Content
- In a short line
- A few thoughts on iPhone presentation
In a short line
Samsung and Xiaomi defeat Huawei
The consequences of Huawei becoming less competitive in most markets (due to its chipset cutoffs and lack of Google services) is finally making itself felt. Huawei is carefully squeezing out the home market, but in the rest of the world, Samsung and Xiaomi are building up their lead.
The situation is similar in the Russian market. M.Video-Eldorado notes that in January-September the sales growth of Xiaomi in pieces was 90%. An extremely sad situation, since Huawei / Honor is a powerful player that the market needs at least to spur Samsung on.
Why don’t you like ads?
Once again, reading angry attacks in the direction of advertising articles, I wondered why people do not like advertising so aggressively. Advertising in the media has always been. The publishers immediately realized that you can’t cook porridge on a subscription model. And initially advertisements were placed in newspapers on the back pages. At the first stage, it was good, but with the increase in the number of advertisers, publishers are faced with the fact that people do not want to read 3,4,5 or more pages of advertising at the end. Benjamin Franklin is said to have come up with the innovation by running advertisements in the mainstream newspaper, and readers willy-nilly had to skim through them before returning to the main story. It turns out that this model has existed since the second half of the 18th century – TV programs are interrupted for commercial breaks, and YouTube videos are interrupted for advertising integrations. This is probably the main reason for hating advertising: it is perceived as something that distracts from viewing interesting content.
By the way, a funny fact that not everyone knows about. With the rise of the internet, traditional media have faced falling ad demand and have been forced to cut prices and show more ads to recoup their revenues. However, the broadcasts are not rubber, for this reason it was decided to “accelerate” the broadcasts, films and series. So, for example, all long screensavers and credits fell under the knife. An example is the series Law & Order, in which the original splash screen lasted 1 minute 45 seconds, but became only 24 seconds. Tricks such as showing content at a slightly increased speed were used, and when filming their own shows, they asked the actors “not to pull the rubber” and play faster. And if you think that it was a long time ago, then no. Cable channels live in this reality.
And here the question arises, why is advertising on Mobile-Review objectionable? It is always a separate page marked with the letter “P” in the picture and the caption “As an advertisement”. I have only one thought. From YouTube bloggers, people see that advertising is a lot of money, and every ad article is perceived through the prism of greed and envy that someone has earned.
AppleTV + Free Tier Extension
Apple’s streaming service is actively flapping its wings, but has yet to take off. However, I completely share Tim Cook’s strategy: if you give people a quality product that they have in their smartphones by default, then sooner or later they will start using it. If you don’t believe me, check out Apple Music.
As you remember, Apple issued a free year for all buyers of apple technology. And now many of the free period is ending, but Apple sent out a letter with a notification about the extension of the free period until February 2021. In the letter, the company writes that it wants to give the opportunity to watch the shows, which will return for the second season, for free.
The truth is that, perhaps, none of Apple’s TV shows have caused the resonance that would have forced them to subscribe to the service. However, 2021 should be significantly more interesting in terms of releases. A large-scale adaptation of Isaac Asimov’s Foundation (Academy) is to be released, a series based on Shantaras is being shot, and so on. Accordingly, Apple needs to stretch out, because now paying for Apple TV + is irrational. However, the situation should be partially corrected by a single subscription to services.
A few thoughts on iPhone presentation
Attention deficit… You can’t say much about the presentation of the iPhone. The chief, having approached the question tightly and consistently outlining why the iPhone is a product unworthy of your attention, quite expectedly has already made two most read articles of the month. Highly recommend.
Looking at the number of readings, I would like to recommend Samsung and Huawei to actively engage in marketing and increase engagement, otherwise they make presentations, but read about them 2-3 times worse. Xiaomi is not the case! These bunnies immediately realized that the fan community is power. And in terms of the number of reads, even the economy segment, for example, Xiaomi Redmi Note 8 Pro, is on an equal footing with any iPhone. And why?
The point is that both Apple and Xiaomi understand the structure of the modern economy better than other manufacturers. Despite the fact that more than one decade has passed, most manufacturers still live in the paradigm of the “information economy”. If you forgot, then the essence of this idea is that the main value is information. And most manufacturers continue to bombard the media field with the exact specifications of their devices – gigabytes, gigahertz, megapixels, inches, dozens of modes. However, the irony is that in the digital age there is so much information that it literally climbs out of all the cracks.
But the economy is based on the basic principles of deficit and supply and demand balance. And when there is an abundance of information, attention becomes a scarce resource. And in our world, the attention economy has been dominating for a long time, when it is not enough to produce a cool product, you still need to interest, convince a person to spend their attention.
Another Apple presentation = further proof that the company knows how to attract attention. Someone will blame Apple for the lack of innovation, but I will say that, on the contrary, this is a sign of superior skill: for the umpteenth time they tell the same tale, but still collect sold out.
About the name – not 11s, but 12… Perhaps it seemed to me, but for some reason, few noted this fact. Apple has moved away from traditional names. Last year there was an iPhone 11, so it was logical to expect an iPhone 11S, and we have 12. I think the reason for this decision is two things. Somehow it so happened that the “iPhones” with the “S” index sell a little worse and are perceived as the polish of the previous version. And then there was 5G (a biased theme), and a new design, so it was necessary to highlight it somehow. And next year it will be 12S.
New flagship… Unexpectedly, Apple now has only one flagship in its lineup. This is the iPhone 12 Pro Max. It has the best camera system out of the regular iPhone 12 Pro. Another interesting point is that all Pro versions now have an advanced ProRAW mode. Considering that ProRAW is only software, this artificial limitation looks unpleasant (it’s more likely that the Android market likes to do it). It’s one thing when, due to different hardware, you can’t give a function, and it’s another when the application has not been installed.
About design… Surprisingly, apparently, the iPhone 12 Pro can be called the most beautiful smartphone of 2020. Calm, stylish design, neat camera module, and even a cutout on the screen does not spoil the look. It’s a matter of taste, but, in my opinion, the new iPhones look more harmonious than their competitors. By the way, write in the comments which of the current smartphones you think is the most visually attractive.
About cameras and optical zoom… I remember well how, after the presentation of the $ 99 Apple Pen, there was a joke on the Internet about Samsung marketers, who were surprised that it turned out to be possible. We can say that Apple did this trick twice.
At the presentation, the company indicated that the new iPhone has a 5x optical zoom range, that is, Apple counted the “zoom” from the “wide angle” with 0,5x. People who are “in the subject”, such a marketing approach pissed off. However, the majority is absolutely not versed. So, by the way, many are sure that their smartphones have 5 or 10 times optical zoom, and do not realize that this is a “crop” (that is, they just enlarged the original picture). So to the question “what, was it possible?” the answer is simple. “Yes, you can and should”, as 5x zoom will sell.
Magnetic charging and 5G
Analyzing Apple’s strategies, I have already written more than once that the company’s secret is that it takes some idea, hones it to the ideal in terms of design and consumer properties, and then brings it to the market. To some extent, Apple already has an “excellent student aura”: first you work for the student’s record book, and then the student’s record book for you – and people initially perceive any Apple product as the pinnacle. But there is another point. Apple manages to think outside the box, and many are annoyed when they see the company’s solutions. Some solutions look like the idea that the umbrella can be used not only in the rain, but also from the sun. Trite, obvious, but effective.
So, a lot of smartphones with 5G have already entered the market. And the main complaint about 5G is battery power. At this point, not everyone paid attention, but Apple introduced 5G Smart Data Mode, the company promises that 5G will turn on exactly when it is needed, and the rest of the time 4G. That is, when listening to music or podcast, it will be 4G, but if you need to quickly download or send a large amount of data, then 5G. A very simple and trivial solution. Does Samsung or Xiaomi have something similar? Even if there is, then for some reason the companies did not think to tell about it.
In the case of MagSafe, the company has created a real innovation out of the blue. Yes, MagSafe chargers may not be as fast as other brands of wireless chargers. But it’s simple, easy and convenient. No need to crawl your smartphone around the site in search of a charging point.
Another point is that MagSafe is likely to become one of the top revenue streams in the Accessories category. Covers, coasters, cardholders and whatever else you can think of. I speak with relative knowledge of the matter, since I recently reviewed the IMStick magnetic stand. From the outside it seems that this is nonsense, but, having started to use, you understand all the convenience. By the way, one can only sympathize with IMStick. The guys aimed primarily at the iPhone and were relatively niche and unique. It’s mainstream now.
I would like to compare MagSafe with Samsung’s DeX mode. Absolutely different things, but in general, both are relatively unnecessary nonsense. MagSafe in the current version will not replace a wired charger, and DeX is a desktop computer. However, the same DeX only with the latest OneUI shell updates is slowly becoming truly convenient. The point is that now for the DeX-mode it is not necessary to use wires, you can transfer the image via Wi-Fi. And in many ways, DeX initially did not come in due to numerous obstacles: far-fetched use cases, difficulties with connection. If you imagine that Apple would do this, DeX would enter the market only now, when you can bring everything to the TV in a couple of taps.
By the way, funny news arrived that MagSafe charging works great with the Samsung Galaxy Fold 2.
Instead of a conclusion. Three thoughts on prices
Thought one: there is growth… Of course, there is a rise in prices, but we must admit that in technical terms, the iPhone has changed significantly. If you remember, the iPhone 11 had an IPS LCD screen, and now all iPhones have brand new OLED screens. 5G modems are not cheap either. About the rise in prices for flagships, I advise you to read Eldar’s material. There’s Samsung as an example, but the idea is clear. At the same time, do not forget that Samsung itself is a manufacturer of components, and Apple only buys.
Thought two: Apple, services are more important than hardware! The idea is simple. The company sells fewer iPhones in units, but at the same time it is necessary to actively seek other sources of profit, which, in theory, should have been services. Accordingly, it would be time to work more actively in this direction and shift part of the iPhone price to the service component.
Thought three: Apple, you have to be softer! In the US, the iPhone Pro Max 256GB is priced at $ 1 (let’s say bought without taxes). In Russia it is $ 199, in India $ 1, and in Finland $ 546. It is well understood that the purchasing power of both the ruble and the rupee is going down. But, frankly, the prices for the iPhone make you think that for the next New Year, I, apparently, want to get sick (not much, but so that there are no questions about gifts).
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