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Study: Samsung phone durable, but iPhone has edge

40 Comments
By ANICK JESDANUN

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40 Comments
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Of course it's durable, it's cheap plastic. Ugly classless tasteless use of materials. Iphone is high end, don't compare it to samsung's.

-12 ( +6 / -18 )

@titaniumdioxide

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with 5.7 inch screen makes IPhone 5s look like a toy. The Note 3 is a nice smartphone. Great battery life, a gorgeous screen, sharp 13 megapixal camera and powerful software makes this the most versatile smartphone on the market. One of the perfect devices to use for work and take notes. Can't say the same about the Iphone 5s.

4 ( +11 / -7 )

Sfjp, Comparing specs is a thing in the past. If you insist, the new HTC1 and Xperia Z2 outperformed your samsung.

-4 ( +5 / -9 )

Who wrote this? the iphone 6 is bigger than the galaxy s5 and the s5 isn't even released in Japan.

Apple made this marketing up that you MUST hold your phone at the bottom and only use your thumb to operate it, you don't hold your phone there you hold in the middle.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

I'm waiting to see how the iphone 6 will compare to the 5S Samdung. I've thought of getting a note 3 but upgrades keep me waiting. I wonder what a note 4 would be like?

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Gogogo: get your act together: iPhone6 is a mere rumour 6 months ahead, and the Galaxy S5 was released in more than a dozen countries last Friday. Ugly, as usual.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

Android (regardless of brand) > iPhone Rather than going of "fancy cases" and "good materials" in the iPhone... what can it do that an Android can't? If you mention the quality of a function, back it up with some facts.

Seriously, make a list and don't mention how pretty it is or any ifanboy stuffs. Short list it will be... if you can even list something.

-2 ( +2 / -4 )

No one can deny that iProducts are very very fragile.

-2 ( +6 / -8 )

Apple has the advantage in professional design. They just know what works and how things need to be in perfection (sans some copycat changes in latest ios). I often see others using Androids on the train and they are just too large and compared to iPhones design looks far less sophisticated.

-2 ( +3 / -5 )

LostinNagoya: It is not released in Japan until summer.

Google around, iphone 6 screen is rumored to be 4.7 or 5.5 inches which is much larger than current, either way true or not the screen will be bigger, so stop staying size doesn't matter because clearly it does because iphone5's screen was bigger than previous models.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

That is indeed correct LostinNagoya, iPhone 6 has not been released and is merely rumor at this point. The facts are that 'iProducts', Thomas Anderson, are not typically fragile, having dropped both iPhones and iPods of various models, with only one near 'fatality', of my iPhone 3G. The broken glass panel on front was easily replaced myself with an inexpensive kit purchased online, using a YouTube 'how to' video. It worked great after that. Overall, Apple makes stuff that simply works, looks good, and is built solidly. Everything else out there is generally trying to copy, not innovate. Seriously.

-3 ( +3 / -6 )

stop staying size doesn't matter because clearly it does because iphone5's screen was bigger than previous models.

It matters to a degree. Most no one wants a 3inch screen, but most people don't want one of those phones that masquerade as a tablet either, because they are too big.

No one can deny that iProducts are very very fragile.

I deny. I've dropped my iphone 5 too many times to count, still working fine.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I deny. I've dropped my iphone 5 too many times to count, still working fine.

Look at this drop test, a single drop shatters the screen:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KwE9PGDnlvs

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

And I've dropped mine too many times to count, without shattering the screen. What's your point?

-1 ( +4 / -5 )

how clumsy are these people saying they dropped their phones all the time....?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

People like what they like, I own both phones ecosystems due to work, I like apple because you could it to your grandmother and she wouldn't have a problem, but that is the same reason I don't like apple. I personally have seen more broken apple screen than any other phone and according to this article, the S5 beat apple in all tests except the screen size. So if you don't know how to use a big screen or want to feel warm and fuzzy buy an iphone, apparently (according to this article) the only thing it has got going for it is its screen is smaller than the others.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

samsung too large boo hoo, well i prefer a larger screen of the Note 3, and the faster processor that comes with it. easy to use for people with bigger hands/fingers. and no need to strain your eyes looking at a tiny display.

5 ( +6 / -1 )

I own both an iPhone and a Note and can tell you that the iPhone is leaps & bounds ahead. I do like the Note's big screen, but the cheap plastic casing marks easily and the screen is very easy to scratch - even though it comes with a stylus!

Samsung need some industrial design. Fast!

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

You can't swap out the battery in an iPhone nor can you increase/exchange the memory on the go with a new memory card. Aside from all of the other reasons I don't like the iPhone, I'd pick any Android phone over an iPhone just for these two reasons.

7 ( +8 / -1 )

"The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 with 5.7 inch screen makes IPhone 5s look like a toy. The Note 3 is a nice smartphone. Great battery life, a gorgeous screen, sharp 13 megapixal camera and powerful software makes this the most versatile smartphone on the market. One of the perfect devices to use for work and take notes. Can't say the same about the Iphone 5s."

Then how come Apple iPhones outsell Samsung Galaxy phones in Japan?

-6 ( +1 / -7 )

I'd still like to know why Apple outsells Samsung in Japan.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Serrano

Simple Samsung doesn't have the brand equity like Apple. Another would be Samsung can only provide an android clone which is exact the same product as Japanese alternative so again loses in brand equity.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

Serrano

I'd still like to know why Apple outsells Samsung in Japan.

Two reasons. 1) Apple is a genius when it comes to marketing an attractive but highly over-priced and over-hyped product and the Japanese populace in general are absolute suckers when it comes to trendy products that are cleverly marketed. 2) We are talking about sales in Japan and, hello, Samsung is a Korean product. I personally know many people who specifically choose an inferior Japanese smart phone like the Sony Experia simply because Samsung is Korean.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Personally I'm not surprised that Apple sells well in Japan. Apple is like a "Japanese" company, if a Japanese company had good design/UI philosophy.

And Samsung does sell well in Japan.

-5 ( +0 / -5 )

Thomas Anderson

And Samsung does sell well in Japan.

Really? Smartphone market share as of December 2013:

1 - Apple 2 - Sony 3 - Sharp 4 - Samsung

As for the iPhone's share of the Japanese smartphone market as of January 2014, it's the highest out of any smartphone market in any other country, including the U.S.:

Japan - 60.1% iOS, 30% Android, .9% Other

U.S.A. - 43.1% iOS, 50.3% Android, 6.6% Other

Australia - 35% iOS, 55.1% Android, 9.9% Other

UK - 30.6% iOS, 55.7% Android, 13.7% Other

France - 18.6% iOS, 65.5% Android, 15.9% Other

Germany - 17.3% iOS, 74.7% Android, 8% Other

China - 17% iOS, 78.6% Android, 4.4% Other

Italy - 11% iOS, 67.9% Android, 21.1% Other

Spain - 6.3% iOS, 87.3% Android, 6.4% Other

In contrast to Apple's 60.1 % share in Japan, Samsung's sales are a fraction of the 30% Android market share.

I don't think your definition of "sell well in Japan" and my definition are anywhere near the same...

0 ( +3 / -3 )

To be honest, iPhones dominating in Japan may also have to do with something else at play. Basically, Apple makes the carriers sign a contract where a hefty minimum amount of iPhones must be sold by the carriers. After all, iPads aren't so hot in Japan.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

People people, the only reason why Apple "outsells" android is because they are giving them away, when a new model appears softbank creates a "change your old model for a new one", scheme. The iPhone ids fully subsidized by softbank and largely au, where you have to pay close to the full amount for any android.. People love free stuff....

0 ( +3 / -3 )

iPhones sell well in Japan because they are what Japanese people like: sophisticated, like all the luxury brands Japanese buyers love. Samsung is an ugly thing, it does have some nice points, but it looks cheap, and clunky. Not what Japanese peole want, or want to be seen with. As for marketing, Samsung invest hundreds of millions of dollars, but most times it shoots itself in the foot. Make a search for "samsung payola", the results are laughable. Most stars it pays to use Galaxies in front of cameras, are discovered using iPhones for real business. And there's this recent episode, that looks like from "American Dad": this basketball player is paid millions to be seen with a Galaxy on his hand, and he tweets from his iPhone blasting Samsung's Android for erasing all his contact without him touching the thing. Samsung had to dispatch a team to his house, LOL.

-5 ( +2 / -7 )

Clearly the reason why Samsung doesn't sell in Japan is because it is a Korean brand. Let's look at worldwide smartphone sales figures from 2013:

Samsung - 313.9 million

Apple - 153.4 million

Huawei - 48.8 million

LG - 47.7 million

Lenovo - 45.5 million

Source: IDC (https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prUS24645514)

Sony, Sharp? Not mentioned at all and completely irrelevant outside of Japan.

2 ( +4 / -2 )

Sony has the best design

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

Best design:HTC one Best screen : any recent android phone Most productive:note 3 Best for tiny Tim:iPhone Best designed paper weight: iPhone 5s Best allround phone: oppo n1 Most likely to drop in water and forget about it : iPhone 5c

Conclusion: snow white has a HTC one or galaxy note 3, and the seven dwarfs, seven tiny iPhones.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

You can't compare Apple vs Samsung you must compare Apple vs Android, Android wins in every market.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

You can't compare Apple vs Samsung you must compare Apple vs Android, Android wins in every market.

Apple is a company, Android is an OS. Apple is a company, Samsung is a company. IOS is an OS, Android is an OS

One of the above is not like the others.

-1 ( +3 / -4 )

I can't believe I just read above a comment saying that Android is better that iOS, because it's complicated...LOL. My gosh! Go figure these guys.

-4 ( +1 / -5 )

Part of the reason why Samsung doesn't do well in Japan is because the Japanese prefer domestic firms and really are skeptical of foreign firms outside of ultra luxury items. In terms of the mobile industry, Samsung doesn't care a lot about Japan out side of using the country as a test bed for new form factors and make a higher margin on a specialized product.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

Android is most certainly better than iOS, not because it's more complicated, but because it's actually easier to use, if you take a little time to set it up in a way that best suits you. It's really not that hard. A child could do it. On the other hand, try customizing your iPhone. Hell, even try something as basic as just changing your keyboard to something more personal. I rest my case.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

yes, rest the ugly, cheap-looking plastic case. LOL.

-2 ( +1 / -3 )

LostinNagoyaApr. 18, 2014 - 08:20AM JST yes, rest the ugly, cheap-looking plastic case. LOL.

The Samsung Note 3 faux leather looks professionally better than the iphone 5s. The 5s is better for socializing for average people. The Note 3 is alot more productive than the Iphone 5s. Larger screen, faster processor, ease of use, functionality. Iphone can't even use flash for technical analysis of economic data where in note you can run flash plug in. You can transfer files via SD card too.

2 ( +3 / -1 )

@LostinNagoya, coming from JT no.1 advocate of the "smart"phone who's users are typically most known for spending extra, not only to buy their precious aluminum paperweights, but also for buying equally ridiculous looking plastic cases to hide them in. LOL indeed.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

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