There is no reason for Samsung to change the Galaxy S design
Yesterday, Samsung unveiled the Galaxy S 4. The Galaxy S 4 is Samsung’s latest flagship model. By every Samsung model we hear blames about using plastic or about the same look of the previous products. Even this time directly after the Samsung Unpacked event people started to blame Samsung regarding the build of the Galaxy S 4.
Samsung used polycarbonate (plastic) with a polycarbonate corner around the smartphone, the phone itself looks a mix between the Galaxy Note II and Galaxy S III. People were expecting that Samsung would change the form factor but Samsung didn’t and here is why!
Last year, Samsung announced the Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II. From the beginning after the first UNPACKED event people started to blame Samsung about the ugly look. But after people held the Galaxy S III in their own hands their minds changed. They were like, WOW what a great device. Samsung told the same at their own unpacked event. The Galaxy S III is inspired by Nature which means for Samsung the Galaxy S III must feel good and natural in hand, not like a big square brick. In the meantime, Samsung started to build the Galaxy Note II. Even the Galaxy Note II is inspired by Nature and you will feel this directly by holding both devices. Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II sold very well. Just yesterday, Mr. J.K. Shin announced that Samsung has sold over 50 Million Galaxy S III Units Worldwide. Which for Samsung directly means the design line is perfect!
Samsung is currently dominating the Android market with its Nature line and that is why other companies like Sony, HTC and LG are announcing completely redesigned high-end smartphones because simply they couldn’t impress the people last year. Sony, HTC and LG are trying to get some of Samsung’s market share in the Android market. Specially HTC and Sony came hard this year. The XPERIA Z from Sony is waterproof and the HTC One is fully shaped out of aluminium.
Samsung introduced the Galaxy S 4, yesterday. The device has the same looks as the current Galaxy S III and Galaxy Note II. But is this a problem for Samsung? Totally NOT! Samsung found just like Apple the perfect design that sells well. Both companies only need to make some design switches to create a new product with the same feeling! Something that Sony and HTC still miss.
Of course, Samsung could go for aluminium as frame but don’t forget Samsung shipped over hundreds million devices in 2012. Samsung couldn’t do this if the production isn’t easy to do. Samsung creates many devices with different shapes whereas a company as Apple has a couple of devices to do. Croyle, HTC’s design guru, said it takes roughly 200 minutes to cut and process the front and rear parts of each phone. This is the reason HTC One is facing delays even though the demand isn’t that high. This is purely the reason why Samsung doesn’t use Aluminium as it takes a lot of time to manufacture and with the high-demand that Samsung devices have, it can be a trouble to fulfil the orders. Our insider confirmed that Samsung did try all-aluminium design for the Galaxy S 4 but the production was a big issue.
For example, take a look at car companies or the famous Nike Air shoes. Do you think Nike will completely redesign the Nike Air line and risk all those sales? We don’t think so! Apple and Samsung both have find the unique form factor which sells well. We know for sure if Sony and HTC would be in the place of Apple and Samsung they wouldn’t change the whole design either! We can take Windows 8 an example too, Microsoft completely redesigned the UI in Windows 8 and that redesign is causing them their sales.
Asking a company to change design which has sold more than 50 million is strange and unfair for the company itself. Companies can’t take a risk that could cost them millions of money.
The only thing Apple and Samsung needs to do is making new small design changes which would not cost the user experience. Something that Apple is doing for years now and Samsung will/could do with their Galaxy line.
Samsung Galaxy S IV Press Shots
I like it
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thes is no metal corners is all polycarbonate! i ask it on twitter on aaron baker from technobuffalo and he confirm is no metal!
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Thanks!
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That is impossible as I personally held the device at times square, NY. The sides are in fact some sort of metal, not plastic. You can check out the new s4 promo video, where they use the term “premium finish” whilst displaying the side of the phone
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I believe you man.
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Really? So all-out Polycarbonate Chassis then?
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They could at least change back cover, it’s horrible, S II had very good back cover, I wish they would return it.
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Agree don’t like the glossy back but good thing it’s removable and can be changed with a 3rd party back cover… Ie for the s3 you can get an aluminium or matt back cover from eBay so don’t see why we won’t have the same for the s4. I had a metal back cover on my s2
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the backcover is the same as SII to me, has the black dotted things like s2 has. s3 was very glossy.
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keep going u r still the best but try to make different kind of this phone with different prices ?
is it more expensive to build a aluminum phone ? or it’s just the mater of time ?
you can sell it cheaper in plastic
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There is no reason for Samsung to change the Galaxy S design?
they change already, can you look back the previews model design first, before you post something like that, it should be better and better design. there’s is no fashion in the S4 as well the S3. we expecting the same pattern of S2, S2 is the best in terms of design, model, & fashion thats why Samsung screw big time in the market.
you know what? everybody excited about March 14 i thought that was the beginning i never thought that was the end of the Galaxy.
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There never was no clear rumour about aluminium, metal or gl*** device by Samsung.
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A little biased Sammobile, to be honest.
People buy Samsung Galaxy flagships because of 2 things:
1) Hardware
2) Marketing(nowadays)
Most of the people tolerate the design, it’s not even close to the main reason they buy the phone. Yes, some do like it, but it’s a minority, not a majority, and like I’ve said, the 2 biggest reasons people bought especialy the s3 were the 2 reasons mentioned above.
Second, like person mentioned above the rim is not aluminium or from metal. In fact from what I read in one report, the rim(and only the rim) is the exact part which is polycarbonate. The rest is a simple plastic like it was in s3 (don’t know if that’s the case to be honest).
However, the issue is not with the plastic, but with the quality of it on the whole device, and the overal design. Samsung does not need to use all aluminium and glass device for it to look great. It can use kinds of plastic which would be of higher quality, in all device, as well as adjust the overal design, and still keep the production of the device easy for them.
And thirdly, you yourself said on this site, that there was a prototype with PHOLED and the metalic/aluminium rim, but they chose the cheaper model, which means what. The reason was not that it was more difficult to produce, but that it was more expensive for Samsung.
Please, be objective or people will not take you seriously.
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Expensive ways cost always the most time
(PHOLED / METAL materials)
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i liked this post DannyD and it will be helpful for other people also.
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Somehow they’re following behind the footsteps of Apple when it comes to design. Nothing to not too much design change/enhancement on their previous (flagship) phones, in my observation.
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and I’m afraid about the price..
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You buy retail or subsidized price?
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Design philosophy – Designed by Humans, Inspired by Nature & Life Companion.
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ok s4 launched…now when the remaining devices will get jb update?
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Yeah, totally well said…thank you sammy…thank you dear Samsung
We ♥ Samsung!!!
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The front is almost all glass with a small frame around it. The back plastic, the metal part plastic just like this Samsung Charge sitting here. The S4 looks fine, especially since most of you guys aren’t planning a lifetime with it. Glad it’s not square- i like curves. Will buy when available.
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yeah it’s not square its a big soap bar^^
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You can describe it in anyway really.
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please!!tell me honestly..dont you want them to change the design.!!!i have owned both s2 and s3….and was expecting a little more premium phone from sammy…..we all know its gonna sell! but look at htc one and xperia z!! why cant samsung build something like that?? i know they can,i just dont know why they dont!!it wouldnt hurt to have a great phone with great looks you know!!
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Don’t worry about the design, what I think of the S4 is more like an revised/refined version of the S3 but with improved screen display, features etc.
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yeah thats right, but as long as you use the S4 you cant stop bothering because of the soap bar design, imagine looking the S4 in your hand and ignore the soap bar look they have done, is not easy to forget the aesthetics as vbx mention below, this is tremendous for all of the user
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LOL, how much did Samsung pay you guys to write this crap? At this day and age, aesthetics is one of the most important thing. It creates a first impression.
And the first impression we all have about the S4 is, it’s one ugly phone. The only saving grace are the awesome features and upgrades this device has.
However, they could have done something better with the form of the phone. Had they created a better looking phone, the S4 would be the best selling phone in the market for 2013.
And all they had to do was copy the Galaxy tab 7.7 and just shrink it into a 5″ device. Instead, they went with a gay soap bar look.
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S2 is similar to S1, S4 is similar to S3, just wait for S5…
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I will not be surprised if the Galaxy S5 looks like scoop ladle.
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People liked the Nature-inspired S3, so Samsung used that design philosophy for the next GALAXY, aka GS4.
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Here is my opinion. The reason they don’t use metal material is because you will not be able to remove the back cover to change it’s battery if it’s too weakened or broken, as they will use the same design like HTC or Apple. The costs of production is significantly increasing due to those metal materials( alluminium or stainless steel), the demand is always big when it comes to Samsung, and they will not be able to satisfy that demand(will result in loss of trust from the buyers and it’s not a good thing for Samsung cause of market supremacy).
Also Samsung is one of the few companies that still makes updates for their devices (the older ones) even if those updates comes with a bit delay.
All in all I like this new device, definatly I wont buy it cause I’m happy with the S3, but still a job well done from Samsung.
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Yes, other companies may struggle with the limited supply of Aluminium since they, Apple, HTC, Sony etc, are fighting for the rights to use it for their flagship mobile phones.
Will definitely get the S4 for sure.
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What I like with Samsung is the fix bugs fast as what happen with s3. Also who can beat sam innovation? What really matter is the phone features.
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thanks
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I just want to say 1 thing.
Don’t judge the phone based on one matter, “plastic Cover”. If you looked at the phone features and hardware, It’s beyond your judgment. Like what happen with S3, everyone was saying ugly and look like a soap bar. But those people now owned S3 and they are happy with the phone. Just look at the software wise, from S2 to S4 Samsung made a big jump in the UI and on every update you find a new feature that impress you.
2011 Galaxy S2 won the best phone of the year.
2012 Galaxy S3 won the best phone of the year.
2013?? is it going to be S4??.
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Yes, the best thing for people is to see the device for themselves in real-life, not the photo-pc render version of it.
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Yes, Samsung should stick with their design philosophy for their current Galaxy S series, since that’s the right direction to go and wow everyone that they’re actually innovating the device and supporting all Samsung devices, via updates, and that’s a good accomplishment indeed!
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So basically, Apple fan boys are just posers who are willing to pay hundreds for the same exact device because Apple says it’s “new”.
And Samsung fan boys love to bend over and drop their soap bar looking phones. (S3 and S4) lmafo.. haha
Apple fan boys will be knowns as dumb sheeps and posers. While Samsung fan boys will be known as…. What do you call an inmate who drops his soap in the shower? Yeah, they will be known as that.
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different is, when samsung launch new product it will launch with many features. where apple (iphone) just new series (3,3s 4,4s 5…) and new processor.
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“From the beginning after the first UNPACKED event people started to blame Samsung about the ugly look. But after people held the Galaxy S III in their own hands their minds changed.”
Exactly what happened when I saw the design then held it at NY
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And by ‘it’ I mean the s4. It felt premium.
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Yeah, but how many sales will Samsung lose because they are put off by the ugliness of the device?
Everyone knows the S4 is an awesome phone feature wise. But a lot of people are going to pass on this because of the way it looks.
For a flagship device, Samsung really needs to step it up design wise. It’s an ugly phone, paying $500+ for an ugly phone is something a lot of people are looking forward to do.
They said plastic is cheaper and more durable? Then why charge $500 if plastic is cheaper? Why not sell it for $199?
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I have s3 and quite disappointed with the design of s4 but after reading this it make me realize its true. Coz honestly s3 never dissapoint me with performance, very fast update, battery is fair compare to other, design is ok. But Im hoping sammy put a bigger battery. Well to me battery life is most important, coz whats the use of higher gpu/cpu/screen if your devices will only last short.
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Everyone is saying that now lol.
Well for starters the design is part of the “inspired by nature” philosophy. SO I would suggest that you should see the GS4 in real-life one it’s launched next month.
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we knew it that the Samsung made a best performance since GS3 and now for GS4 no doubt about the performance, technology, etc, specially thanks Google for the android OS but there’s something missing in GS4 as well as GS3 there’s no spark in the new soap bar, performance its very important but at-lease can we have a batter looking phone.
i don’t care about the brand its just a name for me i have ipad-mini ‘coz i like the design i don’t like nexus 7 but it doesn’t mean im a apple fan.
i have Awesome Galaxy S2 ‘coz i like the design i don’t like iPhone 4S, 5, but it doesn’t mean im a Samsung fan.
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if you don’t like soap bar, just buy a body shampoo
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As I know nature and naturalism ( plants, flowers, herbs, etc) were playing an important part in East Asian countries life in the past centuries and probably today ( as you can see in Chinese, korean, Japanese, …films & movies) and I think thats what companies like Samsung like to use natural design in their products and bring the sence of humer and elegance to their customers…thats my opinion:-)
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wait until the price drop & only then I buy.. now still using my SGS2 with JB inside… still lovin it… Lols
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me too i love it so much yeah truly Awesome GS2 with Amazing JB, thanks Samsung for epic look of GS2 and thanks Google for Android
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totally agree !!
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love you s4 and Samsung
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I have no problem about S3+ series design itself. It fit good in my pockets. But Samsung should do something with case coating or painting, which is not very durable and tends to fall of from case edges on medium vibration and from spots, where it rubs around pocked fabric.
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