back to article Samsung posts record profits as Galaxy sales crush Apple

Booming mobile sales have powered record profits at Samsung in Q3. Samsung published a preliminary statement of their financials yesterday [PDF] which shows a 91 per cent increase in net profit compared to the same three months last year. The South Korean firm drew in 6.56 trillion won profit ($5.9bn or £3.7bn) in the three …

COMMENTS

This topic is closed for new posts.
  1. EddieD
    Pint

    Nice

    We now have someone else who has become successful to hate.

    Time for beer - have a good weekend y'all!

    1. Graham Dawson Silver badge

      Re: Nice

      Of course, the difference with Sammy is, if people get fed up of their products, they can switch to another Android manufacturer and still have all their stuff.

      Makes for a much easier transition away from the hated foe du jure.

      1. 45RPM Silver badge
        Stop

        Re: Nice

        That, of course, is irrelevant because what are you going to do if you get fed up with Google? Honestly, I'm sick to death with non-developers masquerading as computer geeks. You give yourselves away everytime by over emphasizing the hardware (which is largely irrelevant) and undervaluing the software (which is everything).

        Frankly, I couldn't give a monkeys about the hardware - and not too much of a monkeys about the OS - as long as I can easily port my software from one platform (that means OS, newbies) to another.

        1. sam bo
          FAIL

          Re: Nice

          "Frankly, I couldn't give a monkeys about the hardware - and not too much of a monkeys about the OS - as long as I can easily port my software from one platform (that means OS, newbies) to another."

          So the fart apps are easy to port are they ?

          Really balanced view of technology there - I am a developer, therefore software is EVERYTHING !

          Grow up ! It is a symbiotic relationship software/hardware - either is useless without the other.

          1. 45RPM Silver badge
            Thumb Down

            Re: Nice

            Of course it's symbiotic, but the hardware is the shiny shiny thing that all the newbs can cream themselves over. The software is just the intangible thing that the world and his wife seeks to rip off or pirate. Truth is though that it is software that turns a computer from being a paperweight into the ultimate Swiss Army knife. And it is the software that is the most expensive part of the set up (and therefore the part who's portability should be valued)

            Taking my setup, the software cost is more many thousands of pounds more than the hardware - even ignoring the stuff that I wrote. So I'm more likely to be pissed off if I have to change software platform than hardware platform.

            As to the ease of porting a fart app, yes - very easy. But I grew past the hello world phase about thirty years ago, so that's not really my bag anymore. Don't worry - if you work very hard, you might grow out of that too.

            Still, I'm getting a clear sense of how many newbies are posting replies to this infantile article. I guess you fancy yourselves bofh, yes?

            1. asdf
              FAIL

              Re: Nice

              Wow Mr. Blowhard way to get off topic. You better accept jackwagon that your customers can switch phones and or OSs anytime they want. Don't like having to worry about hardware differences than write for IOS. You sounds like a real jack ass. Please post what your app is so I and everyone I know can avoid ever giving you damn dime.

              1. 45RPM Silver badge
                Thumb Down

                Re: Nice

                No apps for iOS. I've never developed for iOS. And why would I want you to give me bad publicity? Not everyone is as stupid as you are. If you're really interested though, I've been working on network analysis software for Linux and Windows. No, I won't tell you what it's called.

                My point was, and I'll try to keep the words short, that they should be able to switch easily - but that its the software that creates the lock in - not the hardware. Whether a user uses Samsung or HTC matters not a jot because, ultimately, they're on the same platform (Android). It's when they switch to iOS, Blackberry or Windows that they'll have the problem.

                1. Anonymous Coward
                  FAIL

                  @45RPM

                  The intelligence delta between you and the rest of the world, including the other people who post on here, isn't as big as you think it is - it really isn't the case that you are as clever as you think you are.

                  You also seem quite stressed and that's bad for your health. You might want to think about coping strategies that will help you relax.

                  1. vic 4

                    Re: @45RPM

                    Could try going down to 33rpm for a wee while.

                2. Joerg

                  Re: Nice

                  1) You can't develop anything

                  2) You don't want to earn money

                  3) You develop only very simple apps and are scared by the effort needed to create some iOS apps that could compete with the existing ones.

                3. Combustable Lemon
                  FAIL

                  Re: Nice

                  "My point was, and I'll try to keep the words short, that they should be able to switch easily - but that its the software that creates the lock in - not the hardware. Whether a user uses Samsung or HTC matters not a jot because, ultimately, they're on the same platform (Android). It's when they switch to iOS, Blackberry or Windows that they'll have the problem." - 45RPM

                  I read all of that just for you to state the obvious... what a let down. Maybe you are so hyper intelligent i am missing the point, doubtful though.

            2. Naughtyhorse
              Trollface

              Re: Nice

              isn't the software bit the part that's very badly done and keeps on going titsup??

              and not really surprised you are single :-)

              not surprised at all

        2. asdf
          WTF?

          Re: Nice

          >what are you going to do if you get fed up with Google?

          Umm fork the source code (its open after all for at least the galaxy nexus) and remove the annoying parts and make it do what you want. Isn't that what developers do? (of course I know its not trivial but this guy was such an ass had to point out the obvious).

          1. This post has been deleted by its author

          2. dssf

            Re: Nice hardball

            Somewhat ot, but, on the angle of being fed up with google

            When Koreans and sympathetic devs get pissed at googlen or renaming Dokdo with liancourt rocks on non-Korean web searches and non-Korean installs of google earth and google maps, Samsung and Hancom might fork android.

            I think thenday could come that Samsung and Korea do to google what apple did to Samsung... It is as if google felt a need to retaliate against Korea for Korea hosting a privacy rights forum in which google was blasted for worsening privacy rights globally.

            Down mod me all you want, but, it may be where things are headed for all involved.

            1. Philip Lewis
              Big Brother

              Re: Nice hardball

              I up-voted you.

              I would be surprised if Samsung haven't already got their own version of Android in-house. They have Bada which is Linux, right? and they sell millions of phones with Bada. It's not a stretch to believe they will outgrow the usefulness of or need for Google in the mobile space.

              As for Google's "worsening privacy rights globally", you are dead right. Their strategy is to eliminate privacy rights by breaching privacy laws on a scale so grand as to render privacy laws ineffective - and act accordingly. This, I posit, is EVIL in essence.

        3. Ian Johnston Silver badge
          Thumb Down

          Re: Nice

          Is that the software which can be replaced by going to the Cyanogenmod website and downloading a generic OS?

        4. Paul 135
          Linux

          Re: Nice: What to do with Google?

          Fork baby fork!

          1. Paul 135
            Big Brother

            Re: Nice: What to do with Google?

            ... forking being all well and good, there is however one aspect of Google lock-in that I am not happy with -- the Play Store. Too many apps are using DRM meaning Google Play Store is required to install them on another device. I think this is a serious issue when needs highlighted more often in the Android community.

        5. JOKM
          Mushroom

          Re: Nice

          The reason you got downvotes is not because what you said wasn't true, but because the typical register readers are aging sys admins and other such 'non-developers masquerading as computer geeks'.

          A tool is a tool is a tool, but it is nice not having to spend a fortune in money or time getting all your apps on your next device. That goes for computers as well as phones.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Nice

        The hated foe "du jure" is Apple = I think you mean "du jour", i.e. today. "jure" is Latin for law.

        1. Jediben
          Trollface

          Re: Nice

          Well Apple are certainly hating UK law at the moment!

    2. Shagbag

      Samsung more successful than Apple? Apple throwing it's toys out of the pram in the UK Court

      OMG. Just what is going on in Cupertino?

      I bet Steve Jobs is spinning in his grave over where his company is being taken.

      1. ThomH

        Re: Samsung more successful than Apple? Apple throwing it's toys out of the pram in the UK Court

        Hasn't Samsung always been more successful than Apple? Per the Internet Samsung usurped HP to become the number one technology company when measuring by sales back in 2009.

        I think the story is more interesting in terms of trends — Apple's numbers appear more or less stagnant (albeit quite healthy) while Samsung's are growing quickly.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Samsung more successful than Apple? Apple throwing it's toys out of the pram in the UK Court

          I'm sorry, Apple's numbers are stagnant? Profits and revenue up by 25% from the same period last year is 'stagnant' now? Did the definition of the word change some time recently?

          (Note: Samsung's numbers ARE better and well done to them for it but the idea Apple's profits are stagnant is noodle-doodle. Apple is still growing but Samsung is apparently growing faster, which speaks of just how big an achievement their results actually are).

        2. Robot

          You're right, it's the TREND that counts!!!!!

          Let's say in the next quarter, RIM leaps from 4 million to 25 million smartphones. That is still lower than Apple's 27 million smartphones. So who is winning? Obviously RIM, because what counts is the trend. RIM is now the guy to watch out for, even if it sold less than Apple in absolute numbers (25 million versus 27 million).

          What about the REAL world? In the past 1.5 years, Apple went from 15 million to 27 million, and Samsung went from 8 million to 57 million. Do you see what is happening? Capiche?

          Of the 57 million Samsung phones, perhaps 40% are quality smartphones, or about 23 million. That would still be short of Apple's 27 million, but again it's the trend that counts.

        3. dssf

          Re: Samsung more successful than Apple? Apple throwing it's toys out of the pram in the UK Court

          I wonder what results would show if Samsung and Apple were compared for market cap if Samsung keeps making more inroads, despite the lesser profit margin...

      2. garbo
        Devil

        Re: Samsung more successful than Apple? Apple throwing it's toys out of the pram in the UK Court

        Steve is not in his grave. He is in Heaven, sharpening his Thunderbolts.

  2. RainForestGuppy

    Technology and Innovation beats complacency and litigation.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      How does that explain Samsung doing well, their entire business plan has been based on copying the west.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        You post anonymously..

        ..but I bet you live in the USA.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: You post anonymously..

          Of course he is. No British person complains about copying ideas because the UK sold off all its businesses and now only does banking or reality TV.

          That's why the gov fights any sort of regulation or fees for banking. Everything including cadbury's has been sold off so we must let the bankers continue to act like crooks to keep the economy afloat. It's easier than making things and innovating.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: You post anonymously..

            But, but the still made the Raspberry Pi! That's innovation, right?

            Or maybe just out of ease of setting up non-profit charities over here, which is much harder to do in the US.

            Another UK business feature that gives us so much choice (over 185,000 in 2010) like proposing to saving some donkeys in India - but still allowing their staff to be paid millions in expenses. Tax free.

      2. Ian Johnston Silver badge

        Isn't the iPhone just a copy of the touchscreen phones LG had been punting out for years before hand.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Technology and Innovation? Where?

      Operating system: Made by Google, not Samsung

      Form factor and UX: Depends on who you ask, but definitely not developed by Samsung

      "Innovative" features like S Voice or the home button: Stolen from Apple

      Larger screens are not innovations, we've had them for ages.

      Where Samsung tries their own technology (Bada) it fails miserably, so the takeaway message is you can make a ton more money by not doing any R&D of your own and just take others's work.

      Actually that reminds me of some people I knew at Uni....

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @dx

        I suggest you look at the figures regarding how much Samsung spend on R&D compared to Apple

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          @Ac with insider information

          So where do they use all that R&D you are implying? Doesn't look like they're using much of it in the consumer space. Is it for their weapons division?

        2. Anonymous Coward
          Go

          Re: @dx

          Still waiting for those consumer R&D spend figures, Mr AC.

          How much has Samsung spent on Android (not the Bada money pit) smartphone R&D and how much did Apple?

          Tried Googling for it but couldn't find any, but it sounds like you have a very solid idea... so let's have them.

        3. Frank Bough

          Re: @dx

          ...but Apple write loads of best-in-class consumer client software. They're not developing fucking air conditioning units like Samsung, are they? Like with like, please.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Best in class consumer client software?

            What are you thinking of? iOS6 maps? Apple Mail? Clarisworks?

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        RE: dx

        I sincerely hope you develop and fabricate all your writing, transportation and other equipment every day before you start work. Else your a copycat just like Samsung.

        1. Esskay
          WTF?

          @ dx

          "Tried Googling for it but couldn't find any, but it sounds like you have a very solid idea... so let's have them."

          Funny, I tried googling it (took about 10 secs) and on Samsung's US page it details that each year Samsung Electronics invests ~9% of revenue back into R&D

          http://www.samsung.com/us/aboutsamsung/ourbusinesses/researchdevelopment.html

          Samsung have also invested 822 million USD in a new R&D centre in Seoul (that's the site development cost, not even including the actual "research").

          And apple's R&D investment as percentage of sales is hitting new lows. (Just over 2% in 2011).

          http://news.cnet.com/8301-13579_3-20121322-37/apple-r-d-as-percent-of-revenue-hits-a-low/

          This appears to coincide with Apple's penchant for litigation against pretty much everyone.

          So although we don't have figures, we can see who's more comitted to R&D - it's ironic that the company that puts the least percentage of sales back into R&D is the one trying to get away with suing everyone else.

          Also, considering Samsung Electronics have (up until recently) made a large portion of the electronics that go into Apple's gadgets, I'd say trying to rubbish Sammy's R&D is a fairly good example of cutting off your nose to spite your face.

      3. Mark .

        So Apple make their own OS, whilst Samsung make their own hardware like CPUs and displays.

        Samsung use someone else for the OS, but then, Apple use someone else (Samsung) for their hardware like CPUs and display.

        Sorry, it's ridiculous to say that Samsung don't innovate or make technology. And even for the OS, Apple bought OS X from NEXT, and IOS is built on Darwin. Meanwhile, Samsung do build their own highly successful TouchWiz OS on Android.

        So both Apple and Samsung build an OS on top of other people's work, whilst Samsung make the hardware for both themselves and Apple.

        Apple copied form factor and UX from others just as much as Samsung. Google and Nokia were doing voice recognition on phones years before Apple (and wasn't S Voice itself a 3rd party thing they bought out?)

        You're right that larger screens aren't an innovation, which is why an ipad is nothing new. Bada still sold more than the iphone in the same timeframe since release, so I guess the iphone failed miserable too. Also don't forget Samsung's "feature" smartphones, which they sell tens of millions of, on *top* of the Android smartphones which outself Apple two to one.

      4. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Bada bad bada

        Last time I looked Bada was still outselling Windows Phone by a healthy margin. Could have changed, but I doubt it.

      5. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        @dx - Home button stolen ? By who ?

        My old Netscape browser had a home button a long time ago if I remember well.

    3. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      it is possible to be derivative and ethical

      I first heard of Samsung sometime around 1992, as maker of licensed copies of HP's RISC workstations (the 9000/715 IIRC). To date I can't think of a Samsung product that was particularly original. So what? They are a ,manufacturer of mainstream electronic products, and do a pretty good job of making reasonably durable electronics at attactive price points.

      The endless arguments about copying are really pretty silly when it comes to mainstream products, which almost by definition incorporate the features that most consumers expect to have. A truly innovative company will keep on coming out with products based on new ideas (the definition of innovation) and stay ahead of the pack - so has nothing to fear from mainstream.

      And if you compare Samsung's devices to the real iThing clones it's easy to see there is no intentional copying by Samsung, it's just that ideas that have made it into the mainstream customer's set of expectations are incorporated into their designs (just like any other mainstream manufacturer). If cloning the iThing was their goal they would have gone the whole hog and made their products indistinguishable.

      Ultimately the relative market shares of Apple and Samsung reflect their chosen roles, luxury brand and mainstream. Long may Apple innovate (though the iPad mini is very 'meh') and long may Samsung (and others) popularise.

      Disclaimer: I own neither Apple not Samsung kit (or shares). Appreciate Apple's design & attention to detail, detest the so-superior attitude, see no point gadgets that don't make the lights dip when you turn them on.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: it is possible to be derivative and ethical

        Indeed. Have you noticed how just about all modern cars look very similar except for a few barges at one end and a few quirk micro-cars at the other?

        Aerodynamics, safety, road conditions and the need for a driver to move safely from one model to another force a great deal of similarity. All the innovation is in hidden things like the Toyota hybrid transmission, the Fiat hydraulic valve actuators, or dual clutch automated gearboxes.

        The fact that Apple is litigating about things that car manufacturers ignore suggests a deficit of real R&D on their part. I don't remember Apple inventing capacitative touch screens, OLEDS, fractal antennae, lithium batteries, CNC mills, reinforced glasses or POSIX. The unique Apple contribution to the iPhone is probably no more than a couple of percent of what makes a mobile phone work.

        That is why the court battles are so bitter, just as the American and English Civil Wars were fought between people who were very similar.

        1. Philip Lewis
          Headmaster

          Re: it is possible to be derivative and ethical

          "look very similar" is not the same as (a) essentially indistinguishable or (b) identical.

          The Chinese (the head of the "copyist" franchise) auto industry is busily making cars that are both (a) and (b) and there is a not so quiet storm brewing about.

          Each can have his/her own view, but there are an enormous number of elements in the original Samsung Galaxy range compared to the Apple products - for obvious reasons fewer now. The court cases serve to define exactly where the line is drawn between "similar" and a copy. For the generally clueless IT crowd it looks like the end of the world, however this sort of thing is litigated constantly. The Apple-Samsung cases are just interesting for us in IT because we live in that world. The cases are by no means unique.

    4. This post has been deleted by its author

    5. Frank Bough
      WTF?

      what a colossal misinterpretation of the last 5 years.

  3. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    All those Sheepsung people wandering around, all thinking "look at how different I am".

    1. CmdrX3
      FAIL

      Oh ffs is that the best you've got

      Sheepsung.... really?

      (F) - Must try harder

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Oh ffs is that the best you've got

        Retards?

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Oh ffs is that the best you've got

          It's Shamsung!

          1. Paul 135

            Re: Oh ffs is that the best you've got

            No, Samdung.

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Oh ffs is that the best you've got

        It's as witty as sheeple.

        1. P. Lee

          Re: Oh ffs is that the best you've got

          Beware releasing the Sheeple! (obligatory xkcd reference)

    2. PaulR79

      I would personally have gone for Samesung if I were inclined to do so. Do I think they copied? Elements of it, yes, but Apple do just the same.

    3. ukmountie
      Coat

      Samples… do I win?

    4. elaar

      Generally, if someone I know has a Samsung TV, phone, microwave or anything else, I am oblivious to it. If someone I know has an Apple device, I am made aware of it on a regular basis.

      I've never witnessed Samsung users parading their devices (I'm sure there are some though), it's just a *thing*. I don't think they care as much about being different, it's a different ethos.

      1. Philip Lewis
        Facepalm

        @elaar

        You obviously don't know anyone with a Samsung 9000 TV!

      2. Trevor Marron
        Joke

        quote - Generally, if someone I know has a Samsung TV, phone, microwave or anything else, I am oblivious to it. If someone I know has an Apple device, I am made aware of it on a regular basis.

        Question - There are 20 people in a room, one of them has an iPhone 5, how can you tell who it is?

        Answer - You don't need to work it out, it won't be long before they tell you!

    5. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      re: "look at how different I am"

      You're right, of course - anyone who has the right consumer electronic devices must be super cool and lead a fantastically rewarding life, while those without are deserving of pity and scorn.

  4. Mikey
    FAIL

    Sheepsung? Oh, come on. You can do better than that... Troll or not, at least put somethought into it!

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      cloned sheep.

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Downvoted as everyone knows Korea only does fake cloning:

        http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/4554422.stm

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        "cloned sheep"

        They should be called Dollys...

        Everywhere I look these days I see Dollys on their Galaxy S phones, They all think they are being unique and different, but they just all look the same. When my contracts up I'm going to go against the grain of popular culture and buy an iPhone...

        1. Anony-mouse
          Trollface

          Do what you want, Troll.

          You can do whatthefuckever you want, troll. I am already using contractless service (which rocks, BTW) and when shopping for a phone to buy for this service I did look at Apple's cute little i-thingy phones, but their pricing was absurdly outrageous for the features. For the price I paid for my Galaxy Nexus I could have gotten a 3 generation old iPhone 3. An iPhone 4S (newest gen when I was phone shopping earlier this year) was double the cost of the Nexus. And I don't count myself as an Android or Samsung fanboy, but the Nexus gave me the best value for features versus price. So go ahead and take a high hard one up the old poot chute from Apple and the phone companies when you buy your latest i-Gadget on a new contract with a ripoff telco or just confine yourself to just getting screwed by Apple if you want to just buy an iPhone 5 outright.

          1. Tom 38

            Re: Do what you want, Troll.

            So go ahead and take a high hard one up the old poot chute from Apple and the phone companies when you buy your latest i-Gadget on a new contract with a ripoff telco or just confine yourself to just getting screwed by Apple if you want to just buy an iPhone 5 outright.

            I don't equate spending a little extra money to get the phone I want to getting fucked in the ass. If that's what you would have had to do to make enough money for the iphone, hey, I'm not judging you.

  5. 0_Flybert_0

    SIII rocks the house

    after 6+ years with a cheap Samsung - Verizon flip phone I didn't even text with .. and needing a better camera than an equally old 5MP Kodak .. and needing a video recorder for an event filled weekend ...

    got a Galaxy SIII (Verizon) 2 weeks ago .. this thing is really cool and much more impressive than that old boxy design of Apple's

  6. Bernard

    is the smartphone market really getting more competitive?

    Apple are about as strong as they always were and windows mobile might be good enough to get a few percent more market share than earlier versions (though it could just as easily sink without trace).

    On the other hand RIM have imploded which leaves android and ios as the only serious games in town. Meanwhile htc are struggling so badly I might not replace my trusty desire s with a new model even though I love Sense and Samsung have really become the defacto Android smartphone.

    That looks like less competition to me.

    1. Mark .

      Re: is the smartphone market really getting more competitive?

      I agree. Also the loss of Symbian, number one OS in 2011, but then ditched by Nokia. So we've gone from Symbian and Android as dominant platforms, with Blackberry and Iphone as less popular alternatives, to Android as the dominant platform and only Iphone as a less popular alternative.

      I'm glad that something like Android and not Iphone turned out to be the successful platform, but it's a bit disappointing the lack of choice if the only alternative is Apple. I'm not WP fan, but I hope its share increases to provide some choice and competition!

      And yes, it's bizarre that whilst it seemed Android would provide an OS to any company wanting to make phones, in practice we've seen less hardware choice - first Motorola losing share, now HTC.

  7. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    So samsung managed to eat up HTC's customers by making iphone clones. I guess that deserves congratulations.

    1. dajames
      Facepalm

      No, not really ...

      @AC16:30

      So samsung managed to eat up HTC's customers by making iphone clones.

      More like: HTC managed to throw away a lot of customer loyalty by no longer supporting removable memory cards and user-replaceable batteries, so Samsung (and other Android vendors) got some extra customers for very little effort.

      Pity, I liked my old HTC phone, but the One S I considered replacing it with turned out not to have the features I most wanted.

    2. Mahou Saru

      Optional

      Personally I think HTC let themselves down, with too large a range of phone models which mostly keep missing the mark (omg put in a good camera ffs).

      Then they did the deal with the devil instead of innovating/engineering/fighting themselves out of it.

      Then the kick in the balls from the cash flow loss.

      Dunno if the new strategy will work, but right now when I'm on the tube in TW, I mostly see people using iPhones and Sammys, especially the Note <- not hard to miss xD

      1. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Optional

        Good cameras in phones cost real money.

        Have a look at the BOM for a Nokia N8 (the last major Symbian smart phone) and see where the money went in producing it. Engineering a smartphone is about trade offs, and HTC made theirs, as did Nokia. The Nokia's have better camera technology installed, always have had and they can do this because Symbian is a very efficient OS and they can save money on the CPU generation required to power the whole thing. Trade-offs and trad-offs.

  8. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Sheepsung?

    Sheep wait in line to have their coats lightened.

    Fanboi wait in line to have their wallets lightened.

    So the euphemism is closer to Apple than Samsung.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Sheepsung?

      You're right, the correct animal euphemism for Samsung should be pigs since they do seem to love to merrily wallow in their own shit.

      1. ShadowedOne
        Trollface

        Re: Sheepsung?

        That must mean that Apple fanbois are monkeys then, seeing as how they seem to enjoy flinging shit around.

        1. Anonymous Coward
          Anonymous Coward

          Re: Sheepsung?

          Ah but how can we be sheep and monkeys at the same time? Logic FAIL.

          1. Anonymous Coward
            Anonymous Coward

            Re: Sheepsung?

            Why, SCIENCE of course!

            1. J 3
              Alien

              Re: Sheepsung?

              Schrödinger's sheep/monkey (sheenkey? moneep?)

      2. Anonymous Coward
        Anonymous Coward

        Re: Sheepsung?

        Good to see so many Apple fanboys hurting. Resorting to childish insults is about the only joy they have left. Still I suppose they are only copying their beloved company - see the Apple website for the response to the court order.

  9. Anonymous Coward
    Facepalm

    I was wondering how big Samsung had to get before people started slagging them off the same way we do Apple - and now I know!!

    Samsung phones dont chain you to the suppliers infrastructure, so even if the phones werent quite as good, I would still buy one over an Apple.

    BTW I dont own a smart phone at all, although my toughphone IS a Samsung, as is my washing machine and one of my TVs.

    After trashing Apple in the sales figures again, should they be called Samsmug??

  10. Will Godfrey Silver badge
    Meh

    Fanbois to the left of me,

    extremists to the right.

    Here I am,

    stuck in the middle anew

    1. hplasm
      Happy

      Shurely-

      ...Stuck in the middle with ewe...

      1. Will Godfrey Silver badge
        Happy

        Re: Shurely-

        I'll give you that one.

        {excuse}

        It was Friday and close to beer o'clock when i posted

  11. Captain DaFt

    Is Samsung going to thank Apple?

    After all, Apple's worked hard these past two years, spending millions on lawyers and courts, just to get everyone noticing and talking about Samsung's phones. And in the past two years, my how Samsung's market share has grown!

    Sure, Samsung's had to cough up its share for lawyers and court expenses too, but the extra publicity has brought in much, much more cash than has been spent!

    Really, the very least Samsung could do is send Apple a bouquet, or maybe a nice fruit basket with a sincere thank-you note.

    Oh, BTW Apple, ever heard of the 'Streisand Effect'?

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is Samsung going to thank Apple?

      A cheerful, friendly and much-publicised bouquet would be a perfect riposte, especially in the light of Apple's graceless court-mandated "apology" recently, rub it in by having a little more class.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Is Samsung going to thank Apple?

      Apple doesn't need a fruit basket, they have plenty of their own. They all work in marketing.

  12. evan79
    Thumb Up

    The people have spoken

    There is a reason why Samsung is number one, people make their own choices on what is best for themselves and the best is Samsung!

  13. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Friday Round Up on the Shamples and Sheeples races.

    { tis beer o'clock over this side o the pond ladies and gents }

    Lets get the mudslingers lined up in a co-ordinated fashion, either side of the pile of shattered and broken flip phones, Nokia, Motos, Ericssons etc.

    Sheeples on the left please,

    Shamples on the right.

    (now that we've got the naming convention straight)

    Okay --- please load up the vituperative commentary, keep your notes neat (I'll imaging that would be Notes2 on the right there)

    Deep breath,

    SLING!!!

    ('scuse us working stiffs, we'll all line up at the bar for a scotch and a beer or three)

  14. OrsonX
    Unhappy

    Apple or Samsung, I don't care....

    ....just give me a folding large screen phone already!

  15. Anonymous Coward
    Go

    Congratulations

    Well done Anna and Reg team, mission was accomplished.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Pint

      Re: Congratulations

      Just what I was thinking.

      Those flames really warm the place up. There's been some blood vessels burst in here too.

  16. Stuart Halliday
    Angel

    Battery power

    Oddly what made me decide to buy a Samsung Galaxy SIII rather than a HTC was nothing that Samsung did.

    3rd parties made an extended back to fit a larger battery. My phone now has battery power that allows me to use it at full capacity for a full day!

    1. Ken Hagan Gold badge

      Re: Battery power

      "...was nothing that Samsung did."

      More like "something that Samsung didn't do." Specifically, they didn't sue the arse off a third-party for manufacturing compatible kit. But yes, that's an excellent reason to choose one hardware vendor over another.

    2. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      Re: Battery power

      Or do what most people do and plug it in when you are at your desk or carry one of those USB power packs that can charge any of your devices.

      I'm surprised the standard battery is not man enough anyway - I'm sure some people use them even more than I do but it's been a long time since I was able to deplete a full battery from 7am to 10pm the same day - suppose if you use personal hotspot all the time and have GPS running it would munch through it pretty quickly but I use my phone (what I would consider) a lot and typically I have 20-40% left by bed.

  17. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    Holy crap, Sammy

    Well, I suppose that carpet bombing stylee marketing worked- they've had massive stands in the soulless megamall near work for ages now, with various machines for punters to tinker with, and ads bloody everywhere. That's before we consider the bazillions spent being splattered all over the Olympics- that can't have come cheap.

    Anyway, it's good to see someone else making out like bandits, given what wankers Apple have been of late. They should learn from HTC's mistakes and not flood their own market with too many poorly-differentiated models, mind.

    (Also, why did my unlocked S3 get its Jellybean after the bloody networks, eh? You bastids :D Mer mer mer!)

  18. Anal Leakage

    This message has been brought to you by the Chaebol Defense Alliance. Won't you lend a hand?

  19. Joerg
    FAIL

    So now a +12% increase even if true is better than a +26% ? Since when?

    Twisting mathematics, twisting numbers to make it look like people are in a rush buying Android tablets by Samsung is really pathetic.

    So now we can expect Microsoft claiming that they will have got 90% of market share with the atrocious Windows8 tablets and Apple couldn't sell any iPad because "everyone loves Metro, everyone wants Metro/ModernUI" crap nonsense that Microsoft marketing machine is coming up with these days.

    You wonder who lies the most.. if Google and Samsung with Android or if Microsoft with the Windows8 Metro crap.

    By these fake statistics and claims one would think that iPad is not wanted anymore.

    Twisting reality is a dangerous thing to do.. the arrogance of Samsung+Google and Microsoft is going to backfire them really bad sooner than later.

  20. Jack 22

    wake up an smell the coffee

    Is this really surprising?

    Apple have fairly much pointed them out in a room full of android alternatives and gone "they at too good and a threat to Apple". People look and have liked what they saw.

    I have always liked Samsung products. Good for them.

    I just hope they are more wise with their money than Apple have. What a waste the last year on litigation has been. Sitting in the UK where the courts have decided that Apple is just throwing its toys out of the pram at having competition. Seems strange that only the USA and Germany have sided with Apple.

    Also be it Apple or Samsung, all the devices come from China. People get it through your heads, the west consume, the East produce the products. They are all produces of Asia.

    By the way I own an iPhone and iPad. By have recently bought a Nexus 7 and like it more than the iPad. Really looking forward to the Nexus 10.

  21. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    People underestimate Apple - the iPad is 'massive' and the iPad Mini will just cement that position. They are the devices people 'actually' use - several articles on here have said that they are responsible for something like 90% of the tablet web browsing (a pretty decent indicator) and that Apple users actually use / buy more apps.

    Android is going after the high volume but apart from the tech-heads most people 'want' an iPhone / iPad. I've even seen several people refer to their clone tablets as iPads <lol> - bit like those people who buy a lower model BMW and stick a M3 badge on it.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      As I and others repeat ad nauseam, Apple sell consumer devices to consumers.

      The "nerd world view" does not register on the people who are Apple's market.

  22. Anonymous Coward
    Anonymous Coward

    I have a nexus and an iPad - it's not that the nexus is no-one I have shown both to would pick the nexus on anything but price. Now the iPad Mini is days away there is even less reason.

    Then when you show them iPad plus Apple TV they are literally 'wow' - Android is just a mish-mash.

    1. Martin
      FAIL

      On anything but price....?

      I admit iPad plus Apple TV is probably "wow!". So is Bang and Olufsen kit in general. BMWs are also "wow!" cars.

      And then there is the 'Ouch!' when you see the price.

      Price is pretty important. And the iPad Mini at £269 is seventy quid too expensive.

  23. studentrights
    FAIL

    What a silly article.... how much did Samsung make from phone sales? Samsung didn't report that.

    For all we know they sold a lot of phones and yet most of their profit came from TVs. Who knows?

    As of Q3 2012 Apple made 70% of all handset profits worldwide. Even BlackBerry still sells more phones that Apple but they make nothing compared to Apple. Samsung even selling twice as many phones probably still makes far less that Apple.

    Hell, HP has to sell 7 PCs to equal the profit Apple makes from one Mac.

    1. Anonymous Coward
      Anonymous Coward

      So what your saying is Apple make a large profit and are ripping users off... Gotcha

    2. FromTheRoot
      Stop

      True, they may have a smaller profit margin, per unit sold, however even if they make less money, putting a Samsung in someones hand, means they don't buy an Apple (cutting Apples profit from that person), and in the future, may choose to stay Samsung/dung whatever your opinion, meaning in the long term they may overtake Apple using this tactic, if they successfully arm more customers with any device from the Android/Samsung product line.

      I work with hardcore tecchies who choose Apple for everything - they buy a phone to be a phone and it does - I truly believe nowadays if you buy either you'll enjoy it and stick with that choice. They bought Apple initially and they love it. In fact we've suffered detriments to our working relationship over me arguing the toss for Samsung, and them defending Apple.....the excitement in my job, lol. - personally I find it funny that people can get personally offended over their choice for an electronics device.

  24. PeterM42
    Thumb Up

    Many people missing the point......

    .......The reasons Samsung are doing well are:

    1) They make BLOODY GOOD kit (Phones, Laptops and TVs)

    2) Most of their phones have user removeable/replaceable batteries

    3) Most of their phones have replaceable (ie: upgradeable) MicroSD card slots

    4) They use industry standard MicroUSB connectors on their latest smartphones.

    5) They use standard-sized SIMs

    The last four being very good reasons why I will NOT buy an iPhone.

This topic is closed for new posts.

Other stories you might like