“Samsung continues to innovate in the smartphone space, this morning introducing its very own Apple [AAPL] iTunes knock-off designed to compete with Cupertino’s end-to-end content solution,” Jonny Evans writes for Computerworld.
“Available across Europe and powered by UK-based firm, 7 Digital, Samsung’s Music Hub offers some of the features you’d expect from iTunes: the free version offers music purchasing across a selection of 19 million tracks while a fee-based variant provides the chance to upload your entire music collection to the cloud for playback on your Galaxy S III smartphone or PC,” Evans writes. “Samsung’s iTunes Match service will cost a lot more than Apple’s popular service: around £9.99 (c$15) per month, though you also get Spotify-like music streaming. iTunes Match costs just $24.99 per year.”
Evans writes, “With RIM looking shaky, Nokia on the rocks and webOS now dead as a doorknob, surely it’s only a question of time before the firm apes Apple’s “whole widget” approach and purchases its own mobile OS. After all, in a few months time Samsung will also be competing directly with Android-developer Google’s newly-acquired Motorola Mobility.”
“With Google investing billions in the latter firm, it’s pretty certain that, once the lip service promises are made, the gadgets coming out of Motorola will be seen as flagships for Android. Why would any right-thinking Android lover purchase anything else, particularly if they want their devices to get complexity-free regular software updates?” Evans asks before tagging Samsung with the title of “Yesterday’s Android Poster Child.”
Read more in the full article here.
MacDailyNews Take: The only “Android lovers” in the world are those who’ve never used an iPhone or an iPad for more than 5 minutes. The rest are Android settlers; they’ve settled for less than the best for some reason (carrier of choice, general ignorance, lower IQ, etc.).
Buying an Android phone is like buying a blurry print of the Mona Lisa when da Vinci’s original Mona Lisa is available at exactly the same price (and sometimes even less). It’s not a move that smart, or even average, consumers make.
Samsung will rename their store S-tunes…
“Samsung continues to innovate in the smartphone space”
Continues to innovate, by continuing to copy Apple’s moves? Really?
Everyone is trying to copy Apple’s business model these days. Having me too services without the actual service isn’t going to get them anywhere; Samsung half-asses everything they do, especially when it comes to software, service and support.
It’s called sarcasm. Or is it irony? I always get those two mixed up …
I think the EFFs statements speak for themselves; they want the same chaotic love fest it was with pirated PC software. Jailbreak gives people a choice, a moral and ethical burden as well, but EFF should align themselves in the fight to preserve the Android platform and not concern themselves with the pay-to-play camp.
Yes , Samsung is nothing without Android , I am suck of hearing Samsung innovates . Maybe I should say samsung innovates the skills to avoid copycat being sued.
In response to the MDN Take on the Samsung story, I am an Android “settler” according to your position. This is for the reason that, unlike what you assert, it is FAR cheaper to use my Android…$45 per month with unlimited data, than an Iphone on any carrier. If you can show me an IPhone plan that is $45 a month or less, then I will tip my hat to you. Otherwise, even though the Android is a poor substitute, it is one that costs far less.
I too am an Android settler. Although I wish my carrier had an ipPhone, my desire for good service at a fair monthly cost trumps my desire to have as first rate device on a second taste network. Since it is after all, a cell phone, phone capabilities trump whether or not I can get the weather report in full 3d.
If you’re the type of person that believes “it is a cell phone,” then you’re not the type person the iPhone was designed for. Stick with Android and save yourself the money.
My iPhone is a pocket computer, that has telephonic features. I use it more for getting information then I do actually communicating with people.
One more “Android settler”, and for the exact same reason. A single breadwinner in a family of four, with two children in a private school, an $80 per month cellphone plan for me alone is simply out of the question. Just like Mr. Frederick above, I get unlimited text/data, plus plentiful voice minutes (1200 of them) for $40 per month (Virgin Mobile). My entire family spends less on mobile plans than I would spend alone with a single comparable iPhone plan (unlimited data obviously doesn’t even exist for it).
Hopefully, T-Mobile will remain a viable carrier in the US, and will continue to migrate its 3G (and “4G”) network to the standard frequencies, so that it can work with the unlocked iPhone. Once this becomes available in my area (NYC), my Virgin Mobile Android goes on Craigs List (or eBay) and I’m getting an unlocked iPhone with a $30 per month plan (unlimited data/text, plus 100 minutes voice).
I simply cannot justify spending extra $500 per year on smartphone data plan. I’d rather buy an iPad for that money…
I’d rather get an iPad too for the cost of current capped data plans. If I could get 400 minutes and unlimited data for $40 a month I’d get an iPhone
Same here. Until I can get an iPhone without a contract, I’ll stick with my cheapo Virgin Mobile Android phone. Phones are unimportant and a utility to me, as I do mostly texting, and I refuse… REFUSE to sign a ripoff contract with any carrier. At $26 a month for Virgin’s service (I’m grandfathered into a lower payment) with unlimited data and texting, and NO CONTRACT, it suits my needs just fine.
Mdn’s take is without class. They shit on everyone who can’t afford an iphone or anyone who hasn’t held one of these adorable gadgets for longer than five-minutes.
Their move to google ad-sense paid off handsomely apparently and everyone can now afford top drawer service from Apple.
They should start spreading the love around and stop carrying Apple’s water, uh, they don’t anymore help, just money.
Apple makes seven-million dollars each hour all day every day and shows no sign of slowing down. They have created a seismic shift in the economy by undermining so many different levels; artistically, industrially, socially, and now Apple has opened communications with key government hacks!
We’re in a full blown recession because everyone has stopped spending money, except Apple consumers! WTF, over?
This explains your previous posts completely. We can now dismiss what ever you post with the knowledge that you don’t really get Apple or total cost of ownership combined with functionality concept.
In fairness to Predrag and other “settlers”, there IS a cost to owning an iPhone. Some are capable and willing to pay the price, others are not. They can still have opinions about the product. I love and covet an Aston Martin, yet I drive a Mini Cooper. Doesn’t mean I wouldn’t own and drive an Aston if I could, but I can’t. I am a Mini Cooper “settler”.
I ride a bike to work. I’m a pedal power settler.
The total cost of ownership issue seems to have eluded you in your post. Also the features that we want in a smart phone must be there. If your Mini Cooper only had a 5 litre tank, it would not be useful.
No, the total cost of ownership for the iPhone is fundamentally different than that of any other Apple gear. I have three Macs at home, and have gone through at least 10 of them over the past 15 years. I use Macs because they offer significantly better value with respect to TCO.
With the iPhone, the TCO is, for me, prohibitive. While an Android phone is definitely NOT an iPhone in performance, on some basic level of functionality, it is comparable.
The acquisition cost of iPhone is $650. A cheap, crappy Android phone can be had for less than $100. Common way for acquisition is to let carrier defer some of the acquisition cost by subsidising the device (and subsequently recovering that cost through the monthly charge for the plan). The biggest problem with the subsidy model is that it is financially detrimental to the customer, since the subsidy level is considerably lower than the two-year total of the difference in monthly rates between prepaid and subsidy-based plans.
As I said, the moment T-Mobile begins supporting frequencies that work with iPhone’s 3G radio is the moment I’ll ditch the crappy Android and switch to the iPhone. I don’t mind paying $650 upfront for the device; what I do mind is paying the extortion to the carrier for the privilege of using my phone on their network. And why T-Mobile? Because they have by far the best pre-paid plans ($30 for unlimited data/text, plus 100 voice minutes).
Our iPhone 3GS phones are on T-Mobile on a family plan right now. It costs $20 to have a 3GS unlocked and jailbroken. I decided long ago not to settle for a non-iPhone, or to settle for AT&T’s lousy customer relations. Yes, I could afford to outfit the family with 4S iPhones, but why? The extra $130 per month gets us what? We’re hardly ever out of wireless range, so we use the cell service mostly for voice.
I wouldn’t buy a Samsung phone based upon principle. They’ve been riding on Apple’s coattails, and it shouldn’t be rewarded. You don’t give a raise to the guy who copped your idea at work do you?
I do not have a Samsung. I have an LG. I was only responding to MDN’s take that the IPhone is the same price as Androids. That is not the case…at least not when you factor in the cost of the plans. I would love to have an IPhone. I just cannot afford the extra $35-45 per month.
James
No but my boss probably wood, and a promotion to boot.
My plan qualifies as I pay $40/month on AT&T for my iPhone. The limitation is this is part of a family plan and I have very limited voice minutes, but for my needs it’s fine.
If you buy you iPhone outright from an Apple store, you can get any plan you want.
Usually it is less than $45 a month because you’re not paying for the subsidy.
Any plan, but only on two national carriers (AT&T or T-Mobile), since the unlocked, unsubsidised iPhone is the GSM model.
Since iPhone’s 3G radio does not work on T-Mobile’s frequencies (leaving you only with the GPRS – EDGE speeds), even if you buy the unlocked device without a contract, you’re still stuck with AT&T, where the cheapest unlimited plan of $50 is not really unlimited (you must pay extra for smartphone data).
Currently, the only major GSM carrier in America that offers cheap data plans is T-Mobile.
Hmmm. Do what I’m hearing us that iPhone is first choice if available and data plan price and data allowance are equal… I’ll add my two cents that iPhone is first choice if screen sizes are equal. I admit, I want a larger screen but wont go to android to get it. I sure hope apple is listening and plans on expanding their line to Avondale ALL carriers and ALL screen size lovers….. Love you Steve, RIP, but one size iPhone screen does not fit everyone.
webOS isn’t dead, it just isn’t owned by anyone willing to commit to it. Samsung is the largest shipper of Android devices, and won’t be happy when Google enters the hardware business via Motorola.
I can easily envisage Samsung acquiring webOS via a third party (in order to stay under the radar) and flesh it out over a two three year time line.
At that time Samsung migrates to webOS and it’s own walled garden. It will take several years, but Samsung has the resources (and vision) to pull this off.
Samsung will soon make the switch to windows phone, solving a lot of its problems with apple. Sept 2012
I couldn’t care less what Samsung did. Even if they ripped off the iTunes store, so what? What can Apple and a thousand screaming fanboys do about it? Absolutely nothing. The courts are toothless and enforcing patents rights is a complete waste of time.
On the other hand, I care what Apple does. Releasing an outdated iPhone 4S is not the way to counter Samsung. By and large consumers don’t give a flying f*** if Samsung phones are a rip off of Apple. What they care about is an affordable, modern, up to date phone.
I know of many who have migrated from the iPhone 3GS to the Galaxy S3 simply because the 4S is complete rubbish.
It’s hard to comment on what you post without using the word asshole, but I’ll try.
Did you see the size of that honkin’ S3 battery? Did you see that it’s not big enough and that had to make it removable? You have to carry around a second battery just to get through the day.
Did you hear about the piss poor voice recognition?
Did you hear about the hundreds, possibly thousands of pieces of malware just waiting to infest that S3 monster?
Did anyone tell you how much it costs to get all of your pockets resized so you can cary around that monster?
Did you hear you have to jailbreak it just to update the OS?
You must have a lot of stupid friends.
Samsunhg SHTunes!
Since when is COPYING dubbed I N N O V A T I O N?
“Paging George Orwell !
Please report to the DOUBLESPEAK Lounge, on the DOUBLE!!!”
Quite frankly, I’m surprised it took so long for an Apple competitor to do this. iTunes is the “anchor” which makes the iPhone part of an easy-to-use eco-system. Managing music, podcasts, and apps on iTunes is so much simpler than doing it on any phone.
——RM
SameDung <- Proven time and again, and again.
Samsung is soooo screwed. Keep it up!