HTC has added its name to the ranks of big-name tech brands making their own products look good by panning those of rival firms. This time, it’s the Samsung Galaxy S5 in the Firing Line.
Prior to the arrival of the LG G3…which at this stage may or may not ever happen…the biggest battle in the high-end Smartphone sphere is that of the Samsung Galaxy S5 Vs the HTC One M8. Both feature the latest hardware, the power to move planets and the kind of pretty looks that sell millions of devices in their own right.
Well, the final of the three qualities is certainly true for the One M8 at least, though it seems HTC shares the sentiments of critics when it comes to the outer design of the Samsung Galaxy S5. The fact that the South Korean tech firm decided once again to stick with a plastic body hasn’t gone unnoticed – certainly not be the makers of the brushed metallic One M8.
These days, it’s hardly uncommon to see tech firms promoting their own devices by panning those of rival brands. Effective it indeed can be as a marketing tool, but it’s nonetheless puerile and annoying. After all, if the HTC One M8 isn’t good enough to sell itself, that’s HTC’s problem.
But anyway, the latest marketing push from the Taiwanese firm sees the HTC One M8 positioned next to a series of Band-Aids, each of which bears one on the signature colors of the Samsung Galaxy S5. The likeness also extends to the way in which the S5’s rear-end and the plasters feature a series of dimples – something HTC latently calls ‘bad design’.
“Introducing the cure for bad design,” reads the fun-poking HTC promo Tweet.
“One of these things is not like the other.”
Generally speaking these kind of inter-brand knocks are rather nauseating, but in the case of HTC’s latest jibe, it’s hard not to agree. Samsung was universally panned for wrapping its best ever Smartphone in plastic and would only go on to dig itself further into a hole upon trying to explain the decision.
Samsung received widespread criticism for the S5’s plastic build following the phone’s official unveiling at MWC back in February.
Defending the phone’s plastic build after launch, Samsung Senior Product Designer Dong Hum Kim said: “Our major aims were usability, friendliness and a more humanistic design.
He added: “We wanted something with a pleasing feel … and better grip. If we used metal, the designs felt heavy and cold.
“With plastic, the texture is warmer. We believe users will find the device both warmer and friendlier,” said Dong Hum Kim, senior designer for Samsung.
“This material was also the best at visually expressing volume, better at symbolizing our design concepts.”
“If we used metal, the designs felt heavy and cold.”
All well and good, but given the fact that users by the million had already insisted a metallic casing was what they wanted over two generation of S-Series Smartphones ago, the fact that Samsung decided to ignore them is frankly laughable.
The fact that Dong Hum Kim was fired not long after the S5’s launch says it all.