~ Android & OEMs ~

Is HTC suffering from the onslaught of cheap Android phones? Are Android OEMs having the same fate to that of PC OEMs? Yes for both the questions.

Two recent articles which highlight the problems HTC is facing - The Verge 

The Verge has learned that HTC's Chief Product Officer, Kouji Kodera, left the company last week. Kodera was responsible for HTC's overall product strategy, which makes the departure especially notable on the heels of the global launch of the make-or-break One.

It's not just Kodera. In the past three-odd months, HTC has lost a number of employees in rapid succession — most recently Jason Gordon, the company's vice president of global communications. Other fresh departures include global retail marketing manager Rebecca Rowland, director of digital marketing John Starkweather, and product strategy manager Eric Lin.

While Om Malik writes about how both, Apple & Samung have the upper hand in integrating Supply Chain in the manufacturing process.

Apple has used all the billions in the bank to lock up supplies for processors, memory chips, radios, displays and other such components at favorable prices. It has worked out long term manufacturing arrangements with the likes of Foxconn. It has its own retail outlets. While most of us try and focus on Apple’s hardware and software integration, we forget that it is software, hardware and supply chain integration that allows the company to sell 37.5 million phones in the most recent quarter. It allows the company to make phones that meet the needs of different carriers.

Samsung too is an integration beast. It owns memory chip plants. It makes its own processors. It makes displays and it owns the factories. It has the unique ability to churn out new products faster than anyone else in the consumer electronics business and thus overwhelm the market with dozens of models. Just look at the many flavors on its latest Samsung S4 device and you start to see that this is a game only for big boys.

Supply Chain Integration could be a very key factor for a Global player. However in India, which is one of the fastest growing smartphone market, has seen the rise of 2 companies - Karbon & Micromax - that offer low lost Android Smartphones. Micromax sources China for their production, like any other OEM to reduce production costs. The product features & functionality match that of Samsung. The exterior build quality looks same in both cases, PLASTICY. One can own a Micromax phone with S2 features for about 15000 INR which is 30% lesser compared to Samsung's device. The devices offered by Mircomax/Karbon might be cheap imitations of the South Korean giant, but they are selling like hot cakes in India.

If Samsung wants to retain it's growth & share in the Indian Android market then it needs to take cognizance of these companies & have a strategy. While Apple has always been late in introducing products in the Indian market. Micromax has outpaced & outsold both Apple & Samsung which is gearing up to touch the $1 Billion mark.

Additional reading: Pretty profitable parrots | First Mover or Fast Follower?

~ Copy like Chinese ~

I have seen fakes of iPod & iPhone 3S in Bangalore. All of them are made in China. We all have read about the famous fake Apple stores that were mushroomed across China. 

Fake Apple Stores: BBC | Guardian | The Atlantic 

Today I came across another piece of article which is the mother of all copies. The Chinese have ventured into copy Architecture. The funny thing is that the 'copy' might even be completed before the 'original'. The stakes are pretty high for the Architect Zaha Hadid & her team to complete the original before the fake steals all the limelight.

Original Galaxy SOHO

Wangjing SOHO minus one building 

Source: Spiegel 

Indian companies aren't far behind. If you haven't seen Micromax A110 Canvas yet then check it out. It looks very close to Samsung Galaxy S3. Samsung should be feeling the heat, because the price of A110 is Rs 10000/- ;)

I just read About Us on Micromax page, "Our Strategy focuses on innovating, designing and using the latest technologies to develop products at affordable prices." Not sure if these are guys are innovating in copying other products or creating a design remix out of the HTC + Samsung. 

How many companies do you know of in the current era who are actually ORIGINAL in their design process & build something new. I bet there are very few companies currently in that space. Isn't there joy in creating something original? I hope 2013 has some kind of competition from players in their  design approach than copying Apple or anyone else.

~ Late to the '4G' party ~

As I was going through the launch of EE in the British Isles, came across this section { http://ee.co.uk/#section-4gee}and noticed that I don't see an iPhone in the advt. 

Strangely, Apple for once is late to arrive on the 4G scene. With 25 hours to go for the launch of iPhone 5 & Apple to introduce it as the yet another amazing iPhone. Let's see where the battle of smartphones will go.

I feel the hype-cycle for smartphones, tablets & mobile OS is passé, which has reached saturation level for many OEMs. Hope this launch will not trigger another round of battle. Been reading these rumors y'day - Samsung will reportedly sue Apple over LTE use on iPhone 5 

The goal of technology should be more of an enabler / catalyst to make our lives comfortable, than anything else.

On a side-note, Naveen is very happy with EE launch :{

Update: 

Viewpoint: Apple's iPhone launches no longer excite

~ Remix for better ~

If you haven't watched the series called Everything is a Remix or Steal like an Artist, then you should be doing it right now.


There is no point in boiling an ocean or re-inventing a wheel. You build upon something which already exists to make it even better. That's the power of ideas. 


What triggered me to write this post was the simple UX flow of the ever growing mobile OS - Android. Android so far in its latest iteration i.e. ICS has evolved & has much better UX than the previous versions (Note: Am referring to Stock Android devices). But, even the stock UX doesn't come close to what Sharp AQUOS has to offer. I'm taken by the simplicity & minimal event triggers across various actions.

OEMs (Samsung, Sony, HTC, Motorola) who patch a layer of SHIT over stock Android should be watching this video to learn more about UX, Design & Minimalism. Above all, Google should be paying more attention to this video.

You should ONLY remix original if you can offer something better. Else don't remix.




The power of being open - where you have the option to create / improvise, something better than the original. Unlike WALLED gardened products or approach.

More about Sharp AQUOS

Via @Cotton