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Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

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Re: Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

#41

Post by kraig911 »

Someone1234 wrote: post #12
kraig911 wrote: post #11

Both Apple and Samsung really need something to differentiate premium beyond color finishes and brand. Either add some premium service like some sort of concierge on call, or I dunno some premium UI interface that is definitely measurably better then there is no reason to buy a more expensive phone. App's are all starting to look the same and it doesn't matter anymore. I'm a long time iOS user because I started that…

> premium UI interface that is definitely measurably better Samsung has tried that to death. It has had the opposite effect, instead of people seeing the additional functionality as a benefit, it is criticised as clutter (and in fairness some of it does slow the device). Worse still Samsung turns around and blames their "premium features" for why their phones lose software updates sooner. And then people see more ben…

I'm thinkin something novel and new. Holograms and lasers and shit.

Re: Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

#42

Post by qznc »

sdegutis wrote: post #36
raverbashing wrote: post #33

Something that the Chinese market seems to like also are big phones See models from Xiaomi, or even the Asus ones, it seems the bigger the better. I already dislike how big my Moto G3 is, but it seems they're fine with it

You know how in parodies 15 years ago, they made fun of how cell phones were getting smaller and smaller? They stopped that trend about 5 or 6 years ago and started getting bigger and bigger. I only looked on from the outside as an observer, since I don't have the money to throw away on replacing my phone ever 2 years like everyone else seems to. But now, with the iPhone SE, they're reversing that trend again . It re…

It's not a phone. The phone aspect is not important to me at least.

Re: Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

#43

Post by bitwize »

bgroins wrote: post #32
erichocean wrote: post #29

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> Android has reached a level of maturity that makes comparison with Apple ecosystem neglectable nowadays; simply its no longer a selling point compared to previous years. This spirit of this comment has been replicated verbatim every year for the last 5 years by some random HN commenter. I guess, eventually, it might be true.

Rather than dismiss the comment outright, could you elaborate on what part of it is untrue?

UI jank, or lack thereof on iOS.

Security, or lack thereof on Android.

Relative size of app ecosystems.

Whether devs can make money selling apps (hint: it's much harder on Android).

Fragmentation.

Etc.

Re: Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

#44

Post by pickettd »

qznc wrote: post #40
wyldfire wrote: post #21

Earlier quoted context omitted.

> What does Samsung have to differentiate itself? A logo? As a practical matter, I like that models from Samsung/LG/Mot/etc have a large installed base of users (vs no-name or lower tier Android manufacturers). I think a corollary to Linus' Law should be "Given enough users, all bugs are easily discovered." If there were a low-end brand of Android phones that had a large amount of share, I'd probably consider them in…

I'm currently looking for a new smartphone. Requirements: Cyanogen Mod support, changeable battery, close to 200€, at least 2GB RAM. Only the Samsung Galaxy S4 seems to qualify.

I got a LG G3 (3GB RAM model) earlier this year and it meets those requirements. I've really enjoyed using it so far.

Re: Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

#46

Post by fredgrott »

nimos wrote: post #19

I think the problem is far worse for high end Android manufactures. Apple at least has a unique ecosystem that serves as a point of differentiation. What does Samsung have to differentiate itself? A logo? Apple is a luxury brand and people are willing to pay for luxury goods. If you amortize the additional cost of an iPhone over a year or two it's really not that expensive from a luxury/status good standpoint. Less e…

you are aware that Samsung Edge by itself is out selling Applier iphone? Seems that when Samsung concentrates on just hardware it does better than Apple...not to say Ive doesn't do good work..but Apple has some obstacles to risk taking that Samsung does not via hardware design due to the fact that Samsung's phone division is just one small part of Samsung...ie they can take a slightly larger planned risk than apple at the moment on hardware design.

Re: Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

#47

Post by simonh »

chvid wrote: post #3

It is just Apple's general problem isn't it? The cheaper phones are really good now. And if you are asking a premium you need to be significant better. As I see it iPhone 4 was a lot better than the competition where as the current lineup is not. Simply relying on expanding the market (selling more in China + other emerging markets) won't do the trick as they are not going to sell with their old big margins unless th…

People have been saying that about the Mac since the 1980s. Consistently high quality and premium features and services sell product.

Apple doesn't need to 'rely' on selling more into China. If they end up locked out of the China market completely, they'll still do fine. As it is, they have a I've premium niche over there and will do just fine.

Re: Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

#48

Post by lazerpants »

wyldfire wrote: post #21
nimos wrote: post #19

I think the problem is far worse for high end Android manufactures. Apple at least has a unique ecosystem that serves as a point of differentiation. What does Samsung have to differentiate itself? A logo? Apple is a luxury brand and people are willing to pay for luxury goods. If you amortize the additional cost of an iPhone over a year or two it's really not that expensive from a luxury/status good standpoint. Less e…

> What does Samsung have to differentiate itself? A logo? As a practical matter, I like that models from Samsung/LG/Mot/etc have a large installed base of users (vs no-name or lower tier Android manufacturers). I think a corollary to Linus' Law should be "Given enough users, all bugs are easily discovered." If there were a low-end brand of Android phones that had a large amount of share, I'd probably consider them in…

Yes, there is one, though it is unlikely to be available in your market:

http://www.mi.com/en/mi5/

Re: Apple’s China Problem Is That Local Phones Are Good – And Cheap

#49

Post by simonh »

rogerbinns wrote: post #35
raverbashing wrote: post #33

Something that the Chinese market seems to like also are big phones See models from Xiaomi, or even the Asus ones, it seems the bigger the better. I already dislike how big my Moto G3 is, but it seems they're fine with it

I've heard pundits say the reason for bigger phones popularity is amongst people who don't have tablets and PCs as well. Essentially if you have to pick one size of screen for all your needs, then something a bit larger is a good idea.

I've found I definitely use my iPad less now I have a 5.5" iPhone. Is still wouldn't be without an iPad, I love it, but for many tasks I used to switch to the iPad for, now the larger phone is fine.
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