HTC One (M8): Is there anything that this phone does better than the competition?

[Soundtrack to Chaos]

Re: Is there anything that this phone does better than the competition?

Yes.

There's something wrong with your argument. If people prefer metal to plastic, but buy plastic on a larger scale than metal in the android space, then marketing must be the reason for such a large gap? Really?


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[Soundtrack to Chaos]

Re: Is there anything that this phone does better than the competition?

Yes. Also advertising from the s to the s2 to the s3 and so on. Samsung is not the best. People are made to believe they are from advertising and the trickle down affect.

So Samsung leads in sales not because they are the best, but because of marketing magic?

K

 

[Soundtrack to Chaos]

And let's say some miracle of God happens and HTC leads in sales, what then?

 

[James E1]

Re: Is there anything that this phone does better than the competition?

There's something wrong with your argument. If people prefer metal to plastic, but buy plastic on a larger scale than metal in the android space, then marketing must be the reason for such a large gap? Really?


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After my mother saw an ad for the S4 she was convinced it was the best smartphone ever. She had never owned a smartphone or even used one but was convinced the S4 was the best. The only other thing she had to go on was that my uncle had an S3 and told my mother he loved it. My uncle never had a smartphone before the S3 and got it because his son told him to and he saw some ads for the S3 and the Iphone and thought they were the only 2 brands. See advertising and the trickle down affect from advertising.

 

[Soundtrack to Chaos]

Unlike everyone, I have some large scale evidence and not a small sample size to support my claim that people don't really give a crap about what material their phone is made out of

https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/pr_120821/

Wish I could pull up 2013 numbers, but 2012 will have to do

 

[Soundtrack to Chaos]

Re: Is there anything that this phone does better than the competition?

After my mother saw an ad for the S4 she was convinced it was the best smartphone ever. She had never owned a smartphone or even used one but was convinced the S4 was the best. The only other thing she had to go on was that my uncle had an S3 and told my mother he loved it. My uncle never had a smartphone before the S3 and got it because his son told him to and he saw some ads for the S3 and the Iphone and thought they were the only 2 brands. See advertising and the trickle down affect from advertising.

Using your old parent who probably knows nothing about tech because you just said she thought they were the only two brands that existed is not good enough to support your claim.

 

[Lodingi]

Re: Is there anything that this phone does better than the competition?

Advertising gave the S4 a 5 million gap between their phone and the htc one?
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It was certainly a big (huge) part of it. I would list the reasons as such.

1. Advertising - Samsung spends between 4-5 billion annually on marketing. HTC spends less 100 million last I read.

2. Brand recognition - Samsung is one of, if not the most well known brand in the world. I would say greater than 50% of their brand recognition is based on non mobile products. Even so, there's the perception if Samsung makes great TV's or household appliances, then their mobile products must also be great. HTC is only known in the mobile space. 90% of mobile buyers have zero mobile tech knowledge. They either think iPhone or Samsung.

3. Manufacturing - Samsung is the world's manufacturing powerhouse. When they announce a new device, they release it almost immediately. Once the marketing kicks in, everyone else is screwed.

4. Carrier availability - Samsung & Apple are the only companies that can flex their muscle over the carriers. Their devices get released on every carrier, at launch. HTC devices get released on 1 or 2 carriers, then trickle out to the others. That gives Samsung a huge advantage. The M8 is the first device HTC was able to release at its announcement. I'm hoping this helps HTC turn the corner and again become the powerhouse they were just a few short years ago.

 

[Soundtrack to Chaos]

Re: Is there anything that this phone does better than the competition?

It was certainly a big (huge) part of it. I would list the reasons as such.

1. Advertising - Samsung spends between 4-5 billion annually on marketing. HTC spends less 100 million last I read.

2. Brand recognition - Samsung is one of, if not the most well known brand in the world. I would say greater than 50% of their brand recognition is based on non mobile products. Even so, there's the perception if Samsung makes great TV's or household appliances, then their mobile products must also be great. HTC is only known in the mobile space. 90% of mobile buyers have zero mobile tech knowledge. They either think iPhone or Samsung.

3. Manufacturing - Samsung is the world's manufacturing powerhouse. When they announce a new device, they release it almost immediately. Once the marketing kicks in, everyone else is screwed.

4. Carrier availability - Samsung & Apple are the only companies that can flex their muscle over the carriers. Their devices get released on every carrier, at launch. HTC devices get released on 1 or 2 carriers, then trickle out to the others. That gives Samsung a huge advantage. The M8 is the first device HTC was able to release at its announcement. I'm hoping this helps HTC turn the corner and again become the powerhouse they were just a few short years ago.

I'm not saying advertising isn't a part of it, but if people are arguing that it is a fact that people prefer metal to plastic, and that material is the most important thing for people when considering devices, then jumping around and saying "no its advertising, that's the only reason Samsung leads in sales because they suck" is not a rational argument.

Build quality is not anywhere as important to people when purchasing a phone as you can see from my NPD Facts. And marketing cannot possibly account for the gap being that large.

It's either people don't care about metal or don't care about build quality very much, or something else. No one can sit here and claim that magically metal is the preferred material, then when I ask why don't metal Android devices sell more than plastic ones, jump around and yell marketing magic.

 

[Soundtrack to Chaos]

Also where are you getting these magical numbers of 50% and 90%? Out of thin air?

 

[Habiib]

Re: Is there anything that this phone does better than the competition?

But I thought people preferred metal to plastic? So if build material, as you say, has the highest influence ,then why is there such a gap between the #1 and #2 in the android space?

And please don't tell me that advertising accounts for such a large gap.

It's either of two things, one people don't prefer metal to plastic, or most importantly and realistically an logically : on a large scale No One Cares what their phone is made of in the first place.


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Wow...Ummmm just wow... ZOMG LMBO!! OK I'll play. Not once did I state from my POV or in my opinion, that build material has the highest influence. I stated that others were implying such. Anyone who thinks such or solely focuses on build material as being a deciding factor for sales ranking, has the brain of a jellyfish.

It appears as though you refuse to consider advertising as a factor. I would direct you to data showing the amount of dollars spent towards marketing. However it would be I'm vain since advertising doesn't or can't explain anything /Ssssssss

If by chance you are stating your last comment as a fact, then I don't know what else to say. If people don't care what their phone is made of, then they don't care how their phone feels in the hand nor even the color. So please notify any OEM who puts focus on the build material or outer texture and finish, to stop wasting time.

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[LeoRex]

Re: Is there anything that this phone does better than the competition?

Well... one of the major advantages HTC took here is timing... The M8 came out in a vacuum... They didn't have to compete with another major release, so they can get all the "Let's look at the new HTC One." articles.... So HTC is getting awesome buzz that they wouldn't have if the release was closer to the S5.

I never got the hate on Samsung. I owned an S3 and it was a great phone. I had no issues with the plastic construction just as I don't really get all the hype with the One's metal body. Sure, it looks nice... and if there were two identical phones, priced identically, I might pick the metal one. But Samung makes good products... The Note 3 is, in my opinion, the premiere mobile device on the market right now... might not be for everyone, but even though I wouldn't buy a particular phone for my own needs, I won't crap all over it in an attempt to justify my own particular purchase choice.

Yes, Samsung does have advertising budget, but people still go into their local wireless store and have an chance to look at the competition.... If picking up the HTC One was the end all be all, then more people would be changing their minds and dumping their S or Note for a HTC. But that isn't happening. Samsung has the second highest retention rate behind Apple. People keep buying Samsung phones because they like their Samsung phones.... If someone has one in their hand, and hate it, they are going to go look at a HTC, Sony or LG when it comes time to get something new.

Fact is that phones now are fighting the little things.... Phones are all, for the most part, blazing fast with nice, big screens. To make a phone stand out, a company is often forced over-hype a relatively minor component since that's really all that is left. The M8 doesn't really have anything that makes it stand out a considerable amount, but NO phone has that advantage these days.... it's just the way the market is now. There are no monster generational gains to be made.

 

[Soundtrack to Chaos]

Re: Is there anything that this phone does better than the competition?

Wow...Ummmm just wow... ZOMG LMBO!! OK I'll play. Not once did I state from my POV or in my opinion, that build material has the highest influence. I stated that others were implying such. Anyone who thinks such or solely focuses on build material as being a deciding factor for sales ranking, has the brain of a jellyfish.

It appears as though you refuse to consider advertising as a factor. I would direct you to data showing the amount of dollars spent towards marketing. However it would be I'm vain since advertising doesn't or can't explain anything /Ssssssss

If by chance you are stating your last comment as a fact, then I don't know what else to say. If people don't care what their phone is made of, then they don't care how their phone feels in the hand nor even the color. So please notify any OEM who puts focus on the build material or outer texture and finish, to stop wasting time.

Posted via Android Central App

Probably confused you with the other guy.

Never said advertising wasn't a factor, question the scale.

You can show me numbers but you can't prove that advertising was a reason for purchase

Not stating it as a fact for the general public, but numbers don't lie, and numbers show that a large percentage don't give a crap.

Oems can do whatever they want, they make billions of dollars on this stuff, I would think they know what they are doing and why they are doing so, lol.

 

[sb1776]

Re: Is there anything that this phone does better than the competition?

Coming from an S4...

Obviously the fit and finish are superior. The M8 doesn't look cheap or toy-like as do some of Samsung's offerings. Moreover, as a former Blackberry-to-iPhone-to-Galaxy owner, I missed the business, professional appearance of my blackberries and the iPhone 4s once I got the Samsung. No offense, but it just seemed like a phone for a teenager, and frankly, Touchwiz is child-like in appearance and function. The Samsung was certainly capable for professional types, it just seemed targeted to a different demographic.

Fast forward to the M8, it is a sleek and modern device that doesn't seem too campy. It is very nice looking while remaining slightly understated, and I think Sense matches the appearance perfectly.

 

[GrooveRite]

Re: Is there anything that this phone does better than the competition?

Do people really listen to music using a phones speaker?


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I know I feel the same. I have a Creative D100, JBL Charge and pretty soon, a Bose Soundlink 3. Dinky little phone speakers is not the way I like to listen to my bass heavy music. At least not at home. If I want some serious listening, I just plug my phone into my HT system!

 

[Habiib]

Unlike everyone, I have some large scale evidence and not a small sample size to support my claim that people don't really give a crap about what material their phone is made out of

https://www.npd.com/wps/portal/npd/us/news/press-releases/pr_120821/

Wish I could pull up 2013 numbers, but 2012 will have to do

Where in that article does it state that people don't "give a crap" about what their phone is made of?

I'm assuming that you made your statement because a case covers up the build material. Now look at the mage prowess of a phone case:

A case covering a phone means that people don't "give a crap about"

1. Build material
2. Exterior color
3. Exterior finish's visual appearance
4. Exterior material texture and feel

Fear the p0wer of the case.

Out of curiosity, the moments when the phone isn't in the case, does the user give a crap about its exterior attributes then?

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Habiib]

Re: Is there anything that this phone does better than the competition?

Probably confused you with the other guy.

Never said advertising wasn't a factor, question the scale.

You can show me numbers but you can't prove that advertising was a reason for purchase

Not stating it as a fact for the general public, but numbers don't lie, and numbers show that a large percentage don't give a crap.

Oems can do whatever they want, they make billions of dollars on this stuff, I would think they know what they are doing and why they are doing so, lol.

iPhone says they do give a crap, except for the plastic iPhone 5C since it sold less that the metal 5S. Wait that can't be right? The numbers don't lie, that is if the magical line isn't drawn in the sand (conveniently when sales and metal vs plastic is discussed) that separates Android land from the rest of the universe.

Posted via Android Central App

 

[Soundtrack to Chaos]

Where in that article does it state that people don't "give a crap" about what their phone is made of?

I'm assuming that you made your statement because a case covers up the build material. Now look at the mage prowess of a phone case:

A case covering a phone means that people don't "give a crap about"

1. Build material
2. Exterior color
3. Exterior finish's visual appearance
4. Exterior material texture and feel

Fear the p0wer of the case.

Out of curiosity, the moments when the phone isn't in the case, does the user give a crap about its exterior attributes then?

Posted via Android Central App

If the sales of phones are rising, along with the sales of cases, what do you think that means?

Exterior attributes meaning design? Sure. Meaning what material the phone is made of? The overall sales numbers don't support one material over another

 

[NotJustAPhone]

This thread has run its course. Closed.

Sent from my Galaxy Note II