Snobbery today: 'The difference between Apple and Samsung industrial design'

[purbeast0]

It sounds like you should be agreeing with the OP, the article is stupid because it's trying to prove the iphone is objectively "better" due to ports being lined up. The author should just accept that he likes the iphone due to personal reasons and stop trying to prove the iphone is better.

this thread is hilarious because of how many people get so worked up and butthurt about people's opinions varying from theirs.

 

[openwheel]

It sounds like you should be agreeing with the OP, the article is stupid because it's trying to prove the iphone is objectively "better" due to ports being lined up. The author should just accept that he likes the iphone due to personal reasons and stop trying to prove the iphone is better.

The article is merely a man's own fantasy and love letter to his own personal bias. Anyone can write why he prefers Sara Silverman over Heidi Klum because Sara's toes are aligned in a straight line. However, that doesn't make such article any less garbage.

The fact that I got conned into reading this article is @#%%. Who reads this garbage in the first place???

 

[Megatomic]

The article is merely a man's own fantasy and love letter to his own personal bias. Anyone can write why he prefers Sara Silverman over Heidi Klum because Sara's toes are aligned in a straight line. However, that doesn't make such article any less garbage.

The fact that I got conned into reading this article is @#%%. Who reads this garbage in the first place???

I used to like the iMore podcast but it's starting to feel SO apologistic (is that a word?) that it's gross. That said, I don't read their written material.

 

[Midwayman]

I don't think it really matters much, but it just goes to show that Apple does pay attention to even the small details. They sacrifice way too much on the alter of simplicity for me, but there isn't a more refined, detailed oriented experience around.

 

[Dari]

It was always going to be SOMETHING. iFans weren't just going to roll over and admit defeat.

I can't wait for later this summer when the sales numbers hit and the S6 is an amazing success. Then the excuses will get ridiculous. The first iPhone user that complains about Touchwiz to make a point is going to make my day.

Uh huh you're probably right. I mean, the GS6 is so good that Samsung is keeping the numbers under wraps until three months later...

 

[Artdeco]

Was looking at the pics, realizing we're looking at 0.1 mm differences. While I really don't care, it's interesting to see the differences.

 

[Commodus]

Why would I, as a consumer, want to see high profit for any given product I purchase? Some are boasting high profit as a "good thing". Am I the only one thinking the opposite?

In fact, I'd like the profit margin to be as low as possible. I don't have all my savings invested in one of these companies, so I want the best bang for the buck possible.

Because in tech, profit is what lets your favorite company stay in business if it hits a rough patch, and lets it conduct more research and development. This doesn't mean that any higher profit level is acceptable, but the race to the bottom in margins is why we get flimsy $300 laptops and shoddy Walmart clothing. It not only becomes a bad business to stay in, it limits the potential for quality improvements over time.

To create an analogy: asking for razor-thin profit margins on everything is like letting 8-year-olds decide their school's lunch menu. Having pizza and ice cream (lower prices) every day sounds good to them in the short term, but you know it'll ruin their health in the long run.

 

[openwheel]

Because in tech, profit is what lets your favorite company stay in business if it hits a rough patch, and lets it conduct more research and development. This doesn't mean that any higher profit level is acceptable, but the race to the bottom in margins is why we get flimsy $300 laptops and shoddy Walmart clothing. It not only becomes a bad business to stay in, it limits the potential for quality improvements over time.

To create an analogy: asking for razor-thin profit margins on everything is like letting 8-year-olds decide their school's lunch menu. Having pizza and ice cream every day sounds good to them in the short term, but you know it'll ruin their health in the long run.

Simply put: wishful thinking.

Maybe that's the difference between you and me. You have a "favorite company" that you feel obligated to "help stay in business". I don't have a favorite company, I just want the best product for the lowest price.

The only thing that limits potential for improvement is lack of competition.

 

[luv2liv]

i laughed because it's so stupid.
the volume, camera in the back isnt symmetrical to the body but that's ok right?
who needs useful features like battery lasting over 2 days, waterproof, wireless charging, stereo front facing speaker phone, and shockproof.

im just so glad iphone 6 comes in two sizes. i remember some punks in this forum defending nails and teeth on how 4 inches is the perfect size phone. how apple would never ever make phones any bigger

 

[Commodus]

Simply put: wishful thinking.

Maybe that's the difference between you and me. You have a "favorite company" that you feel obligated to "help stay in business". I don't have a favorite company, I just want the best product for the lowest price.

The only thing that limits potential for improvement is lack of competition.

Please don't willfully misinterpret what I said. Let's say you really like the performance of Samsung's Exynos chips. If Samsung can't afford to keep those chips relevant a couple of years down the line, what good is it that you saved money on the phone you bought yesterday? Again, this isn't saying that all profit margins are okay, but you have to look a little further than your nose when deciding what margins you're willing to accept.

The Windows PC market is in the trouble it is today because it listened closely to people like you. When all you care about is how much you pay at the store, vendors will gleefully cut corners and compromise their products. Remember how brands like Dell used to be synonymous with high-end hardware and good support back in the '90s? Yeah... they now have flimsy machines on the low end, and make you spend an hour on the phone with someone who does little more than read from a script. A large part of why tablets and smartphones steamrolled the Windows PC market was because the average computer had become so crappy that you could frequently get a better experience with an Android phone or iPad.

 

[gorcorps]

It was always going to be SOMETHING. iFans weren't just going to roll over and admit defeat.

I can't wait for later this summer when the sales numbers hit and the S6 is an amazing success. Then the excuses will get ridiculous. The first iPhone user that complains about Touchwiz to make a point is going to make my day.

TBH, I don't want the S6 to be an amazing success. I thought having an SD card slot was a great advantage to Samsung but if the S6 with the non-removable battery and no SD card slot sells that well then they won't bother anymore. Then I won't know what to do for my next phone.

 

[poofyhairguy]

TBH, I don't want the S6 to be an amazing success. I thought having an SD card slot was a great advantage to Samsung but if the S6 with the non-removable battery and no SD card slot sells that well then they won't bother anymore. Then I won't know what to do for my next phone.

I can see that. I am holding out hope that remains a feature on the Note series. Honestly I don't care about the S6 doing well for any sort of personal resources, I won't get it even though I have an upgrade and I had the S2 and S4. I would like to see the Edge model be a real success, and I think Samsung should be rewarded for taking a risk on phone form factor.

 

[WelshBloke]

TBH, I don't want the S6 to be an amazing success. I thought having an SD card slot was a great advantage to Samsung but if the S6 with the non-removable battery and no SD card slot sells that well then they won't bother anymore. Then I won't know what to do for my next phone.

Hopefully the S6 active will cover your main worries there. It might not have a removable battery but the rumoured size of the battery should mitigate that.

I'm going to stick with my S5 G901f for a bit anyway as it's got a pretty good SOC (SD805), 3500mAh battery, waterproof, and has an SDcard but I'd like the active line to become more established for the future.

 

[openwheel]

.......If Samsung can't afford to keep those chips relevant a couple of years down the line, what good is it that you saved money on the phone you bought yesterday?................

All of your arguments go out the window (in my eyes) because our opinions are fundamentally different. You see:

1. I don't believe "paying extra" to "increase profit" of my "favorite company" will result in a more relevant SoC two years down the road. You are assuming this is true.
2. I don't care if the chip is relevant two years down the road. I will be switching to whatever brand/device/platform is relevant in the future.

 

[touchstone]

The problem with the article is zero people up to the date it was written have noticed that the buttons were 'un-aligned' and therefore less aesthetically pleasing. If we were judging phones like we judge diamonds, then yeah the un-aligned holes would be a serious flaw. At this point, nobody even noticed! So who cares?

 

[ChronoReverse]

The reality of it is that people need something to feel better about what they own. I fall prey to this myself by always touting the benefits of AMOLED for instance (I own a GS4 so this was before AMOLED was the best in 95% of display metrics) and this is despite a conscious effort to try to avoid being device partisan.

I just wish this article had just pointed out that the iPhone 6 had nice symmetry instead of coming to the conclusion that the iPhone 6 must have had superior engineering in every aspect (which was completely wrong in some aspects like where I pointed out the battery capacity portion is exactly the opposite of what the author had thought).

 

[Zaap]

The reality of it is that people need something to feel better about what they own. I fall prey to this myself by always touting the benefits of AMOLED for instance (I own a GS4 so this was before AMOLED was the best in 95% of display metrics) and this is despite a conscious effort to try to avoid being device partisan.

I don't see touting AMOLED (for example) as partisan cheerleading though. You're obviously touting a technology benefit that actually matters in real world usage.

There's plenty to tout Apple for that actually matters. Holes lining up on a device isn't one of them.

 

[Artdeco]

Because in tech, profit is what lets your favorite company stay in business if it hits a rough patch, and lets it conduct more research and development. This doesn't mean that any higher profit level is acceptable, but the race to the bottom in margins is why we get flimsy $300 laptops and shoddy Walmart clothing. It not only becomes a bad business to stay in, it limits the potential for quality improvements over time.

To create an analogy: asking for razor-thin profit margins on everything is like letting 8-year-olds decide their school's lunch menu. Having pizza and ice cream (lower prices) every day sounds good to them in the short term, but you know it'll ruin their health in the long run.

Don't forget Apple's customer service. I have many many friends that will never switch because of Apple's customer service.

 

[poofyhairguy]

Don't forget Apple's customer service. I have many many friends that will never switch because of Apple's customer service.

Or the genius bar. That is easily the best tech support option a normal has ever had. It is a much better experience than getting help at the carrier store.

 

[rbk123]

Have never owned any Apple products other than iPods. It would be nice if more companies learned the lesson of build quality and aesthetics that Apple keeps winning with. Now if Samsung would get rid of the bloat and run a more naked version of Android like Motorola did, they'd have something that could be exceptional.

Non-removable battery and no-SD is a bummer; not fatal but certainly reasons for sadness.

 

[blankslate]

Heres the Galaxy S6 and iPhone 6 drop test comparison....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpsyGweP5so

At least this comparison isn't partisan compared to the article and imparts more useful information.

As for me. I prefer function over form since I prefer to use a ~$30 case to protect my phone... without it I probably would have had to replace a broken screen by now.


....

 

[darkswordsman17]

this thread is hilarious because of how many people get so worked up and butthurt about people's opinions varying from theirs.

What's hilarious is how you're such a hypocrite. Considering that it seems like 90% of your posts on AT are now you complaining about other people's opinions. Seriously you don't even try to actually respond legitimately to people's opinions in this thread (or most really, you rarely ever add anything on topic, just complain about people taking issue with varying opinions while ignoring that you're doing the exact same thing), you just label them as "butthurt" and telling people to get over it. You consistently do this and somehow still can't see the massive hypocrisy of you doing it. Yet again people are seriously discussing this and you're just ignoring that as it clearly doesn't fall in line with your opinions.

Even better is how you post exactly the same as the people you criticize on different products and don't see that either. It's ok when you take issue with people's opinions, but apparently other people can't.

 

[aatroxed]

I may be in the minority, but I believe people "sense" quality without being able to pick out what draws them to that conclusion. Take for example if you walk into a room where the baseboard nails haven't been countersunk and puttied, the trim was not chaulked, and the dry wall is not perfectly smooth. You may not notice all those tiny details, but they culminate in an old and tired appearance. If you walked into that same room where every last detail was perfect, then you'd have an entirely different perception. Only a tradesman would likely be able to point out all the things that makes the person have that perception, but the layman perceives it none-the-less.

Apple certainly isn't perfect, but they do hold themselves to a higher standard than most companies. It seems to have done well for them and I appreciate that they spend the resources on small details.

There is a thin line between being a snob and appreciating the small details. The line is crossed when disdain is present. I didn't find the article to be too critical, but only drawing attention to what a lot of people may miss when casually shopping for a phone.

Beautifully articulated what I meant to say and unsurprisingly your input goes completely ignored.

When non practitioners of an art insist the details the artisan enjoys or simply strives for are irrelevant...and then concludes the practice is pretentious.

I say fuck 'em. I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for me.

 

[ChronoReverse]

That's just a lot of rhetoric to say that one specific set of details is what's important to you and any other specific set of details that important to other people OBVIOUSLY are inferior.

 

[VashHT]

Beautifully articulated what I meant to say and unsurprisingly your input goes completely ignored.

When non practitioners of an art insist the details the artisan enjoys or simply strives for are irrelevant...and then concludes the practice is pretentious.

I say fuck 'em. I'm not doing it for you, I'm doing it for me.

What "art" is that? Industrial Design? No one is saying it isn't important, they're saying choosing that one arbitrary detail as a reason why one phone is "better" is ridiculous and grasping at straws. The GS6 may not have aligned ports but it's definitely not an ugly phone. No matter how good Samsung makes their phones look (and between this and the note 4 I'd say they've been on a roll), Apple people seem to try to find any way to shit on it and say the iphone is better.