, this applies to the A02s, A03s, A12, A13 5G, A23 5G, A32 5G, and A42 5G, with only the A52 5G and A53 5G being slightly smaller at 6.3 inches. And the S21 FE is only slightly cheaper than the S22. Way above a budget price.
I can’t be the only one who wishes that there were some A-series budget phones whose sizes were similar to the 5.75 inch Galaxy S22, or at least under 6 inches from top to bottom. I was even considering the (6 inch) Pixel 6a until seeing the many reports of its overheating and network connectivity drop issues.
Just as a practical example, Samsung can make a Galaxy "A23s" 5G which can have the same Snapdragon 695 chip as the regular A23 5G. Just the overall phone size (and battery if necessary) will be smaller.
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In light of the above, I call on anyone who would also like such phones to call Samsung’s sales department at 1-855-726-8721 and politely request that they start making such devices, and explain that they will attract many compact phone buyers who can’t afford to shell out $700 or $800, but would be very interested in getting a Samsung A-series phone if only there were smaller options available, just like there is in the S-series.
If Samsung sees that there’s a big enough demand for it, they will start producing such phones so as to reap the earnings from this new customer base!
Please share this page and spread the word far and wide, so that we can get as many people as possible to effectuate this change!
P.S. Leave a comment with any additional ideas that you think may help the cause.