The Real Reason Samsung is Beating Apple - pretty amazing

[SeaKing]

The Real Reason Samsung is Beating Apple
Apr 23, 2013 01:53 PM EDT by Mark Spoonauer, LAPTOP Editor in Chief


"As Apple’s stock continues to crater — the company has lost $280 billion in value since September — a lot of pundits are pointing fingers at lagging iPhone demand. There are even rumblings about the Apple board seeking a replacement for Tim Cook as CEO, though I don’t believe he’s going anywhere. Nevertheless, Apple is losing more and more ground to rival Samsung by the day, a gap that will only widen when the Galaxy S4 debuts. The question is why — and I have the answer.

The real reason Samsung is beating Apple isn’t bigger screens or better marketing, though those things certainly help. It comes down to apps. That’s right: Apple’s biggest strength has become its greatest weakness.

MORE: 7 Things Apple Must Do in 2013"

More that is hard to believe!

When you tear off your rivals strong right arm and beat them over the head with it, the battle is pretty much over.

[elcreative]

And as a Samsung Galaxy owner that is my biggest irritation with a very good product... I can't get rid of all the c**p that Samsung insist on cluttering up Android with... it's not that I like iPhones (I don't) and I don't object to Samsung putting lots of things on the phone but... between Samsung and my provider, I have a pile of things that I don't want and I can't uninstall most of it just like Google things I don't want...

Strangely enough, I really want to choose the apps I have on my phone and not be forced to have the stuff some faceless apparatchik insists on putting on it without providing an easy path to remove it...

[pl001]

I think there's a lot of truth to that. Microsoft is doing the same thing, making the OS and built-in apps good enough that you don't need so many 3rd party apps. In other words, more like a real computer. It makes for a better overall experience, so long as you can still get all the popular standalone apps you want. With Android, you can. With Windows, not so much.

iOS's simplicity is what made it so popular. But people are now using their mobile devices more than ever and iOS has fallen way behind. It is totally reliant on developers and the quality of their apps right now, and even then it is missing major OS functionality.

[Graham]

I think the author has made a fair point with this article, one I'd not considered previously. My wife's coveting the Note, and it's the apps as portrayed in the Samsung adverts that are attracting her. She sees the Note as a whole package.

That isn't to say that the apps provided are necessarily better than those available on the Play store, or with an iPhone, just that the emphasis placed on Samsung's included apps in the marketing is working for her.

Graham

[afv011]

Originally Posted by elcreative

And as a Samsung Galaxy owner that is my biggest irritation with a very good product... I can't get rid of all the c**p that Samsung insist on cluttering up Android with... it's not that I like iPhones (I don't) and I don't object to Samsung putting lots of things on the phone but... between Samsung and my provider, I have a pile of things that I don't want and I can't uninstall most of it just like Google things I don't want...

Strangely enough, I really want to choose the apps I have on my phone and not be forced to have the stuff some faceless apparatchik insists on putting on it without providing an easy path to remove it...

You can disable apps in Settings and they disappear from your drawer. They are still installed, but are not running and not visible.

A more drastic approach is to root and remove them, there is a list on XDA of the ones that it is safe to remove.

[fjtorres]

Bundled apps are generally seen as added value by consumers (as long as they are broadly useful and not promo-ware). Back in the day, Windows steam-rolled OS/2 with the help of software bundles--Office Suites, Encyclopedias, edutainment CD-ROMs--so Samsung is playing off a strong playbook. But Apple has been playing that game with the Mac for a while so they're not blind to the tactic.

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by afv011

You can disable apps in Settings and they disappear from your drawer. They are still installed, but are not running and not visible.

A more drastic approach is to root and remove them, there is a list on XDA of the ones that it is safe to remove.

Thanks, I've hidden them as you say but they're still there of course and taking up space...

Like DRM though, I shouldn't have to root (remove in the case of DRM) just to use a product I've paid for, in the way I want to... but on MR that's just preaching to the converted...

[frahse]

Guys, it is confession time.

I don't use Microsoft Outlook. I don't want it. I used to use Outlook Express, and now I just use g-mail.
-- why the h*** can't I remove Outlook from my desktop? - easily.

I have tried a lot of Google android apps searching for the best of a kind. I have removed the lesser quality ones from my phone. Why can't I remove them from the Play Store?

I love Google, and all the good cheap stuff it does and gives me.
Still why can't I remove all the stuff they call (Sys) from my Droid that I don't use?

[elcreative]

Originally Posted by frahse

Guys, it is confession time.

I don't use Microsoft Outlook. I don't want it. I used to use Outlook Express, and now I just use g-mail.
-- why the h*** can't I remove Outlook from my desktop? - easily.

I have tried a lot of Google android apps searching for the best of a kind. I have removed the lesser quality ones from my phone. Why can't I remove them from the Play Store?

I love Google, and all the good cheap stuff it does and gives me.
Still why can't I remove all the stuff they call (Sys) from my Droid that I don't use?

Exactly... computers, tablets, phones, they all come with stuff that some people don't want/need (that isn't essential to using the device) but can't easily remove... great that all the manufacturers seem to believe that they know better than their customers what they MUST have...

I gave Android a two year trial with a Motorola Atrix and a few tablets. I think it is the biggest pile of OS crap ever created. I couldn't wait for the two year contract to expire so I could go to an iPhone. I can get stuff done with apps that work. Android apps look, feel, and run like they were written by morons. Android was originally written to be put in cameras. I wouldn't want my high dollar cameras running that crap!

[Apache]

Originally Posted by frahse

Guys, it is confession time.

I don't use Microsoft Outlook. I don't want it. I used to use Outlook Express, and now I just use g-mail.
-- why the h*** can't I remove Outlook from my desktop? - easily.

I have tried a lot of Google android apps searching for the best of a kind. I have removed the lesser quality ones from my phone. Why can't I remove them from the Play Store?

I love Google, and all the good cheap stuff it does and gives me.
Still why can't I remove all the stuff they call (Sys) from my Droid that I don't use?

Whenever I install Office I always make sure and uncheck Outlook so it does not install.
Apache

[Teknikal]

Have to admit I was disappointed with the out of box functionality of my Nexus 7 compared to my Samsung phone had to waste a few days trying to find decent wallpapers, file browser, most basic apps and a video player that actually played my files etc.

I still think Samsung's biggest advantage is simply they aren't trying to restrict their own users thing's like being able to change batteries and sd cards are why my next phone will likely be an S4.

[FizzyWater]

Originally Posted by Teknikal

I still think Samsung's biggest advantage is simply they aren't trying to restrict their own users thing's like being able to change batteries and sd cards are why my next phone will likely be an S4.

I recently upgraded to a Samsung (Reverb) from an LG. One frustration I've had to look into was that Samsung either restricted or didn't upgrade the version of Android it uses to allow user to move apps to the SD card (like my LG did).

It's a nice little phone - much sleeker than the LG. But I think disabling (or not choosing to enable) the "move to SD card" feature is a big minus.

[Teknikal]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I recently upgraded to a Samsung (Reverb) from an LG. One frustration I've had to look into was that Samsung either restricted or didn't upgrade the version of Android it uses to allow user to move apps to the SD card (like my LG did).

It's a nice little phone - much sleeker than the LG. But I think disabling (or not choosing to enable) the "move to SD card" feature is a big minus.

That's actually Google's doing and the "Move to SD" thing was never worth doing anyway it would basicly move a tiny amount of the apps data to the SD card while keeping most of it still on the actual device storage.

Best thing is to use the SD card for is other files like Video, Music, Books, Offline GPS maps etc

[faithbw]

Originally Posted by FizzyWater

I recently upgraded to a Samsung (Reverb) from an LG. One frustration I've had to look into was that Samsung either restricted or didn't upgrade the version of Android it uses to allow user to move apps to the SD card (like my LG did).

It's a nice little phone - much sleeker than the LG. But I think disabling (or not choosing to enable) the "move to SD card" feature is a big minus.

I think it depends on the phone not the phone maker. I have a Samsung Galaxy SII and it allows a user to move apps to the micro SD card. The reason I switched to this phone was because the previous phone I had (LG Optimus L9) didn't allow users to move apps to the SD card. This was extremely problematic as the phone didn't have much internal storage available for apps, music, etc. Both phone run ICS, so I don't think it was the operating system. So I guess when it comes to that particular feature YMMV depending on the individual handset one has.