Samsung hoping to upstage Apple with health-related event 5 days before WWDC

Posted:
in General Discussion edited May 2014
Samsung has begun hyping a health-related event to be held in San Francisco on May 28 -- five days before Apple's own Worldwide Developers Conference is slated to begin in the same city.


Samsung invitation via Engadget.


"A new conversation around health is about to begin," reads Samsung's teaser for the late-May event, first published by Engadget. The South Korean electronics maker sent out the "save the date" notices this week to generate buzz, while formal invitations to members of the press are scheduled to follow.

But the conversation among tech enthusiasts since the notice was issued has unsurprisingly involved Apple, which is scheduled to kick off its annual WWDC event only five days later, on June 2.

Samsung's timing is particularly interesting as Apple is heavily rumored to offer new features focused on improving users' health and wellness. Reports have claimed that Apple is working on a health-centric application that would tie in to the growing ecosystem of iPhone-connected devices that track activity, fitness and general medical information, centralizing the data collection and making it easier for users to improve their lifestyle.

Apple already powers step-counting and other motion-related applications through its custom M7 coprocessor found in the A7 CPU that drives the iPhone 5s. But with this year's anticipated launch of iOS 8, Apple is rumored to delve even further into the health and fitness market.




Both Apple and Samsung are not only fierce rivals in the consumer electronics business, but both are also involved in numerous court battles with each accusing the other of copyright infringement. Apple shot first in that legal war, suing Samsung and accusing the company of "slavishly" copying the software and hardware of the iPhone and iPad.

This year, Apple is heavily rumored to focus on fitness not only with iOS 8, but also with an anticipated wrist-worn device. Samsung earlier this year issued its own preemptive strike against Apple's rumored "iWatch" with its own Gear Fit accessory.

Samsung's recent push into the wearable electronics market began in earnest last fall with the launch of its Galaxy Gear smart watch. That product was widely panned in reviews, and subsequent reports have suggested that Samsung rushed to market in an effort to beat Apple's anticipated "iWatch."
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Comments

  • Reply 1 of 118
    irelandireland Posts: 17,798member
    Truly embarrassing company.
  • Reply 2 of 118
    dimmokdimmok Posts: 359member

    Heard through the grapevine, this event….costs 2.2 Billion.

     

     

    DM

  • Reply 3 of 118
    customtbcustomtb Posts: 346member
    I don't see how Samsung benefits from that strategy. If somehow they launched something great and overwhelming better than apple ( ok people stop laughing at stay with me, it's hypothetical) then Apple just omits it from the WWDC and retools. If Samsung announces something mediocre or not acuually ready to ship, they don't really benefit from first to market because all talk will be about what Apple has up it's sleeve.
  • Reply 4 of 118
    red oakred oak Posts: 1,087member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post



    Truly embarrassing company.

     

    I second that - truly embarrassing.  I'll add that the company is also corrupt and has no soul or ethics  

     

    Frankly, it has turned me off to all South Korean products 

  • Reply 5 of 118
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by CustomTB View Post



    I don't see how Samsung benefits from that strategy. If somehow they launched something great and overwhelming better than apple ( ok people stop laughing at stay with me, it's hypothetical) then Apple just omits it from the WWDC and retools. If Samsung announces something mediocre or not acuually ready to ship, they don't really benefit from first to market because all talk will be about what Apple has up it's sleeve.

    That's right. They want to be seen as not copying, as being first, but if Apple release something amazing and Samsung are forced to change course, this event will just be even more obvious that they did so. They should give it a miss.

  • Reply 6 of 118
    wdowellwdowell Posts: 226member
    I love my apple gadgets and frankly hate the samsung junk, but frankly it's a bit rich of Apple folk to say Samsung wants to jump the gun on Apple's health stuff, given that they were first with the health app, and the various hardware health monitors. Sure, i know the pulse thing is complete gimmick as it does nothing more than an app and the normal camera, but given that Apple hasnt announced anything at this point, many could argue Apple is copying Samsung..
  • Reply 7 of 118
    wovelwovel Posts: 956member
    wdowell wrote: »
    I love my apple gadgets and frankly hate the samsung junk, but frankly it's a bit rich of Apple folk to say Samsung wants to jump the gun on Apple's health stuff, given that they were first with the health app, and the various hardware health monitors. Sure, i know the pulse thing is complete gimmick as it does nothing more than an app and the normal camera, but given that Apple hasnt announced anything at this point, many could argue Apple is copying Samsung..

    You can argue anything, it wouldn't make it true....
  • Reply 8 of 118
    cogitodextercogitodexter Posts: 196member

    I really hate those Gear Fit devices. Even with the pictures you have to twist your head to a stupidly uncomfortable angle to see the screens.

     

    I'd never buy one for that reason and that reason alone, regardless of who they're made by.

  • Reply 9 of 118
    rogifanrogifan Posts: 10,669member
    wdowell wrote: »
    I love my apple gadgets and frankly hate the samsung junk, but frankly it's a bit rich of Apple folk to say Samsung wants to jump the gun on Apple's health stuff, given that they were first with the health app, and the various hardware health monitors. Sure, i know the pulse thing is complete gimmick as it does nothing more than an app and the normal camera, but given that Apple hasnt announced anything at this point, many could argue Apple is copying Samsung..
    Everybody knows why they're having this "health" focused event just days before WWDC. It's a look at us, we're first! play. Even though no one cares who's first. Samsung had a "smartwatch" before Apple and Google but it was a piece of garbage. Does it matter if you're first if what you're first with is crap?
  • Reply 10 of 118
    davdav Posts: 115member

        Quote:



    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post



    Truly embarrassing company.

    Quote:




    Originally Posted by Red Oak View Post

     

     

    I second that - truly embarrassing.  I'll add that the company is also corrupt and has no soul or ethics

     

    Frankly, it has turned me off to all South Korean products


     

    Thirded.

  • Reply 11 of 118
    realcoolrealcool Posts: 32member
    ireland wrote: »
    Truly embarrassing company.
    I second that
  • Reply 12 of 118
    daveinpublicdaveinpublic Posts: 633member
    The invitation looks very dull.
  • Reply 13 of 118
    asciiascii Posts: 5,936member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wdowell View Post



    I love my apple gadgets and frankly hate the samsung junk, but frankly it's a bit rich of Apple folk to say Samsung wants to jump the gun on Apple's health stuff, given that they were first with the health app, and the various hardware health monitors. Sure, i know the pulse thing is complete gimmick as it does nothing more than an app and the normal camera, but given that Apple hasnt announced anything at this point, many could argue Apple is copying Samsung..

    Apple is not often first to market, but when they come they come original. Given this track record, you can't argue Apple is copying without first seeing what they've done.

  • Reply 14 of 118
    winstein2010winstein2010 Posts: 401member

    I see that Samsung is worried.  It has no confidence in its own engineers and designers.  So it tries to react to every rumor and leaks from Apple.  I see Samsung is still focused on coverage:  Chasing every product category that is the perceived buzz.  In a sense, there is nothing wrong with that strategy, if that is what Samsung set out to do, fill every market niche it can and have the Samsung products everywhere.

  • Reply 15 of 118
    chandra69chandra69 Posts: 638member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wdowell View Post



    I love my apple gadgets and frankly hate the samsung junk, but frankly it's a bit rich of Apple folk to say Samsung wants to jump the gun on Apple's health stuff, given that they were first with the health app, and the various hardware health monitors. Sure, i know the pulse thing is complete gimmick as it does nothing more than an app and the normal camera, but given that Apple hasnt announced anything at this point, many could argue Apple is copying Samsung..

    "I love my apple gadgets...."   this is how you started.

    "Apple is copying Samsung."  this is how you ended.

     

    You wanted to say the last line. But you started with the first line only to avoid people here to yell at you! :D

  • Reply 16 of 118
    jkichlinejkichline Posts: 1,369member

    Personally I think this is great news. Why? Because it will give Tim Cook and others something to poke fun at when the new Apple product totally rocks Samsung's world. Remember 2010 with Steve Ballmer prancing around on stage with an HP Slate tablet to be "first" before the iPad blew up the tech world? How'd that work out for Microsoft?  Apple just laughed at them in the face and came out with the right product... not one rushed to market to try to beat Apple.

     

    As far as those saying that Samsung would be first with some health-related event... Apple's been working on this for a long time before it was even on anyone else's radar. In the U.S. (a country that values intellectual property laws, ahem... South Korea) it's first to file as far as patents go. So good luck if you come out with something you didn't bother to patent. Oh and Samsung? Apple's patents ARE worth the money. Just saying.

  • Reply 17 of 118
    bobdylanbobdylan Posts: 37member
    this reminds me of when Ballmer had an event right before the apple keynote to promote the HP Slate and a lot of other windows "slates" because the analysts thought apple will call the yet-unreleased iPad .. iSlate. And then that same tablet went on to sell a couple of thousands while Apple sold millions. That event was truly embarassing and perhaps the Samsung event will resemble it.
  • Reply 18 of 118
    chandra69chandra69 Posts: 638member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Ireland View Post



    Truly embarrassing company.

    Oh yes!  I AGREE SIR!

  • Reply 19 of 118
    wdowellwdowell Posts: 226member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by Chandra69 View Post

     

    "I love my apple gadgets...."   this is how you started.

    "Apple is copying Samsung."  this is how you ended.

     

    You wanted to say the last line. But you started with the first line only to avoid people here to yell at you! :D


     

    LOL. Honestly, I wouldn't be writing this on my iMac and listening to music on my iPhone now (and charging my iPad the other side of the room) if i didn't love apple. but you make a good point - I was trying to defuse potential accusations that i was some sort of Samsung lurker! manifestly it didn't work :)



    Frankly, I say: let Samsung do their announcement whenever. It shouldn't be a cause of hysteria and silly posts that pretend to guess that we know 1) what apple is going to do and 2) What samsung's motivation - none of us KNOW anything. Above all: the products will stand the test of whether they're any good and measure up in anyway to what Apple subsequently announces.  I doubt it..  but competition is a good thing. 

  • Reply 20 of 118
    imemberimember Posts: 247member
    Quote:

    Originally Posted by wdowell View Post



     given that they were first with the health app, 

    WRONG! Apple's App Store was the first with the health app

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