Lecture Notes: The Evolution of Samsung in the Smartphone Industry

Introduction

• Overview of Samsung's iconic releases: Galaxy S5, Note 9, and S25 Ultra.
• Discussion on the "Applification of Samsung," where Samsung shifted from innovation to becoming more like Apple.

The Warm-Up Era

• Samsung's journey in mobile phones began in the 1980s, gaining dominance in the 2000s.
• Known as the "warm-up era," characterized by phones with styluses or physical buttons.
• 2007: Apple's iPhone introduction revolutionized the market with a sleek design and stable app ecosystem.
• Samsung responded with the Galaxy S, known as the iPhone Challenger.
• Samsung and Apple engaged in a "Cold War," releasing annual models with incremental improvements.

The Peak: Strong Companies Create Good Times

• 2014: Samsung's Galaxy S5 release, a period of ultimate innovation.
  • Samsung dominated with 24% market share, introducing features like fingerprint scanner, water resistance, and faster USB transfer.
• Apple introduces Apple Pay, while Samsung's S6 brought dual-edge display and wireless charging.
• 2017: Samsung's Note 9, a feature-packed model with 512GB storage, large battery, and Bluetooth S-Pen.

The Shift: Apple's Influence

• 2020: Major shifts, Apple removed the charger from iPhone boxes, causing controversy.
• Samsung releases S20 Series, Note 20 Ultra, Z Fold, and A51, removing features like headphone jack and microSD slot.
• 2021: Further removal of microSD and charger from S21 box.

Current Trends: Copy & Paste + AI

• 2022: Samsung CEO Han Jong Hee's apology for S22 performance issues.
• Samsung became focused on marketing and profit over innovation.
• Recent models show a trend of copying previous designs, removal of features, and reliance on AI.
• Samsung still produces strong hardware but lacks innovation.

Conclusion

• Samsung's transition reflects a focus on profit, becoming an "Apple copy."
• Despite challenges, Samsung might still surprise with future inventions.