I just returned from spending two years in Seoul. My observation is that Samsung and a few other Korean companies (Hyundai, LG, etc.) basically dominate the Korean economy, politics and media. For example, the iPhone 3GS finally made it to the Korean market earlier this year (and the iPhone 4 was released last week). But the majority of TV reports and newspaper articles I read were negative towards Apple, basically nitpicking everything wrong with the iPhone while hyping up the Samsung Android phones. Nonetheless the iPhone has still sold really well there.
On top of that, Korean companies charge Koreans more for their products than we Americans pay. Being back in the States, I think the biggest luxury is how cheap the goods are here compared to other countries.
On top of that, Korean companies charge Koreans more for their products than we Americans pay. Being back in the States, I think the biggest luxury is how cheap the goods are here compared to other countries.
Fritzo
Lifer
- Jan 3, 2001
- 41,920
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Well, they also said about 10 years ago they were ready to take on SONY head to head. SONY laughed at them, because Samsung was along the lines of Coby and other no-name brands when it came to electronics.
Looks like they lived up to their word. SONY keeps making dumb and greedy decisions, and Samsung is now outselling them. Maybe SONY needs to force you to use more proprietary memory formats, or overprice their products by a few more hundred dollars to keep up.
preslove
Lifer
- Sep 10, 2003
- 16,754
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Which would be a good thing. You don't want 20%+ of your GDP to come from one company.
A company like Samsung would never exist in America because we do not protect American companies at the expense of other American companies or even foreign competitors. In places like Japan, China, and Korea it is the polar opposite. The only East Asian economy that believes in a laissez-faire model is Taiwan and that is what makes their companies so nimble and the economy vibrant.
Samsung revenue = 173.4 billion, South Korea GDP = $1.435 trillion (PPP), where did you get 20% of the GDP? Samsung does account for 20% of the exports however.
Another company in Korea that's in the mold of Samsung is LG, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG
Hyundai / KIA is doing really well as their profits and quality ratings keep improving.
The country went through tremendous leaps & changes over the past 30 years. When my parents came to this country nearly 30 years ago, their family members lived in houses with no electricity and the bathroom was an outhouse. Now they live in nice central air conditioned houses with modern decor, multiple LED flat screen TV's, super high speed internet and own a few cars. Over the same time in Korea the main workforce became very well educated with a lot of people graduating from college.
Another company in Korea that's in the mold of Samsung is LG, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/LG
Hyundai / KIA is doing really well as their profits and quality ratings keep improving.
The country went through tremendous leaps & changes over the past 30 years. When my parents came to this country nearly 30 years ago, their family members lived in houses with no electricity and the bathroom was an outhouse. Now they live in nice central air conditioned houses with modern decor, multiple LED flat screen TV's, super high speed internet and own a few cars. Over the same time in Korea the main workforce became very well educated with a lot of people graduating from college.
Not sure about the current situation, but all the Asian tiger countries had a similar development with their corporations in the early years. (largely based on corruption and family ties, with loyalty trumping pure economics) In these countries, the companies are the government.
I think this article sums up my feelings about Samsung's products: http://www.fast[REMOVE]company.com/1686739/the-samsung-mo-find-a-successful-product-copy-it-adequately
(link is being censored by the forum, remove [REMOVE])
They make good quality products at a good price point, but nothing groundbreaking. They wait until a more innovative American or Japanese company releases a successful product, then copy it, change a few features and then release it at a slightly lower price point. As big as Samsung has become, I think their strategy will only work so well until some Chinese conglomerates catch up.
(link is being censored by the forum, remove [REMOVE])
They make good quality products at a good price point, but nothing groundbreaking. They wait until a more innovative American or Japanese company releases a successful product, then copy it, change a few features and then release it at a slightly lower price point. As big as Samsung has become, I think their strategy will only work so well until some Chinese conglomerates catch up.
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Samsung was one of the first to heavily invest into LCD technology, SONY was late to the game and I believe they went to Samsung for LCD's. Samsung also heavily invested in LED & OLED technology. In terms of product design, Samsung needs to get more innovative. LG is a bit better in that department, LG came out with their Prada touch screen phone before even apple did with the iphone. LG also started the slider trend with their once popular chocolate phone. LG won many awards for their product designs.
i can't think of anything innovative from samsung, really.
they make decent products, but none of them are really cutting edge technology.
like everything else korean (hyundai namely), they copy from the industry leaders, mass produce them, price (and build) it cheaper than the competition and sell as much as they can in the name of market share.
LG Electronics head just stepped down because the company makes shitty products nobody wants to buy unless they have to. However, you are right about Samsung and LG investing in LCD technology.
http://www.dailytech.com/LG+CEO+Steps+Down+Amid+Woeful+Smartphone+Performance/article19654.htm
Sony did go to Samsung at one time. I'm not sure if they're still buying from them. However, Sony and Sharp co-invest in a factory in Japan.
It was a response about product innovation more so than a sales question. Having the first capacitive touch screen phone on the market (LG Prada (KE850). Starting certain design trends LG Chocolate (KV5900), etc.
wow, just finished the article and it put into words my exact thoughts on samsung (and korean companies in general).
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None of that means anything in an industry that changes every 6 months. Unless LG starts to make interesting products they'll find themselves along with other bottomfeeders such as ZTE and Huwei from China.
LG will probably make pretty competent android / windows mobile 7 devices in the near future, I haven't really used their mobile phone products (only tv, washing machine / dryer and refrigerator) but even so I believe they're #3 in world mobile phone sales behind only Nokia and Samsung.
Yongsta's defend at all costs attitude and extreme pride is also a Korean trait, which certainly has it's advantages but as we all know can be a huge pitfall.
It's not really a Korean trait, most of my Korean friends will say negative things about Korean products - especially Hyundai or Kia, but it's not as bad anymore.
Not a very high vote of confidence there (understandable given their track record) but at least they have the Korean and African markets to exploit...
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my experiences tell me otherwise. i've been around enough koreans to know how they think (about other races).
you guys have this superiority complex, esp towards other asians. in fact, koreans are probably the most racist bunch i've ever interacted with.
<-- token white guy amongst a bunch of koreans in HS
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