Most Galaxies are Mere Pawns in Samsung's Game Strategy

Why don't we just come to expect a new phone or two from Samsung every fortnight?

To be quite honest, I'm tiring of Samsung's continued exploitation of the 'Galaxy' name and design language. Just in case you weren't aware, Samsung recently announced the Galaxy Mega 5.8 and 6.3, which look just about the same as every other Galaxy device on the market, save for the back and menu buttons on the 6.3 - which have been swapped around.

Source: ubergizmo

Changing the button configuration which has just about always existed on their range which feature that hideous physical home button is a worrying thought for me. I believe it signifies Samsung are aware that their designs are ageing quickly, and at fears of coming up with a new design language - they're playing it safe by making subtle design 'enhancements' to an otherwise stale slice of bread.




I won't attempt to hide what I wrote about a couple of weeks ago - that I felt the shape of the Galaxy SIII that carried through with the Note II and S4 are welcomed, but its because these are the premier Samsung devices, unlike the Galaxy Premier for instance.

Galaxy Premier - Samsung's take on the Galaxy Nexus
if they had things their way

The Galaxy Mega 6.3 packs the same processor as the Nexus 10, and the Series 3 Chromebook I'm typing this post on. Both of these devices are purpose built for entertainment or productivity. The Nexus 10 has that absolutely gorgeous display resolution and sound quality for a variety of multimedia purposes, and the Chromebook can mostly handle a hefty workload thanks to its 2GB RAM. Both run the same processor, but for mostly different things.

The 6.3 doesn't fit in. It has a 720p display which is fantastic for a display no larger than 4.8", for at that size you're afforded optimal clarity. Anything larger in my opinion should be avoided, at least nowadays where 1080p displays are becoming the norm on devices with 5"+ displays. Worse still, the 5.8 has a qHD display which was an absolute bonkers decision on Samsung's part. Both Galaxy Megas should have been released with a resolution suitable for their size, but then of course a display like that would've taken away from the Samsung's more successful S and Note lines, and would cost a pretty penny on top of what is already surely going to be a pricey phablet. For that I say fair enough, this device should excel as a phablet by allowing users to get more out of the S-Pen Samsung have helped to popularise with the Note line. Only the Megas don't ship with a S-Pen out of the box, and while the device supports apps like S-Memo, S-Planner and the same multitasking split window as the Note range, customers are still missing out on the usefulness of the S-Pen for its specific purpose -  to be used on a pointlessly large screen. Without it, you have a device that's unwieldy and difficult to use one handed, and cannot achieve the same level of productivity that you'd expect from a Note. Even if you purchase a S-Pen for a Mega, you'll have to live with the fact that the device is not a Note, and Samsung don't want it to be likened to one, otherwise I suspect they would've branded them the Note 5.8 and 6.3.

Just about all other Galaxy devices outside the S and Note line
are only there to make you wish you had the S or Note

The Galaxy Megas aren't special in any way. They're just another road sign on Samsung's seemingly endless road, beckoning the arrival of something bigger - the Note III/3. When I say bigger, I'm not implying the device will be bigger in size, cause frankly that'd be stupid as that's what the Note 8.0 is for. The next Note will remind everyone why Samsung pioneered the phablet market, and until then, devices like the Mega 5.8 and 6.3 are just an attempt to establish more interest in said market before the Note replacement arrives. Like other Samsung devices outside the S or Note line, they're all just pawns in the larger game that Samsung are playing, and recycling their design is really starting to grate on me personally, to the point where I'm starting to undervalue devices like the S4 and Note II, even though they're the King and Queen on the chess board that is Samsung's exhaustive Galaxy line.