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Ewan Spence
The Best In Class Camera
The Galaxy S6 family had one of the best smartphone cameras of 2015, and I rated it as being better than those found on the iPhone 6s devices. I expect the Galaxy S7 to make even more advances in this area, and if Samsung is smart, it will give the imaging capability of the new handsets a lot of stage time in Barcelona.
If it can get the idea over that the Galaxy is a better camera phone than the iPhone then it has a strong and simple message that retail assistants the world over will be able to build on that and to sell the S7 devices. Samsung needs sales, and pushing the camera is one of the lowest-hanging fruits. It needs to promote this advantage heavily.
Next: Samsung’s apps, virtual reality, and ordering some passion.
Samsung’s Own Applications
The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are not Nexus devices. They carry a lot of additional software by Samsung, as well as the TouchWiz UI. In the past I’ve criticised Android manufacturers for bundling additional software that duplicates the mandated Google Play apps - the browser is a clear example of this, and the S7 devices will ship with Google Chrome, and Samsung’s latest browser.
Samsung needs to sell these additional apps in the presentation for two reasons. It needs to ensure they are not seen as bloatware, and that they are offering users a genuine choice in terms of capability and functionality – Samsung’s browser has ad-blocking hooks for third-party clients to block ads, something Chrome does not support. Can Samsung make these applications feel valuable, as opposed to ‘Samsung is trying to grab my profile data?’
These apps help the Galaxy stand out, but they need to be user-friendly in operation and on the device. Samsung has rarely managed to convince the audience of their applications’ value in the past. Will that change in 2016?
Going For Virtual Reality
The Galaxy S7 needs to be more than a smartphone. To hark back to the iPhone once more, it is part of something bigger – it is part of the Apple ecosystem. What backs up the Galaxy S7? This is where Samsung’s work with virtual reality could come into play. It’s cutting edge in terms of technology, it’s sexy in terms of marketing and social media, and it creates a feeling of connected thinking. The halo effect of the S7 being tied into the Gear VR could help consumers see the Galaxy S7 as being more than just a phone.
It also helps portray Samsung as an innovative company that is trying
new ideas, as opposed to simply building lots of smartphones and
selling as many of them as possible. While the latter is true it’s the
former that will push people to buy the more expensive high-end
handsets.
Passion
This is a tricky one to address, but Samsung’s presentations in the past have been… functional at best. Every product launch needs to work through a feature list, needs to hit all the tick boxes, and maximise the benefits while minimising the flaws of a product. It’s just that some companies can make this feel a light, enjoyable and comforting experience. Others can drag out the process over hours with dry delivery, a reliance on slick videos to introduce features and an audience that is eager to get away and stretch their legs before they have to try to write-up what they just tried to not sleep through.
Samsung has tended towards the latter. That’s not going to generate a huge amount of passion, and I do believe that the passion on stage will be reflected in the coverage. Can the new head of mobile DJ Koh ratchet up the excitement without reminding the audience of the cringeworthy and sexist Galaxy S4 launch on Broadway?
Every year the Samsung Unpacked event is called a key moment in the
life of the company. The South Korean’s flagship handset launch sets the
tone for the rest of the year and that means the pressure is on to
deliver more than ‘here’s the new handset’. The event could herald a
resurgence of Samsung’s rise to the top of the smartphone sales charts
under DJ Koh, or it could lock Samsung into the current pattern of
slowing flagship sales and a reliance on high-volume low-margin handsets
to break even.
We’ll know what Samsung thinks it can deliver in a little over twenty-four hours. The media’s reaction will follow shortly after that, but it’s the public reaction which will be key.
(Now read why a llama might be key to Samsung’s marketing of the Galaxy S7).
You can find more of my work at ewanspence.co.uk. I'm on Twitter, Facebook, and Linked In. You should subscribe to my weekly newsletter of 'Trivial Posts'.
Samsung’s reply is the Galaxy S7.
Anyone who’s been following the tech press over the last six months
will know what’s coming in #TheNextGalaxy presentation, but that’s not
the point. This is Samsung’s time to tell the story of the Galaxy S7 and
the S7 Edge on its own terms. It’s a chance to explain why decisions
have been made. And it’s the biggest opportunity Samsung has to shape
the future of the Galaxy S7 family… a future that will have a
significant impact on Samsung, the Android platform, and the entire
smartphone ecosystem.
With that in mind, what will I be watching for in the presentation?
Specifications, Models And Variants
Although the S7 devices have proven to be leakier than a sieve under Niagara Falls, my first port of call will be the specification sheet. Does the device match the rumors, will the assumptions that have been made over the hardware be correct, has anything sneaked in under the radar? Is Samsung delivering just the two expected handsets or are there some more variants that have been camouflaged?
Features such as microUSB, waterproofing, and battery capacity will all need to be confirmed as present and correct before anybody’s editorial can be published. Which handsets will get an Exynos system on chip and which will have the SnapDragon 820 is another question that will need to be answered before any coverage can go out.
If Samsung is going to pull a ‘One More Thing’ over the handset hardware, the first sign of it will be here.
With that in mind, what will I be watching for in the presentation?
Visitors gather at the Samsung stand during the opening day of the 2015 Mobile World Congress (Josep Lago/AFP/Getty Images)
Although the S7 devices have proven to be leakier than a sieve under Niagara Falls, my first port of call will be the specification sheet. Does the device match the rumors, will the assumptions that have been made over the hardware be correct, has anything sneaked in under the radar? Is Samsung delivering just the two expected handsets or are there some more variants that have been camouflaged?
Features such as microUSB, waterproofing, and battery capacity will all need to be confirmed as present and correct before anybody’s editorial can be published. Which handsets will get an Exynos system on chip and which will have the SnapDragon 820 is another question that will need to be answered before any coverage can go out.
If Samsung is going to pull a ‘One More Thing’ over the handset hardware, the first sign of it will be here.
Apple iPhone 6 Plus vs Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge (image: Ewan Spence)
Recommended by Forbes
The Galaxy S6 family had one of the best smartphone cameras of 2015, and I rated it as being better than those found on the iPhone 6s devices. I expect the Galaxy S7 to make even more advances in this area, and if Samsung is smart, it will give the imaging capability of the new handsets a lot of stage time in Barcelona.
If it can get the idea over that the Galaxy is a better camera phone than the iPhone then it has a strong and simple message that retail assistants the world over will be able to build on that and to sell the S7 devices. Samsung needs sales, and pushing the camera is one of the lowest-hanging fruits. It needs to promote this advantage heavily.
Next: Samsung’s apps, virtual reality, and ordering some passion.
Samsung’s Own Applications
The Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge are not Nexus devices. They carry a lot of additional software by Samsung, as well as the TouchWiz UI. In the past I’ve criticised Android manufacturers for bundling additional software that duplicates the mandated Google Play apps - the browser is a clear example of this, and the S7 devices will ship with Google Chrome, and Samsung’s latest browser.
Samsung needs to sell these additional apps in the presentation for two reasons. It needs to ensure they are not seen as bloatware, and that they are offering users a genuine choice in terms of capability and functionality – Samsung’s browser has ad-blocking hooks for third-party clients to block ads, something Chrome does not support. Can Samsung make these applications feel valuable, as opposed to ‘Samsung is trying to grab my profile data?’
These apps help the Galaxy stand out, but they need to be user-friendly in operation and on the device. Samsung has rarely managed to convince the audience of their applications’ value in the past. Will that change in 2016?
Samsung Galaxy Browser – version 4 (Image: Ewan Spence)
The Galaxy S7 needs to be more than a smartphone. To hark back to the iPhone once more, it is part of something bigger – it is part of the Apple ecosystem. What backs up the Galaxy S7? This is where Samsung’s work with virtual reality could come into play. It’s cutting edge in terms of technology, it’s sexy in terms of marketing and social media, and it creates a feeling of connected thinking. The halo effect of the S7 being tied into the Gear VR could help consumers see the Galaxy S7 as being more than just a phone.
Recommended by Forbes
Passion
This is a tricky one to address, but Samsung’s presentations in the past have been… functional at best. Every product launch needs to work through a feature list, needs to hit all the tick boxes, and maximise the benefits while minimising the flaws of a product. It’s just that some companies can make this feel a light, enjoyable and comforting experience. Others can drag out the process over hours with dry delivery, a reliance on slick videos to introduce features and an audience that is eager to get away and stretch their legs before they have to try to write-up what they just tried to not sleep through.
Samsung has tended towards the latter. That’s not going to generate a huge amount of passion, and I do believe that the passion on stage will be reflected in the coverage. Can the new head of mobile DJ Koh ratchet up the excitement without reminding the audience of the cringeworthy and sexist Galaxy S4 launch on Broadway?
We’ll know what Samsung thinks it can deliver in a little over twenty-four hours. The media’s reaction will follow shortly after that, but it’s the public reaction which will be key.
(Now read why a llama might be key to Samsung’s marketing of the Galaxy S7).
You can find more of my work at ewanspence.co.uk. I'm on Twitter, Facebook, and Linked In. You should subscribe to my weekly newsletter of 'Trivial Posts'.
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