Just finished watching Samsung Unpacked.
"A new era for Mobile AI!"
Ugh.
This is going to be a minor iterative year for Galaxy Fans. The hardware is only getting small changes. The major claims about AI mostly come from Google Gemini (which Google PAINSTAKINGLY kept reiterating would be on "android" phones, not just Galaxy phones).
And we glossed over a lot of the things that might impact folks daily use, like Exynos chips vs Qualcomm chips.
When pocket computers are THIS expensive, I think we need to see more than a handful of translation features and photo editing tools.
We did get a sneak peek at this new Galaxy Donut CG render though. So that was cool.
@SomeGadgetGuy "When pocket computers are THIS expensive, I think we need to see more than a handful of translation features and photo editing tools."
This resonates with me. I used to buy flagship phones. Last year I skipped for the first time, because I think if I only need that device for social media and Internet browsing, why would I spend so much?
I'd justify buying an expensive phone, if that phone can do a proper desktop mode and replace my laptop while away from home.
@sslaia yup. It's about usage. For a lot of folks I'm trying to get them to basically match the compute power of an older flagship. Instead of an upgrade (to compute power they don't think they'll need) folks should be able to spend less on a phone that keeps them in a similar ballpark.
@kib48
LOL well, the first batch of AI features are mostly Google Gemini and also coming to the Pixel, then every other Android phone.
The Samsung specific stuff will ABSOLUTELY get bundled in some kind of subscription later 😅
@SomeGadgetGuy yeah imo the hardware got even worse than last year for people who would get the exynos chip. Never heard anyone say anything good about it.
But the AI features in Notes are really cool!
@farshidhakimy
That's SUCH a huge deal when the S series last year was all on the amazing 8Gen2. You can tell they have LITTLE faith in the hardware, when they mostly only showed the ultra, and glossed over EVERYTHING about the phone except the new camera telephoto sensor.
The AI stuff is neat, but a lot of it is based on Gemini, so it'll be ANDROID stuff, not Galaxy Stuff.
I also tried live posting reactions to the event on Threads. The facebook algorithm fed me 5 likes, and then buried the rest of my thread for my friends.
Threads is useless for covering a live event, unless you MAYBE spam the hell out of everyone with original post level reactions. There is no conversation to be had in the layout Meta actually crafts, because the meta algorithm will kill the top level post.
It was worth trying once, but I will probably never try to do anything like that on a meta platform ever again.
@GeoffBySea
I get WHY people often feel that way. These companies grossly over-promise and wildly under-deliver.
The main issue I run into as a tech enthusiast, we have INCREDIBLE amounts of compute power at our disposal, but marketing keeps circling the same basic phone tasks.
Phones don't "do anything new" because the users aren't trying anything new.
I'm not joking or exaggerating when I say I replace my camera and laptop for remote coverage with a premium phone. If I spend $1000 on a good camera phone, I legit dont need to carry $6000 of other equipment.
But people have to WANT to try new things with their pocket computer to realize that, and it won't look EXACTLY the same as the solutions they currently use.
Otherwise, people should really only be spending $200-$300 if they REALLY use these things like tech reviewers talk about "average consumer" use.
@SomeGadgetGuy Oh definitely. I mean, they are 3 or 4 different gadgets in one now and you're right, unless you're into tech, most hate anything different or new.
Cannot count the times I've seen people who get the top of the range flagships because they must be seen with them... they don't even know how to change default sounds or wallpapers.
At the moment, I switched from Pixel 7a to Samsung Galaxy A34 5G. I wanted a larger screen phone, 120Hz display and much better battery life. I got that in an "as new" 2nd hand phone for £200.
Sure, the camera won't match up to a flagship but it doesn't need to. 99% of my photos I'll never view on anything bigger than my TV, not a billboard in London 😄
@GeoffBySea Oh see! That's EXACTLY the kind of story that I want to hear. We're twisting folks up about "keeping up with the neighbors" or missing out, but really we're not doing a great job of fitting people to the devices that best meet their needs AND budgets.
There's a momentary thrill when you buy an EXPENSIVE gadget, but what about AFTER the thrill? Then it's just another phone.
@SomeGadgetGuy Oh yes. For many years I HAD to have every new, top iPhone on launch day.
Then, as the value of Apple grew, innovation was dropping, it seemed, to me, it's nothing but greed with them now.
I mean, a $TRILLION company and they still only 5GB free on iCloud?
I've had Droid phones on and off over the years but now, with Android 14, it is such a superb and, importantly for me, customisable OS now.
Whether I pay £200 or £1200 for a phone, I should be able to completely adapt every aspect of it to suit ME, not be controlled by the company I bought it from!
As you say, marketing the big, bright and flashy phones works and the big corporate boys know this.
@GeoffBySea Where I'm totally with you, and it's so heartbreaking to see my family members who just HAD to buy the newest PRO phone, but they just scroll social media with it.
Like, I guess if that makes you happy, but that money could have gone to so many other things instead.
It really feels predatory now from the big brands.
@SomeGadgetGuy@GeoffBySea I personally find it more exciting to discover/push the limits of my "budget" phone, rather than having the best of the best and already knowing I can do everything
@gerardoemanuel@GeoffBySea I've been trying to tell folks LOL. High level compute tasks, like rendering 4K video, our little budget phones are delivering impressive results.
Of course $1200+ phones are FASTER, but a $300 phone is closing in on laptop grade work now.
@SomeGadgetGuy@GeoffBySea forget that, most people's days center around emails and PDFs lol. I mostly work from home on my PC, but when I got an on-site gig I just carried around a Galaxy Tab A8 with a BT keyboard to keep doing my remote work
@gerardoemanuel@SomeGadgetGuy Exactly. Unless you're doing heavy video editing or really intense gaming there's no need for a flagship phone. I suspect it's a really low percentage of people who use the flagships to their max
@GeoffBySea@SomeGadgetGuy the reasoning I've seen the most is "they take better pictures". Then again... (Check the watermark lol. For comparison, same night, me with a Moto G71)
@gerardoemanuel@GeoffBySea
I REALLY don't like the "mediocre shot composition" blind comparisons we see on a lot of videos.
Where these phones are starting to get REALLY good is in competing more directly against Micro 4/3 cameras. Where composition and control over exposure starts to matter a lot more.
$200-$400 phones are MORE than capable of tackling the core point and shoot experience for social media.
@SomeGadgetGuy@GeoffBySea aaah me too...
Xiaomi 9T Pro (zoomed 2x lens, cropped) and LG G6 (with external 12x lens). G6 probs the best manual camera from what I've owned
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