Why do people wish to earn more money in
the era of innovative technology? Money is an important element that lets people
pursue the enjoyment of materialism. Nowadays, many people like to buy Smartphone,
tablet and laptop to fulfill their own personal desires. Although these
products are necessities to them, they prefer to buy the most famous brands
such as Apple, Samsung and High Tech Computer (HTC) products. This is because
it makes them feel that they are in sense of the top trends. Also, they will
feel proud of themselves as being a part of the world of materialism. For
example, holding an iPhone or Samsung Galaxy in front of their friends will give
them more confidence and satisfaction.
In the information technology (IT)
industry, the biggest and most valuable brands for electronic products are
Apple and Samsung. Apple is an American transnational corporation based in
Cupertino, California (CNNMoney 2012). It manufactures and sells computer
software and hardware, personal computers as well as mobile communication
devices. Such popular hardware products include iPhone Smartphones, iPod music
players, iPad tablets and the Mac line of desktop and laptop. Its software
applications consist of the iOS and OS X operating systems, Safari web browser,
iCloud, iTunes, iLife and iWork productivity professional suite (Reuters 2013).
On the contrary, Samsung is one of the largest multinational conglomerates
based in Seoul, South Korea. Samsung Electronics is a well-known subsidiary as
it is the largest IT Company in the world. Samsung Electronics engages in
information technology & mobile communications (IM) businesses as well as
semiconductor and liquid crystal display (LCD) businesses. Its IM businesses are
involved in the field of Smartphone, computer, printer and network system while
its semiconductor and LCD businesses engage in the field of system large scale
integrated circuits (LSIs), organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs) and others
(Reuters 2013).
Nowadays, Smartphone has a lot of advantageous
features to us. It takes the role of a computer as it is used in sharing
information, shopping, sending and receiving emails and many other features. Do
you prefer an Apple or Samsung Smartphone? Basically, you will definitely choose
the particular Smartphone which depends on its renowned brand. The Brand Key
national survey for Smartphone has shown that Apple ranked No. 1 in the
Smartphone category, and then followed by Samsung based on their mobile devices’
design and performance (Al-azzawi & NzubeEzeh 2012). Hence, I believe that the
market value of Apple is higher than Samsung as it produces excellent
performance on its system as well as boasting a trendy and attractable design. Also,
Consumer Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP) has clarified the retention rate
of Apple consumer to be 42%, but Samsung’s consumer retention rate is only 38% in
2013 (Jones 2013). It clearly reveals that Apple consumers have higher
satisfaction and loyalty on its product as it presents a reliable and
trustworthy image for the public.
In addition, Apple is a company that
owns strong brand awareness. This is because its logo design looks simple and smart
which makes the brand easier to be remembered by the public. Pomoni (cited in
Al-azzawi & NzubeEzeh 2012, p. 29) states that it is also estimated that
nearly 90% of consumers are aware of the Apple brand as its logo is placed in
an effective and visible position. In contrast, Samsung’s logo creates a sense
of dynamic tension as its brand’s name “SAMSUNG” flashes out from its figure (Al-azzawi
& NzubeEzeh2012). As compared to Apple, the logo’s shape of an apple is
deeply connected to its name. However, Samsung’s logo is only portrayed in the
word form. In my opinion, Apple provides an image that lets its users to
visualize, yet Samsung offers a type font which may be more difficult to get the
public’s attention. This is because people will better remember an image over a
word. The colour choice of a logo is also an important way for public to
remember the brand. The silver colour of Apple’s logo presents the sense of
high class and trendiness than the blue of Samsung’s logo. Thus, Apple gains
more brand awareness than Samsung as its logo is overall, a simpler recognition
to the public. Furthermore, according to a study of the Top 100 brands by Interbrand
Corp, Apple is the top global brand in 2013 (Molina 2013). It has defeated
Coca-Cola, which held on to the No.1 brand in the past 13 years. Samsung only
ranked No. 8, which is seven spots below Apple. However, the Smartphone sales
of Samsung have increased 63 million in 2012 as nearly double Apple’s
Smartphone sales (Shaughnessy 2013). Although the market share of Apple is less
than Samsung, Apple still has its own potential strength to become the leader
of the brand as it surpassed the biggest brand Coca-Cola. It is a good future
for Apple as the leading line in the world. Hence, Samsung will face challenges
from Apple in a long run.
Other than that, Apple is better
than Samsung because of its functionality of mobile operating system. Apple
uses iOS whereas Samsung uses Android. Apple has its own Internet browser such
as the Safari that is better than Samsung, which uses Google Chrome. This is
because Safari only shows the article’s text and images while removing all
redundant content from a web page which is more legible (PhoneArena.com 2013).
Also, Apple’s iOS upgrade is available for all iOS mobile devices except for
certain features such as the Siri, which is only available for iPhone 4S and
above, but not older versions of iPhone. However, Samsung relies on Google’s
Android that is not as convenient and useful as Apple. Although Google updates
Android regularly, some consumers may not receive the updates on their phones.
Even if they receive the updated version, it normally takes a few months after its
release to update their phones (diffen 2013). In other words, the waiting
period for Android’s software upgrade is quite long as compared to iOS upgrade,
which is much more immediate and efficient. If you are one of the people who
get tired waiting for its software upgrade even though it has been launched
several months back, then this is one reason that public prefer Apple over Samsung.
Recently, Apple has launched the latest mobile
iOS7. According to the user experience report, iOS 7 has outperformed Android
in terms of efficiency, cognitive load, customization and experience fiction. iOS
7 gained a well score of 73.25% while Android received a score of 57.25% in
user experience report (Bean 2013). Also, iOS 7 has some unique features that
attract public attention. iOS 7 does not restrict its users in the number of
apps in a folder as compared to Android 4.3 which canonly place a maximum of 16
apps per folder. In my own view, this is clearly more convenient especially for
businessmen as they can put as many documents as they want in a folder. Also, the
iOS 7 automatically adjusts the text colour on screen according to the choice
of wallpaper. For instance, if the wallpaper is dark coloured, the text will appear
brighter. In contrast, Android 4.3 has a shadow under the apps’ names, making
the text less legible as compared to iOS 7 (PhoneArena.com 2013). Therefore, I
think that iOS 7 is a strong tool that enhances the image of Apple. Further to Consumer
Intelligence Research Partners (CIRP), Apple has successfully switched 20% of Android
users to its brand but Samsung only managed to convert 7% of iOS users (Jones
2013). This clearly signifies how Apple brand is becoming more popular among
the public.
If there is one thing that will make
your businesses successful in the long run, it is to create a premium brand
that is unique for public. Apple does a better job as it has created a
well-known brand that embodies innovative technology and high price products (Marketing
Minds cited in Al-azzawi & NzubeEzeh 2012, p. 34). The Apple brand
personality is a stylish company which offers a heartfelt connection with its
consumers as well as integrates their aspirations into a liberty lifestyle. In
the other way, Samsung places its devices as designed for human and accomplish
anything you need (Culturaltraction 2013). So, both of the brands are to
improve human’s lifestyle in a technology way.
However, the different branding strategies used by Apple and Samsung are
the main elements that help them step into success. Apple uses the branding
strategy as less is precious whereas Samsung uses the branding strategy as more
is to flood the zone (Farber 2013). Apple offers limited range of mobile
devices at a higher price. For example, it is only available in black and white
iPhone with similar design and pricing. Nonetheless, Samsung provides a broader
range of mobile devices in term of features, colours, design and prices for
customers. For instance, there are Samsung Galaxy S3, Samsung Galaxy Note 3,
Samsung Mega and others in order to target different range of customers.
Generally, I believe people will choose iPhone as Apple only offers limited
version of Smartphone in a top price. It makes the iPhone appear very high
class and valuable than other brands. However, Samsung’s strategy has made its
brand less prestigious as it provides too many choices of Smartphone. People do
not know which types of Smartphone are suitable for them. Although Apple has
released the latest version of iPhone 5c to target cost-conscious buyers, the
price is still considered high as compared to other brands. Hence, Apple uses a
smart strategy as it only focuses on a limited style of Smartphone at a higher
price. This is considered a real successful branding because Apple has created
strong brand awareness among the public.
Conclusively, Apple is one of the most
powerful brands in the IT industry. Although Apple faces a strong competitor
such as Samsung, it has the ability to defend its position. Furthermore, Apple
has strong brand awareness and enhancement due to its efficient mobile
operating system (iOS) and well marketing strategy as compared to Samsung. Also,
the stock price for Apple was a bullish trend
from July until October in 2013 (Finance.Yahoo.com 2013). Thus, I believe that the
stock price for Apple will rise gradually as it started to become the leader
of the best worldwide brand.
References
Al-azzawi,
M & NzubeEzeh, MA 2012, Students
Brand Preferences between Apple and Samsung Smartphone, School of
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Bean,
D 2013, Apple’s iOS 7 beats Android,
other mobile operating systems in user experience report, Yahoo News,
viewed 6 October 2013, <http://news.yahoo.com/apple-s-ios-7-beats-out-all-others-in-user-experience-report-153910923.html>.
CNNMoney
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<http://money.cnn.com/quote/profile/profile.html?symb=AAPL>.
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C 2013, Apple VS. Samsung: Who could Win
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B 2013, Apple dethrones Coca Cola as top
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