Today at my local Best Buy: Samsung vs. HTC

[bigoldthor]

Here is the difference in presentation. I'm not saying HTC should put more money here, or even that they can. Samsung has so much money compared to HTC that I'm sure HTC has to be selective with its marketing dollars. I am just saying the difference is stark.

First, Samsung's mini-store. (Pay no attention to the weird guy with the rep.)

Next, the HTC display, in its entirety. (Oh, they didn't even have the tags correct...showed the black as "silver" on the label.)

I talked with the Samsung chick for about ten minutes. We had a pleasant conversation, but she definitely had her script.

Her: "HTC has inferior hardware. Just look at the Inspire."
Me: "Aside from a couple of missteps, most people in the know consider HTC hardware to be high-end. The One X was/is outstanding, and the One is simply breathtaking."
Her: "Yeah, it's nice."

Her: "Samsung has a better camera."
Me: "Debatable. It is nice, but the One is much better in indoor and low lighting. And you should see my video highlights with Zoes!"
Her: "Yeah."

Her: "The display and colors are so much better on the GS4."
Me: "Really? I guess if you like oversaturation and a more cartoonish appearance. The One has much more realistic colors, and you can see it in daylight"
Her: "Oh."
I did acknowledge that the GS4 has a very nice display, and I like that you can set different display modes to match your preferences or type of media you're viewing.

Me: "One thing I don't like about AMOLED is the propensity to get burn-in if you don't watch it."
Her: "Really" I've never seen burn-in on one of them."
Me: "My GN2, which I absolutely LOVE, has some slight burn in from my weather widget. It's not *bad*, but you can definitely see it if the background is white and nothing is covering the area."
Her: "Well, you could turn down the screen brightness."
Me: "Yeah, I could, but I prefer to enjoy it at its maximum brightness and glory, especially in bright settings. I don't worry about that on my One."

As I said, it was not in any way a debate or argument. They're just phones, and I don't own stock in either company. I just wanted to engage her in conversation for a while to see what the Samsung script would be. Nothing surprised me.

TIFWIW...

 

[friedtators]

they work on commission

 

[Aquila]

Was it a regular blue shirt best buy employee, a Samsung rep or a carrier rep? And how many people know what the Inspire is?

 

[Farish]

they work on commission

Chances are that was a Samsung Employee. That is one of the new Samsung Experience stores and they are manage by Samsung.

 

[GadgetGator]

Those pics look exactly like the store by me. Including the way the Samsung area looked like a Ghost Town. I found most people still in the mobile phone section. Not sure these mini-stores are having the impact they wanted or thought they would. Though I think they would be great at Christmas time.

 

[jp25f]

Same story at the Best Buy near my place. All the Samsung phones are neatly set up in all their glory, playing videos extolling the awesomeness of the phones. While in the tiny HTC display is a plastic model and an actual phone that isn't even set up properly. Blinkfeed was blank, no Wi-Fi connectivity. If I walked into a Best Buy with no idea about which smartphone phone to buy, there is no chance that I would walk out with anything other than a Samsung or Apple phone.
We all know that Samsung & Apple have deep pockets, but at the very least HTC should use the overwhelmingly positive reviews in their marketing and make sure that the display phones are set up properly.

Sent from my HTCONE using AC Forums mobile app

 

[Aquila]

If I walked into a Best Buy with no idea about which smartphone phone to buy, there is no chance that I would walk out with anything other than a Samsung or Apple phone.

That's a pretty crucial and devastating statement. We have to remember something like 90% of people probably don't even read reviews, if they know reviews exist.

 

[zhelf]

I never really see many people in the Samsung experience section and don't ever expect reps to know anything unless they have some real stake or they are a high level teaching rep I used to work at best buy when I was younger and our printer reps and camera reps were great but phone reps tended to be there just to give free stuff. But that was about 10 years ago.

And in my local store they have a working one on display even though location could be better I was glad to see it but idk how anyone buys a phone based on plastic without playing with it

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[josearmz10789]

they work on commission

This guy again with false info. Best buy associates don't work on commission. If that was a Samsung employees which I doubt cuz of the shirt then maybe but the sale would go to a BB employee.

Sent from my SPH-L720 using AC Forums mobile app

 

[bigtnew]

I loved my inspire. Once I rooted it... That phone stock was a nightmare. I love my unrooted One now just as much. Dunno why somebody (the rep) would hate on such an obscure and outdated phone.

 

[Farish]

I loved my inspire. Once I rooted it... That phone stock was a nightmare. I love my unrooted One now just as much. Dunno why somebody (the rep) would hate on such an obscure and outdated phone.

Past experiences with products shape our future decisions. I am still shocked that I bought my wife the HTC One. Why? Because I had witness some terrible experiences and support with the HTC ThunderBolt.

 

[HalizDad]

Past experiences with products shape our future decisions. I am still shocked that I bought my wife the HTC One. Why? Because I had witness some terrible experiences and support with the HTC ThunderBolt.

I completely agree with you. The Thunderbolt was a disaster. However, the Thunderbolt was Verizon's first attempt at an LTE phone and "custom-ordered" it (for lack of a better term) from HTC with THEIR specifics in the hardware/software department. That was more or less a Verizon fail, not an HTC fail. I had an Evo4G, and a guy I work with had/has a Thunderbolt. We rooted both of them, and his worked a lot better with a custom ROM (software) afterward. Verizon simply wanted to one-up the Evo4G. More storage, LTE, etc, and they didn't think it through very well.

 

[flexfield]

I asked one of the "Samsung" representatives at Best Buy how they liked working for Samsung and the response I got back was he works for a marketing firm hired on behalf of Samsung. And a blue shirt Best Buy employee rang out the sale when I bought a Samsung tablet.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[sparkly flea]

Same experience at BBY yesterday when accompanying my sister to buy a new phone. Giant Samsung display area, a kiosk for the One. BBY employee pushing the Samsung hard and all kinds of misinformation on the One. Camera not as good, HTC company a let down, tried to tell me there was a 16gb model, etc. Basically no knowledge of the One. I countered every comment with actual facts. A shame they don't know or don't care since it is such a great device. Sister walked out of there with a new One price matched from Costco ($159). Face!

 

[Topgonzo]

Funny how money makes things happen in life.. Guess I don't care much for who has the biggest sign.. Who sells the most of any certain product. For every huge success there are many failures. Htc has a superior phone. They specialize in only making phone. Samsung is a huge name. It will come crashing to reality at some point. Hey if Samsung started making a great phone without touch wiz adding gimmicks I might just consider them. I am a grown man. Gimmicks appeal to teenagers

Sent from my HTC One using Tapatalk 4 Beta

 

[bigoldthor]

Was it a regular blue shirt best buy employee, a Samsung rep or a carrier rep? And how many people know what the Inspire is?

It was a direct Samsung employee.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[YourMobileGuru]

Not surprising in the slightest.

 

[Suda]

I don't know what you were expecting, it's practically a Samsung outlet. Best Buy Mobile = Samsung. It would be like going into an Apple store and expecting an employee to speak favorably of Samsung or have the GS4 propped up front. You'd have a better chance of getting mauled by a polar bear in the Sahara.

I did lol hard though when I scrolled down and saw that HTC booth looking like a lemonade stand in comparison. It even has buyer guides next to it with the GS4 on the cover. Damn.

 

[YourMobileGuru]

I don't know what you were expecting, it's practically a Samsung outlet. Best Buy Mobile = Samsung. It would be like going into an Apple store and expecting an employee to speak favorably of Samsung or have the GS4 propped up front. You'd have a better chance of getting mauled by a polar bear in the Sahara.

I did lol hard though when I scrolled down and saw that HTC booth looking like a lemonade stand in comparison. It even has buyer guides next to it with the GS4 on the cover. Damn.

That's their regular buying guide but yes it looks tacky.

However, its more than anyone else but Samsung and Apple got. Its important to remrmber that this isn't just some business decision that Best Buy made to feature Samsung products. Samsung PAID Best Buy for the space and with their financial troubles they would be hard pressed to refuse.

Sent from my HTC6435LVW using AC Forums mobile app

 

[GadgetGator]

I did lol hard though when I scrolled down and saw that HTC booth looking like a lemonade stand in comparison. It even has buyer guides next to it with the GS4 on the cover. Damn.

Actually, a lemonade stand would be an improvement! What they have is even less than that! That being said, none of the other phones fare any better except Samsung. Hell, LG's latest was on the BACK endcap...barely noticble at all.