Will Pixel be able to compete with Samsung and Apple?

9

October

2016

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Google presented their first ever phone on 4 October. Is it new? They say so. It seems they are really going to compete with the Samsung and Apple phones. They even challenge the new iPhone 7 in their promo video, saying Pixel doesn’t have any ‘new’ headphone jack.

Watch it here at 00:43.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Rykmwn0SMWU

So what’s new? They add several innovations, that aren’t yet available by either Samsung and Apple. First of all, Pixel has a high rated camera, like Samsung and Apple. I barely see the difference between Samsung and Apple already (but maybe that is just me), so I wouldn’t say this will really differentiate Pixel. However, they offer unlimited storage for all photos and videos in high quality. I (and many others) always had many problems storing my photos, so I suspect this will be pretty effective. It’s something Samsung and Apple might try to copy in the near future as well.

The main reason for me for switching to Samsung (yes, I have an iPhone) would just be the battery life. I cannot normally use a phone as I am supposed to use it, because the battery of my iPhone is always dead. Pixel doesn’t really add anything to battery life, but adds new charging standards. You are able to charge the battery life up to 7 hours in 15 minutes. Now, when your battery is dead you can just charge your battery fast and easily. However, I think this outperforms Apple but not Samsung yet.

The main attraction that the new Pixel phone has to offer is the new Daydream view, which integrates Virtual Reality into daily life. I wrote my other blog about integrating Virtual Reality into daily life and that is exactly what Pixel does, so I can only be extremely positive about this. To see what it actually does and how it actually works, check this video: https://madeby.google.com/vr/

Pixel is the first phone that integrates Virtual Reality into their phones. By this they have a clear USP compared to Samsung and Apple. It will be hard for them to ‘just copy’ this aspect in their phones. They will first have to invest a lot of resources into integrating this into their phones, they would probably have to deviate from the strategic path they are taking (except if they were already planning in doing this) and then when they would finally introduce a phone with ‘a-daydream-view-kind-of-thing’ everybody would know Pixel was the first to introduce it. However, the daydream view will only be a success if Virtual Reality is a success, so part of the success of Pixel will be dependent on the adoption of Virtual Reality.

Finally, Pixel has some nice design and specifications, just like the other phones. On top of that, they have the brand image as well, because it is produced by Google, which might be a crucial factor in the success as well. If another company with an unknown brand would produce the exact same phone, the success rate would be lower as well, as customers would be less eager to switch.

In conclusion, Pixel has some clear USP’s and especially with the daydream view, it has a potential winning lottery ticket. It has good specifications and has a fine brand image already thanks to Google. Combining these factors, it will probably be able to compete and might be even more successful than Samsung and Apple. Especially nowadays as people are hungering for something new.

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When virtual reality becomes your reality

23

September

2016

5/5 (4)

As everybody acknowledges, over the last decade the internet became fully integrated in everybody’s lives. People can’t live without their phones anymore, because it connects them with the internet. They need to check Facebook, Instagram or might even score a date on Tinder. The internet became the reality of everybody. People connect online instead of offline and people buy stuff online instead of going to physical stores. Even more, code training applications are now being developed for little kids instead of playing with their little puzzle boxes and their friends. Humans these days are raised to profile themselves online instead of offline, and will become less able to interact with other people offline. When was the last time you felt more safe behind your laptop or your phone than in real life?

I can barely go a day without Facebook or without my daily laughs at Dumpert. But if the internet changes the behaviour of people that big compared to twenty years ago, virtual reality might just be the next internet, because of the endless possibilities it offers for almost any kind of branch. Some examples, traumas could be more effectively treated, the gaming industry gets into a whole other dimensions and you are able to see how these sunglasses just look on your face when shopping online. The hard part about virtual reality now is that you have to put on the big Oculus on your face, which makes it not yet applicable to everyday life. Once it will be reduced to the size of normal glasses this might change.

As soon as this is accomplished, virtual reality can be integrated into everyday life. Then one more little step needs to be taken, to shake up the whole world again. That little step where people are able to share their own reality through virtual reality. It will give Facebook, Instagram and Tinder a whole new idea, as you are able experience what other people have been up to instead of just seeing it by plain pictures or videos. You are able to be in a physical store, try on some clothes and get the opinion of your friends, or you are able to join Max Verstappen in his Formula 1 race.

It won’t be only a game changer for regular consumers. It will be a game changer for organizations as well. As soon as virtual reality gets integrated into everyday life, by a tangible tool like a phone, organizations will have a new means of measuring behaviour of consumers. One can only imagine the information an organization will be able to obtain from this.

How will you react when somebody else’s reality becomes your reality? Or how will you act when you are able to act in any random reality? In which reality would you choose to be? When virtual reality becomes your reality there’s no saying what will happen. But looking at all the endless possibilities virtual reality has to offer one thing becomes clear. There is a significant chance that this will change our way of doing things once again.

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