Is it me? Or am I just sick & tired of Samsung cloning Apple products?

LSchezwon on 22/08/2015 - 10:35

I was a loyal Samsung customer, but ever since they released the new Samsung Galaxy S6 and the Tab A range, they have lost me ever since. Can't believe they went down the Apple road with no expandable memory and charging a premium for extra memory. No removable battery. There's so much to talk about, but i want to keep it simple, Im pretty sure the S6 range is not selling like hot cakes, because none of my friends or work colleague's own or have any intentions of getting one.

What are your thoughts?

Mobile

Comments

        • bambooculm on 31/08/2015 - 14:59

          [@Schezwon]I have not personally done a survey, I was quoting from memory a survey result I saw online, about 18 months ago, it was not an assumption. I would be very surprised if the majority are pushing 40 Gb as thorton82 states.

  • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2015 - 07:13

    Bottom line is it's an extremely competitive market and they'll do anything to get marketshare and wallet share. If you can get over the whole maximise profit situation you can probably accept any functions they take to market in the spirit of competition

  • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2015 - 09:25

    Lol, I don't even care. Go have a latte and relax. Get yourself a nice Nokia so you don't have to think about all these finicky smart phone design dramas.

  • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2015 - 10:18
    +1

    It's good that they're making the move, I'm still waiting for them to go bankrupt (at least the mobile department).
    They removed their own advantages, and I was so happy to see that. I hate any giant giant company, such as Samsung and Apple, these are just way too big.

  • sulmar on 23/08/2015 - 16:34

    Samsung cloning Apple products? No, just no.

    • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2015 - 16:48
      +2

      Sorry buddy, but unequivocally yes, $1.05 billion says that Samsung directly copied Apple.

      http://www.businessinsider.com.au/jury-verdict-apple-vs-sams…

      • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2015 - 16:56

        WHat a load of garbage. AM I suppose to support the decision of a few jurors who were probably Americans that will automatically support American interests. I bet they were paid off too.
        Apple have been ripping people off since 2000, but no one bats an eyelid.

        • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2015 - 17:04
          +4

          Wow talk about a distorted view of the world. Simple fact is that the iPhone came out long before any Samsung smart phone, and Samsung essentially cloned it. IOS existed for years before android.

          If you want a history lesson, go back and look at the advent of GUIs.

          I'm not saying apple invent everything; they didn't invent the GUI, the smart phone or the MP3 player, but they made these products usable and user friendly.

        • dogboy on 24/08/2015 - 14:26
          +2

          @thorton82: My problem with Apple is they then sue anyone who trys to make these products even more usable and user friendly. Ultimately we as the consumer are the ones that suffer. When a company starts spending more on patent lawyers than R&D you know something is seriously wrong.

        • massafiri on 24/08/2015 - 17:07
          +1

          @thorton82: Great points. I usually let this picture do the talking: http://todayilearned.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/samsun…

      • ozhunter on 23/08/2015 - 17:12
        +2

        Apple also infringed on a couple of Samsung's patents last year, and wasn't that payout around $599 million?

        • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2015 - 17:16
          -1

          No, that didn't happen

        • ozhunter on 23/08/2015 - 17:21
          +3

          @thorton82:

          Samsung, which had asserted a $6 million damages’ claim, was awarded $158,400.

          http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/may/03/samsung-or…

          Although Samsung did have to pay another $120m, still doesn't take away the face that Apple had to pay too, even though it was under $160k.

        • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2015 - 17:23
          -1

          @ozhunter:

          So $1.05 billion vs $160,000. Hmmm

        • ozhunter on 23/08/2015 - 17:24

          @thorton82:

          $599m…

          American company vs Asian company in America…

        • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2015 - 17:25
          -3

          @ozhunter:

          So $599 million vs. $160 k. Hmmm

        • ozhunter on 23/08/2015 - 17:57
          +1

          @thorton82:

          Just showing you that Apple isn't as innocent as you want it to be.

        • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2015 - 19:27
          +1

          @ozhunter:

          Ok, 0.02 % of the guilt.

      • sonu1111 on 24/08/2015 - 00:39
        +1

        Yes Apple did receive that much money but now tables have turned. If you going to check MacBook Air 12 inch, it is copy of Samsung.

        Apple pays lot of money to movie producers/directors to show actors are using their products, this has created that Apple is far most the premium brand.

        I have iPhone 6+ (mainly because it does what it suppose to do), MacBook Air (for fun), Samsung Ativ Series 9 (for work). All works great and have there pro and cons.

        Regarding Samsung, They took the idea initially for product design which was wrong but they emerged and created wonderful products. They forced Apple to bring 2 phones iPhone 6 and 6+. They have tablets in all sizes, phone for every person - cheap to expensive. Rumour is apple is launching 12 inch iPad, I don't know where they get this idea and I never used Surface Pro 3.

    • centrelink on 24/08/2015 - 09:54
      +1

      If appe made a feature that can shove a phone up the ass and come out of your mouth, you can bet Samsung will get their next gen to do exactly that.

  • Doggiie on 23/08/2015 - 16:51

    I think there is a valid reason for the lack of memory expandability and replaceable battery. Its all a matter of cost and size. You are able to compact more things into a smaller size if you take out the 'redundant' features, which seemingly is the port for expandable memory, which takes up heaps of space in comparison to a single tiny internal flash memory, AND the easy of access to the battery, which previously they needed to make a clearway between the back of the cover to the battery.

  • bbourizk on 23/08/2015 - 17:36
    +7

    My Samsung TV looks nothing like my apple TV.

  • asianbargain on 23/08/2015 - 17:40
    -4

    I don get it… Samsung IMO far better than iPhone… And iPhone have better software .. That the fact … And why people keep complaining there no removable battery and no expanable memory ?? The reason why there no expendable memory because the disk that inside the phone is already far faster than any memory card out there, so it u put memory card in, te system have to slow down the speed to adapt with memory card and the content will go lag … That why ss don put memory card… They are giant company .. They're not stupid not realise that

    • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2015 - 19:09
      +2

      Bit hard to read broken English but anyway… Why would sd card slow down the phone? You don't make any sense at all. HTC phones support SD card and they are the fastest androids around, so are Sony.
      It's only used to store pictures and music, it has nothing to do with the system. Since 4.4 you can't put apps on the SD card anymore, so sd card slowing down the system is not an excuse at all.
      It's the same as computers, if you have your system installed on an ssd, does a backup hdd slow down the system? The answer is no.

  • iridiumstem on 23/08/2015 - 17:42
    +1

    Let's face it, it's what all the companies are doing. That said, are they copying Apple? Maybe, maybe not. It's more of a market trend that's set up by iPhone (which probably has the highest market share in flagship market). More accurately, I personally think it's what Apple can get away with and other companies can't get away with, because of the monopolistic power. What iPhone does at least leads to higher profit at the expenses of losing features.

    Lack of expendable battery is probably for the design. Lack of SD card is probably for the profit (stops people from buying 32GB unit instead of buying something more expensive (with higher profit margin)). At least Smasung is not doing randomising the phone with TLC and MLC NAND memory, leading to distinct differences in performance and whatnot.

    Qualcomm f!@#ed up so badly that people are actively avoiding to buy devices with Snapdragon 810. Snapdragon 808 is, well I personally think, not much better than Snapdragon 805 to warrant buying a new model. Samsung has the most monopolistic power in the flagship market at the moment, so they are doing what they can do to get more profit (as with all companies do if they can). I'd wait till next year, hopefully Qualcomm do not f!@# up Snapdragon 820.

    tl;dr Companies are bastards who loves profit more than anything, Samsung is just doing what they can do because of the Qualcomm f!@# up imo.

    • ozhunter on 23/08/2015 - 17:56

      Let's face it, it's what all the companies are doing. Lack of expendable battery is probably for the design. Lack of SD card is probably for the profit (stops people from buying 32GB unit instead of buying something more expensive (with higher profit margin)).

      Agreed, profit is one of the reasons that they removed the microsd slot as it does make people buy the bigger model. Other pros from a manufacturers point of view is that the built in storage is faster, less problem of finding files, takes up less space, and easier to back up data on the phone.

      Rarely read Google Play reviews anymore, but removing the sd slot on phones there should be less "Can't move the app to the micro sd card" comments.

      • iridiumstem on 23/08/2015 - 17:59

        Does having the microSD card support remove all that advantage? Having an option is always better than not having that option in my opinion, unless having the option removes the advantage significantly (that's why I am on the fence about the removable battery, since it does put huge limitations on design).

        Also I think easier to back up data part applies more for the microSD card support. Trying to back up Titanium Backup files on my gf's phone's annoying, whereas I can do that easily with my phone since I can just set the save them on mSD (my gf's phone has no mSD card support, whereas mine does). I had cases where my girlfriend just formatted her phone without backing those files up, losing all the backups.

        • ozhunter on 23/08/2015 - 18:03

          It does make things more simple. Upside of the sd slot is if the phone breaks or something, you can just removed the sd slot.

          I generally just drag and drop to my pc, but since Samsung Smartswitch is out, it makes backing up really simple. I think it's only one click.

        • iridiumstem on 23/08/2015 - 18:06

          @ozhunter: I think I will go back to my question again, does having an mSD support make it impossible to do what you are mentioning? If you don't use mSD card, you can just pretend that slot doesn't exist. Samsung simply didn't add it because of profit.

          Also, Titanium backup does more thorough backup of more things, hence why I use it.

        • ozhunter on 23/08/2015 - 18:17

          @Oversimplified:

          I never said they didn't add it because of profit, but I think it would be naive to think profit had nothing to do with it.

          If the msd slot is there and people don't use it, it doesn't affect them. If they do use it, and aren't that used to tech, they would have a harder time finding files on it.

          I used to use Titanium backup/Mybackup Pro, but with all the backups I have I never really look at them anymore apart from the photos and videos.

        • iridiumstem on 23/08/2015 - 18:26

          @ozhunter: I think we've got things mixed up. I've said:

          Lack of SD card is probably for the profit (stops people from buying 32GB unit instead of buying something more expensive (with higher profit margin)).

          Anyways, just clarifying, I simply think removing mSD card support is purely for the profit.

          Why? Because I personally think adding the support doesn't make anyone any worse off other than for the manufacturers. If you dislike having the support, you can ignore it completely. You can choose to use it or not. It's bad for the manufacturers because the profit margin on the larger capacity models are usually higher. Lack of mSD support does put me in a difficult position. I have to go for something like 64GB model, when I would've been fine with 32GB model with SD card support.

        • ozhunter on 23/08/2015 - 19:17

          @Oversimplified:

          I liked having a microsd card and it was always a big plus, and would always prefer it, but I never used it as much as I thought I would have and can manage without it(as I did with the Nexus 4 and 5).

          Fortunately, the flagships from Sony, HTC, and LG all have microsd slot for those that wan't it.

        • iridiumstem on 23/08/2015 - 19:23

          @ozhunter: And with Snapdragon 808, which I personally see is not that different from 805 flagships (at least to warrant the price tag), or with 810. Either way, this year's flagship were either lacklustre or without mSD card support for me.

          As I've mentioned before:

          Qualcomm f!@#ed up so badly that people are actively avoiding to buy devices with Snapdragon 810. Snapdragon 808 is, well I personally think, not much better than Snapdragon 805 to warrant buying a new model. Samsung has the most monopolistic power in the flagship market at the moment, so they are doing what they can do to get more profit (as with all companies do if they can). I'd wait till next year, hopefully Qualcomm do not f!@# up Snapdragon 820.

    • greatlamp on 24/08/2015 - 19:23

      Qualcomm were unable to get their chip produced on 14nm, the fab they use - TSMC - has fallen behind and is stuck on 20nm.

      The qualcomm 820 will be produced on 14nm, by Samsung. Overheating issues will be solved and Samsung will be indirectly producing the chips that make their rivals next phones competitive with the s6.

      The s6 is the best phone on the market, but it won't last for long.

      • iridiumstem on 24/08/2015 - 23:26

        I have my doubts, Samsung did fine with 20nm with Exynos 5433, using A57/A53. Besides, it's Qualcomm's job to work with what they have and what they don't have. I simply don't think Qualcomm can blame anyone other than themselves.

        That said, I hope Qualcomm do not f!@# up this time. Snapdragon 810 have pretty much made current market boring and it has pretty much placed many manufacturers on the brink of bankruptcy. I've heard that A72 Architecture is amazing so maybe, next year or later this year would be better.

  • digitalbargain on 23/08/2015 - 22:35

    “The Future is Now”: Samsung’s new Galaxy will render microSD cards obsolete - SamMobile
    http://www.sammobile.com/2015/07/27/the-future-is-now-samsun…

    MicroSD cards are famous for their massive storage capabilities, and they have become a favorite among the Samsung faithful. The idea of storing your Google Play movies and music onto your Galaxy Note 4, for example, without worrying about a data connection or Wi-Fi is a staple treasure of many a Samsung customer.

    At the same time, however, keep in mind what I said above: Samsung is a tech company. Yes, they’re in a consumer-driven market where consumer needs and preferences must be taken into account (companies can’t make money if they don’t consider their customers); however, Samsung is a tech company for a reason. Its goal is to drive technology forward, to take us into the next frontier of technological progress before other companies. It’s why the company pushed wider displays, called “phablets,” before other companies did; why the company’s pushed its stunning AMOLED displays, and even smartwatches in the current market. It’s why Samsung’s also pushed mobile photography and videography from HD (720p) to Full HD (1080p) to Ultra HD resolutions. The Korean manufacturer hasn’t done it with the goal of copying other companies, contrary to disgruntled claims, but because it has a strong belief in technology and its benefits and wants to be a leader in the right direction.

    MicroSD cards have been a trend for a long time, but they are on their way out. You can see this with Samsung’s 5G wireless push, in which the company hopes to combine Wi-Fi and LTE to create a faster, wireless network. Why is Samsung pushing wireless tech? Because the future “Galaxy” the Korean manufacturer conquers will be one in which wireless is the sum total of everything; everything will be wireless, including our movies, photos, music, and so on. In other words, remote access has greater potential to make use of 5G wireless speeds, as opposed to microSD card slots that don’t really mandate wireless data speeds at all.

    Wireless speeds mandate the use of remote access to data, a feat that can best be accomplished by way of cloud storage. And even Google is moving in this direction: why would Google offer Google Drive cloud storage in the first place if Android’s owner didn’t agree with the move to cloud storage? And as for Android M, don’t get your hopes up: yeah, Google will allow you to still have your microSD card, but your microSD card will be encrypted and restricted to only one device. That restriction is not the wave of the future, but a sign of the nostalgic past – despite its benefits. Google’s move to encrypt microSD cards shows that even Mountain View considers microSD cards as a security risk (it’s like someone who fixes a roof leak because he or she foresees a flooded home should it rain six inches or more tomorrow).

    MicroSD cards stem from a time when desktop computers were the way everyone lived, in which you had a local hard drive and CD-ROM discs on which to store your files, photos, and other information. Desktops are not yet obsolete, but they are on their way out because of the portability of mobile devices.

    With mobile becoming the present wave of tech, the future is only going to make us more mobile. Samsung’s next frontier or next “Galaxy” is all about removing our dependence on local storage as the “ultimate” storage space, and taking us to a place where the cloud frees us to be anywhere at any time with access to everything. It is what being truly mobile is all about. MicroSD cards and card slots do not fit into what it means to be truly mobile or truly wireless. Instead, they are reminiscent of the PC era in which desktops and laptops reigned supreme. Lastly, the company known for its Knox security (on which Google’s Android for Work is based) is one that would know about the security risks that microSD cards pose to current Galaxy S and Note users.

    In short, Samsung’s newest campaign with the Galaxy S6 and S6 edge says it all: “the future is now.” What does this mean for Samsung users? It means that the future of wireless technology, the cloud, is now, a present part of Samsung’s vision. While you may want cloud technology to wait for about 5 years, it’s not going to. Samsung is pushing forward with it now, and the Galaxy Note 5 could be the first device to turn the tide. As we’ve stated time and time again, Incipio’s new microSD card case will only serve Samsung’s purpose: to eliminate microSD card slots as a necessary component of smartphone hardware.

    Companies that wait for 3-5 years before debuting trending technology aren’t doing the hard work – they’re simply soaking up the customer sales, which is no different than a student who gets the math answer right because he picks answer 4 after watching three other students wrongly guess answers 1, 2, and 3. That’s not Samsung. Companies that stand on the sidelines and wait until others try and fail before capitalizing on their mistakes may be popular, but they’re not innovative.

    And Samsung is more concerned with being innovative.

    • [Deactivated] on 23/08/2015 - 23:12

      Too long.

      "future is now"?? This "future" has been what the iphone has always been doing. How is that innovative?

      I'm not an Apple fan nor a Samsung one, but seriously, saying something is innovative when it's clearly been done before? That's not innovating. There's nothing wrong with doing what others have done, but calling that innovation is just plain wrong.

      • iridiumstem on 23/08/2015 - 23:38
        +1

        I personally think a website that's dedicated for Samsung related news and stuff is going to be biased in one way or another.

        • [Deactivated] on 24/08/2015 - 00:55

          It's funny that even the people that replied to this article think it's Samsung funded.

        • iridiumstem on 24/08/2015 - 00:57
          +1

          @clse945111: If Samsung have made 128GB model at the price of 32GB model and started from there, I would call that an innovation (even then I'd still prefer one with an mSD support, but I probably wouldn't care as much). I'd say introducing UFS 2.0 to the market was something that's innovative (faster storage that no competitors can support), but that'd be digressing too much.

          Removing something that customers use in the name of "innovation" (I personally think it was "profit", not "innovation") is what I'd call stupidity.

        • ozhunter on 24/08/2015 - 01:13

          @Oversimplified:

          If Samsung have made 128GB model at the price of 32GB model and started from there, I would call that an innovation

          How is that innovation? or any different than dropping the price of the phone?

        • iridiumstem on 24/08/2015 - 01:19
          +1

          @ozhunter: It'd be changing the market structure, because that'd be something no other major manufacturers would've done (they probably could've but didn't). Consumers would demand something like that from then onwards, possibly making it a market standard from then onwards. It'd be like what Xiaomi did with the power bank market, what iPod did with the DAP market in a way in my opinion. If a company releases 128GB model at 32GB model's price (therefore as a base model), that is. I personally think setting a market standard is a form of innovation, albeit not a technological one per se.

          Though, now I think about it, the idea is fairly far fetched.

        • ozhunter on 24/08/2015 - 02:28

          @Oversimplified:

          No good reason to make it a base model, just means a lot of consumers would have to pay for storage they would never use.

        • iridiumstem on 24/08/2015 - 03:36

          @ozhunter: Having no expendable memory means a lot of consumers would have to pay for higher models that they wouldn't have otherwised considered. Many people just buy the base model and use mSD, because that's cheaper than buying a 128GB model (especially if what you need the space for is simply for videos or music files). Having mSD support is good if you take lots and lots of photos because you can just change the card. If your phone breaks down, you can recover the photos as well. Removing the mSD support just forces those people to buy more expensive models and it removes a lot of features. If they have given cheaper options for those people who used mSD, then I think it would've been acceptable. They have not.

          Besides, what I've mentioned (how I'd call something like 128GB model being at the base model at the price of the current base model an innovation) was more to do with how that move will make a new market standard (albeit rather far fetched). I personally think it will never happen any time soon. That said, I personally think it sounds less stupid than "removing mSD card support was innovative". If removing a feature that many people used without giving an alternative that makes everyone better off called innovative, then I don't think I'd like to see more innovations. I think that article from Sammobile sounds almost like "iPhone doesn't need more RAM because it's fine with 1GB RAM".

        • ozhunter on 24/08/2015 - 03:40

          @Oversimplified:

          I think it's good to have 128Gb as an option, and wasn't smart of Samsung to get rid of the microsd and not offer a 128GB model.

          To make 128GB for the base model as standard, would still mean consumers are paying for something they don't need as 128GB would obviously cost more. If it didn't cost more, you're just pretty much saying they should have the option of a 128Gb model and just lower their prices.

        • iridiumstem on 24/08/2015 - 03:53

          @ozhunter: I've been editing, but what I was going to add were:

          At least what I've mentioned doesn't make people to spend more than what they are currently spending.

          If Samsung have made 128GB model at the price of 32GB model and started from there, I would call that an innovation.

          My main point was this:

          Removing something that customers use in the name of "innovation" (I personally think it was "profit", not "innovation") is what I'd call stupidity.

          Will the companies profit margin be negatively affected if they do something like that? Yes. However, they were the ones who've chose to remove a feature that people use. If they cannot provide something that leaves the consumers at least where they were, I frankly think that move shouldn't be called an innovation. At least what I've mentioned will leave people where they were but better. Is it realistic? Perhaps not. If the manufacturer cannot increase the utility of the consumer with their decision, they shouldn't have made the move. As I've mentioned before, having mSD card support makes no consumers worse off, if you don't use it, you could easily ignore it.

    • MoMoney on 24/08/2015 - 08:01
      +2

      Wow, they must have had Samsung marketing department pulling double shifts to come up with this crap. I'm sure there has already been a ton of responses as to why the MicroSD card was a great feature in previous models, but I have just one: Data Roaming.

      I travel a bit for work, and I can tell you that there is nothing more annoying than being in a country with a crappy 3G (or less) network, and not being able to access photos/videos or music from my phone because it's stuck in stupid cloud storage. Not to mention the crazy costs you can incur from streaming your own content from these POS cloud based storage solutions while Internationally Roaming.

  • Dr Techno on 23/08/2015 - 23:37

    I've had my Samsung Galaxy Note 2 for a good 2 or 3 years.. This is the last time Im purchasing a Samsung phone. Definitely don't like the bloatware in their software overtime.. Might as well get a Android phone with most RAM available and internal storage space, then just flash a custom OS.

    • ozhunter on 23/08/2015 - 23:45

      then just flash a custom OS

      You can do that now…

    • ozhunter on 24/08/2015 - 01:18

      Definitely don't like the bloatware in their software overtime

      Depends what you consider bloatware. I think my ipad has the most bloatware of any device I own.

      Might as well get a Android phone with most RAM available

      If RAM is available, it isn't getting used. If it is never getting used, there's no point for it to be there.

      This could be an option for those who like storage on their phones http://www.gsmarena.com/asus_zenfone_2_deluxe_special_editio…

  • tonyjzx on 24/08/2015 - 02:40

    i personally will not buy any samsung phone or tablet ever again

    fix your post sales support

  • hypie on 24/08/2015 - 04:05
    +1

    The S6 Edge is aesthetically amazing in my opinion (useless curve I know, but the phone is gorgeous). I would take a 32gb/64/128 model with no SD over a 16gb + Micro SD combo every day of the week. Sick of the insufficient memory to install app messages.

    • ozhunter on 24/08/2015 - 05:04

      Agreed, especially the navy blue model.

  • Tarnos on 24/08/2015 - 08:59
    +1

    My first reaction to them removing the SD card and the removable battery was they were following Apple's footsteps too. I loved Samsung because they gave Apple some decent competition to work with. Although this move may be an industry standard, I think Samsung have failed to understand that they need to stand out and not fit in to stay a leader. Samsung have represented differentiation and real innovation but now have gone on to follow Apple style thinking. Don't get me wrong, Apple make great products, but they are more market followers - they don't make new technology but instead package founded ideas with focus on great marketing and useability.

    This sort of move shows that Samsung don't know why they stand out and why people have valued Samsung. I agree with you OP, I am now not sure if I will buy Samsung after happily using the S2, S4 and now Note 4 - the last one in its series to have those features.

  • neonlight on 24/08/2015 - 08:59
    +2

    Switch to LG, problem solved. Since S2, S3, last year note there's nothing Samsung has done that was worth getting.

    Apple and Samsung copy each other so it's not one sided.

    I have already switched to G3 last year after seeing what S5 was, and I'm not surprised Samsung thinks they can do whatever they want. They will fall like HTC with non removable battery and no Sdcard

    I have no brand loyalty like car/home insurance. Whoever gives best product with the best price range, I will go for that.

  • JimB on 24/08/2015 - 11:34
    +3

    I wish Samsung would clone Apple's warranty process and customer service.

    I'm sure if you ever had to repair both a Samsung and Apple product, you'd agree.

    I'm not sure what to replace my Nexus 5 with. After 22 months I still really like my Nexus 5 even with a terrible camera, fixed memory and battery.

  • TailsK on 24/08/2015 - 13:26

    I don't know why people are so worried about storage on their phones, especially when there are so many options for cloud storage available (whether they be free or just a few dollars are month). Sure, you might need a bit of data to get what you need, but it's so much easier to find WiFi these days too…

    • [Deactivated] on 24/08/2015 - 13:40
      +1

      Only if we have better affordable data plans, but we don't.

      • TailsK on 24/08/2015 - 15:29

        But you have wifi at home, don't you? Almost every application has a setting to sync over wifi only…?

        • [Deactivated] on 24/08/2015 - 15:58
          +1

          I'm talking about outside…

        • TailsK on 24/08/2015 - 16:03

          @clse945111:
          There is wifi outside :3

        • [Deactivated] on 24/08/2015 - 16:04

          @TailsK:
          You mean Wifi that is limited to probably not even 1.5mbps?

        • TailsK on 24/08/2015 - 19:27

          @clse945111:
          That's the one!

    • scrimshaw on 24/08/2015 - 13:59
      +1

      Good luck uploading a 10 minute 1080p video to the cloud when you're limited to 1.5gb a month…

      I have a 16gb LG G2 and have used up most of its space just with apps and music.

      Only 1gb is free and that I leave for camera shooting. I'm also forced to take video in low resolution because the video files wouldn't fit other wise.

    • bobbified on 25/08/2015 - 09:46
      +1

      It might be a little easier to use the cloud services in other countries where there's wifi everywhere.

      In Australia, there are still plenty of places that don't have public wifi to access the cloud. Any mobile plan with a good data package comes with a huge monthly cost.

      And then imagine trying to access a movie on the cloud while you're on the plane.. . or sitting on the train and going through blackspots like tunnels. If the movies are stored locally on the phone, there's no need to think about reception issues….

  • netsurfer on 24/08/2015 - 14:39

    Non-removable battery: it is mainly caused by the review comment that Samsung phones had plastic feel (not having the same 'quality' finish of Apple phones). Furthermore, Apple is reducing the phone thickness so Samsung has to react.

    SD card support: Non-technical people don't really see it as an important feature. iPhone 6/6+ selling like hotcakes. Samsung S5, having this feature, did not really sell very well. The public wants 32GB to be the min phone storage model.

    You could still use USB on the go feature to have kinda external storage support.

    At the end of the day, if those 2 features are so critical to Samsung's S6 & S6 Edge success, then Samsung pretty much have failed big time with S6 series.

  • T1OOO on 24/08/2015 - 15:14

    yup samsung making silly moves, they have no advantage now. look to the lg g4/5 before they also follow suit.

    • neonlight on 24/08/2015 - 16:27

      Don't think LG will do that if so, I will switch to Huawei

  • lplau on 24/08/2015 - 15:35

    It's just you.
    Samsung isn't cloning any products.

    Its how the world works, You copy me, I copy you.
    Look at Apple Watch for example, they clearly copied the other 10 companies (including samsung) who started making them years before Apple did it.

    Sadly the world is wanting thinner and thinner devices, which means manufacturers are starting to feel the need to remove things just to make it thin.

  • Kelvin H. on 24/08/2015 - 15:35

    The reason behind not having microSD in the new lineup is due to the new UFS 2.0 controller, it doesn't support it.
    Before when they were using eMMC, the controller handled both onboard and external storage.

  • dbun1 on 24/08/2015 - 16:01
    +1

    I don't know anyone that actually carries a spare battery around and changes it. I keep hearing this argument, but never see any evidence.

    Having had a horrid time with SD CARDS and Android, I'm glad they did away with it.

    • Diji1 on 24/08/2015 - 16:25
      +2

      Whilst I will probably always prefer an expansion card your correct: Google's continual screwing about with the SD card mounting etc. is ridiculous and causes users to avoid the SD card.

      Since Google has a vested interest in you not having sufficient storage so that they may at a minimum surveil you (by having you store data on their cloud services) or surveil you and charge you (you pay them for the cloud storage) it's pretty easy to see why this is.

      For all Apple's faults one thing you can say is the company does not rely on collecting every single possible piece of data it can regarding you in order to earn roundabout 90% of it's entire revenue. Because Google earns roughly 90% of every dollar it makes from displaying ads.

    • bambooculm on 25/08/2015 - 06:57
      +1

      Trendy business types did often carry spare mobile phone batteries in the early 1990's, but nobody does that any more since powerbanks became available due to the fact that iphones have non removable batteries. The mobile power bank is a much better idea anyway.

  • Diji1 on 24/08/2015 - 16:16

    My thoughts are that your original premise is ridiculous because a clone implies an exact copy by definition.

    And that I could care less about your issues regarding this. Vote with your wallet.

  • ozzybee on 24/08/2015 - 16:43

    ONE PHONE COMPANY COPIES ANOTHER!! OMG!!! THE DRAMA, THE MAYHEM!!!! WHAT WILL HAPPEN NEXT?! SOMEONE TURN THIS INTO A REALITY TV SHOW!!!?@#?#

  • PleasureMe on 24/08/2015 - 17:51
    +1

    I can't believe this hasn't been mentioned yet, but the main reason why Samsung decided to do away with the SD card slot is because too many people were buying cheap/fake memory cards and then having issues with their phone and blaming Samsung for the issues.

    They didn't remove the SD card just because Apple doesn't have one.

  • outofdateyesterday on 24/08/2015 - 17:57

    Huawei is the best phone brand ever.

  • kev98 on 24/08/2015 - 18:14

    I don't own either iPhone or Samsung but I think it's a bit reach people saying Apple copied Samsung. I don't recall Samsung having a full touch screen phone at the time of iPhone 1s original release. Galaxy S didn't come out for some 3 years after iphone 1s release. I think they are both solid phones, just up to user whether they like android or ios more - I find them both to be good.

  • Jo5228 on 24/08/2015 - 21:30
    -1

    When was the last time you saw someone change out their battery? Expandable memory is much slower than a phones internal memory and also uses alot more battery power not to mention that it slows down the entire operating system because data isn't in a central place and scattered around all over the place, having all your storage in one place allows manufactures to optimize the operating system to get the most out of internal memory, People who make arguments like this are usually completely technologicaly illiterate, know all the facts before you go around pointing fingers. Apple and samsung both have borrowed ideas from each other but all they want to do is to improve their product and make it more appealing to the masses.

    • [Deactivated] on 24/08/2015 - 22:07
      +1

      This bs again, expandable memory is slower than internal memory but it DOES NOT show down the system. If it does then htc and Sony are all slow, except they're not. From 4.4 you can't install apps on sd card so there shouldn't be any slowdowns when opening apps. The only I can think of is the photo album.
      Samsung is slow because touchwiz is sh!t, end of story. The S6 is still slower than the iPhone and M9, just go on YouTube for phonebuff speedtest.

  • [Deactivated] on 24/08/2015 - 21:43

    yeh samsung lost me at the note 4.

    i have a note 2 and i still have to say its up there, comparable to say a high mid range now i still love it.

    have a 64gb card plus a zerolemon 9300mAh battery and is a work horse, i have currently gone bac kto the stock battery with a custom power case but yeh just playing around.
    but if i had to upgrade ill go the note 4 for the mSD card and removable battery and that is it.

    • burningrage on 25/08/2015 - 12:05
      +1

      What??

      I love my Note 4.

      Used the stylus to write down people's order when doing coffee round (best use of stylus at the moment since I am not arty);
      Used the case to do paypass (making people thinking it's a very cool stuff and asked me how did I do it);
      Used the IR blaster to turn off TV after kids watching TV for too long while hiding the real remotes;
      Love the Lollipop.
      Fast Charging is awesome. 30 mins and I can use it long enough.
      NFC is great - I got heaps of NFC tags to encode;
      Use the Conference Mode quite often these days, thanks to multi-directional MIC and extra Volume for conference calls;
      Video Call is great;
      Use the Westpac app to do cardless cash (not sure Note 2 can do that).
      Lastly, photos are reasonably good although must admit Iphone is probably doing better. I used Slow-Mo mode a lot.
      Oh, wife reports Kids Mode is 1000% better than Apple's equivalent of kids mode.

      You're missin a lot dude.

      • [Deactivated] on 25/08/2015 - 18:30

        Apologies it the note 5. The last Samsung device I'll go for is a note 4

  • spiderman3fan on 24/08/2015 - 21:47

    i was so heartbroken when the S6 sealed in it's battery. The new fingerprint scanner combined with that 2k screen, removable battery and micro-sd would have been the perfect phone.

  • confusedhuh on 24/08/2015 - 23:38

    worth a look before any debate on who copied who starts

    http://samsungcopiesapple.tumblr.com/

  • FittyFitty on 25/08/2015 - 02:57

    I had an interesting thought yesterday and now I can't remember what it was. All I remember was that it was a good one and it gives me a fuzzy feeling remembering the feeling when I had thought the thought. I guess what I'm trying to say is that it is not about the thought; rather it is about the place where the thought once found home and then lost it, leaving behind a residual faux high that makes one question whether it is one or the one's environment that is at question, when in actuality, the question itself comes from within that void.

    It is you, my friend; and the true awareness of oneself ferments with the ability to articulate the inarticulable, paraphrase the parables and recognise the cognitive; there is more enticing evaluation in our existance to be had than that of comparing apples with pears…

  • rheggiey on 25/08/2015 - 03:27

    Basically, poeple says sick and tired about samsung they're worrying about samsung. And poeple saying samething to apple worrying to apple.

  • snappy1234 on 25/08/2015 - 07:00

    Hang on toast is burning

  • Chris12345 on 25/08/2015 - 10:09

    Cant say Im incredibly impressed with the S6 after upgrading from a Nexus 5.

    The software is bloated. Whats so wrong with just giving us stock droid.

    Although I got the phone on a plan it doesn't seem anything like the bang for your buck of the Nexus 5 (would be hard for any new phone to match it).

    But worst of all is the glass. Within a week or 2 I had several scratches on it. Never happened on the Nexus. Then I broke the screen for the first time since owning a smart phone. Fell from my top pocket whilst I was knelt down over a whipper snipper. Fell less then two feet, but shattered the glass.

    A DIY job of replacing the glass is a complete f-around too. QSL (Samsung repairer in Aus) quote $315 bucks to fix :(

  • burningrage on 25/08/2015 - 11:58
    +1

    I hear what you're saying.

    However, obviously the protest noise is not loud enough otherwise they might not have considered those changes.

    Of the two issues, namely, non-replacable batteries and no extended memory. Only the latter the company has put some defense.

    Non-replacable batteries. How would you hard reset your phone if it hangs? What about if the battery degenerated significantly?

    No Extended Memory. Samsung's defense is people use cloud these days. Yes if we have unlimited bandwidth but bandwidth in this country is getting more expensive (you have to fork out $80 for a decent 6gb) and if you constantly syncing to the cloud (photos/docs/etc), that bandwidth will be used up very quickly.

    Despite this, so many people still buy iphones which lead Samsung to probably think they don't matter as much in purchasing decision.

    So they have to change tack and this is what the results.

    It is yet to be seen if their gamble will pay but do note this, S6 Edge did sell better than expected so that's where they're probably going.

    PS: Unlikely to buy Note 5 though… :-). No IR Blaster…

    • ProjectZero on 25/08/2015 - 13:25
      +2

      Out of all the features you mentioned, I can live without the replaceable battery… but the memory slot is something I can't understand being left out. It's moving backwards if you ask me. Just because cloud storage is available doesn't mean everyone will use/are using cloud storage. Seriously dumb logic on Samsung's part…

      Currently, the only thing differentiating a Samsung phone and an Apple phone is that one has better optimised OS. Touchwiz is so horribly bloated that I'm surprised it hasn't exploded into a million pieces. If i had to choose between these two brands only, I'd go back to Apple.

      Luckily for consumers is that there are still Android based phones out there like LG, Motorola etc.

    • ozhunter on 25/08/2015 - 13:26

      Non-replacable batteries. How would you hard reset your phone if it hangs?

      The same way every other phone without a removable battery…

      • burningrage on 25/08/2015 - 13:44
        +2

        Easier to take off the cover and take off the battery imho.

  • windrc on 25/08/2015 - 12:34

    are you trying to compare samsung to apple

  • Jared17 on 25/08/2015 - 14:28

    +1. Never liked their products. Hated the galaxy tab and thought the S5 was soso. Anyway I Avoided them since.

  • ThadtheChad on 25/08/2015 - 15:42
    -1

    At the risk of sounding contrarian, I actually like the fact that they've removed the removable battery (and have made it a "monolithic" design). Somehow makes the phone feels a lot sturdier as compared to my previous s4.

    The device itself is really blazing fast. I got it a couple of weeks ago, migrating from my s4 was a breeze. I have an iphone 6 as well, and the s6 feels and handles like a much better smartphone.

    In terms of storage, I got the 64gig variant so storage isn't really an issue. Beside most of my content consumption is streaming based (be it Netflix/Hulu or locally via plex). I use Spotify (and offline caching) for music. I bought a 64gig SD card for my S4, but I ended up using only about 10Gb on it.

    I'm sure there are people who use local storage extensively on their phone, but I'm finding it hard to understand what exactly would that be? Not trying to be facetious, I'm genuinely curious about this. I understand storage requirements on a tablet as they can be used to store high res videos, books etc (owing to a much larger screen), which may be quite suboptimal on a phone.

    Edit: I wouldn't carry spare batteries anyway, since I have a Xiaomi 16000mah powerbank that cost me $15 lesser than a new S4 battery. It can also power a whole bunch of other gear that I carry around.

  • secondstory on 25/08/2015 - 18:18
    +1

    Is it me? Or am I just sick & tired..

    That's not really something other people can answer for you.

    It's a genuine concern but the wording of your post has targeted a different (wrong?) audience and I at first thought you were trolling OP. I understand that you aren't though. Unless you're trying to get both sides riled up that is.

    I wouldn't say "cloning apple" either as it's more like borrowing features that already exist in various other electronic devices. If you're only going to call out Samsung for it and you're only going to pick up on Apple implementing these features then you should probable search the market a little more.

    It's a smarter marketing game so that users pay a price point for what they want from the company itself rather than get the cheapest ones and then replace parts or upgrade by purchasing from other companies who would profit instead. They could just be trying to protect their revenue. There's probably other benefits to this as well.

    It's also making it into an all in one device. If a device user purchases a cheap knock-off version for a battery replacement or storage upgrade that is either faulty or not completely compatible with the device, they might get complaints.

    Others brands will jump on board this ship, and sure, you as the buyer might find you don't actually benefit much from this move but there will be brands that don't so it's not like you have to scorn Samsung for it. Just get your device from a different brand. And if you still want to get a Samsung then so be it that was you're decision to purchase.

    For me there's no real "loyalty" to a brand. You stick to the brand because you find them consistently reliable or they are consistently more suitable for your needs more so than other brands or they consistently offer something that other brands don't or you just like the brand. Buying from the brand because you are "loyal" doesn't make sense to me. Your favourite brand releases new products that you don't like. No one is forcing you to buy it (I hope) so there's no reason to be "sick and tired" of it unless you kept buying from them even after they became unsuitable - which would be your own fault. Move on. You were not destined to be together after all, people change - it happens more often than you think. If you really want to make it work try talking things out with one another or going to therapy together. They make something they hope the majority will like and you make the decision of whether or not to commit to a purchase. Unless you just blindly buy their new products without checking for specs and then get mad when they aren't exactly the same as their other devices except slightly better there's no reason to be upset over it. It's not like they secretly reduced the quality or anything. It was a feature change. It might be frustrating if the brand you've stuck to for so long is suddenly making an uncharacteristic change and you don't know what other brands to buy but at least now you can look around if that is the case.

    P.s. From what I've seen, I don't recommend the Edge for anyone who has a habit of unintentionally throwing their phone at the floor/road/rocks.

  • pointblank on 25/08/2015 - 19:07
    +1

    Obviously it's not just you - Samsung's profits have been dropping big time.
    They're trying to charge premium prices like apple and adopting things like a non-removable battery like they said they'd never do.
    Many one-time Samsung owners have switched to other Android devices because they are simply that much better value. If I was going to pay around $1k for my phone (which I wouldn't) I would then get an apple. Because I'm not willing to spend that much, I am instead a happy owner of a OnePlus One :)

    The stats don't lie - http://techcrunch.com/2015/04/28/samsung-1q2015/

    • ozhunter on 25/08/2015 - 20:48
      +2

      If I was going to pay around $1k for my phone (which I wouldn't) I would then get an apple.

      I don't think the Note 5 is worth 1k, which is why I got the S6 and will wait for the price to drop. Even then I'm very happy with the S6, I do think the Note 5 is one of the best if the best smartphone out.

      If you want a current iphone, you'd have no choice but to spend ~$1k, as Apple owns iOS and won't license it out. For that reason is why they can keep their higher prices.

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