Samsung's new CEO reveals 'lackluster demand' for Windows products
On the evening that his company unveiled the follow-up to its best-selling Android smartphone, Samsung's new CEO spoke some harsh truths about the prospects of another of Samsung's software partners, saying demand for Microsoft products in the mobile sector is "lackluster."
J.K. Shin, Samsung's 57-year-old CEO, made the remarks in the course of an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Shin's comments on Windows came as he discussed the company's relationship to Android, the Google operating system that powers Samsung's Galaxy S 4 handset.
"Smartphones and tablets based on Microsoft's Windows operating system aren't selling very well," Shin said. "There is a preference in the market for Android. In Europe, we're also seeing lackluster demand for Windows-based products."
Shin's remarks, in the context of the interview, seem to preclude the possibility that the South Korean conglomerate may begin working more closely with Microsoft on Windows devices. Samsung makes a number of Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 devices, as well as tablets running ARM-based Windows RT. Recent reports, though, have Samsung discontinuing sales of its Windows RT devices in Germany; this after confirming in January that it would not launch Windows RT devices in the United States.
Shin's remarks likely will not gain him any friends within Microsoft, which has been struggling since a weak Windows 8 launch to generate buzz around its latest operating system. The company's most recent quarterly results show the difficulty of Microsoft's situation. The PCs Microsoft's manufacturing partners make simply are not selling, as customers increasingly opt for smartphones and tablets instead.
Microsoft has begun offering price breaks on Windows and Office offerings in an effort to grow market share. Projections for the tablet market, though, see Windows devices only reaching about 10 percent share over the next 4 years.
J.K. Shin, Samsung's 57-year-old CEO, made the remarks in the course of an interview with The Wall Street Journal. Shin's comments on Windows came as he discussed the company's relationship to Android, the Google operating system that powers Samsung's Galaxy S 4 handset.
"Smartphones and tablets based on Microsoft's Windows operating system aren't selling very well," Shin said. "There is a preference in the market for Android. In Europe, we're also seeing lackluster demand for Windows-based products."
Shin's remarks, in the context of the interview, seem to preclude the possibility that the South Korean conglomerate may begin working more closely with Microsoft on Windows devices. Samsung makes a number of Windows Phone 8 and Windows 8 devices, as well as tablets running ARM-based Windows RT. Recent reports, though, have Samsung discontinuing sales of its Windows RT devices in Germany; this after confirming in January that it would not launch Windows RT devices in the United States.
Shin's remarks likely will not gain him any friends within Microsoft, which has been struggling since a weak Windows 8 launch to generate buzz around its latest operating system. The company's most recent quarterly results show the difficulty of Microsoft's situation. The PCs Microsoft's manufacturing partners make simply are not selling, as customers increasingly opt for smartphones and tablets instead.
Microsoft has begun offering price breaks on Windows and Office offerings in an effort to grow market share. Projections for the tablet market, though, see Windows devices only reaching about 10 percent share over the next 4 years.
Comments
Why aren't the Samsung WP8 phones selling?
Microsoft is reaping what it sowed. They made Vista and gave it to the public. Windows 7 was better but it still had the inherent flaws of the Windows OS. Windows 8 is confusing to some people.
When competing brands of cell phones run better than a desktop computer running Windows, expect defections. People see more options and are realizing that there are better things out there than Windows. Windows is surviving only because so many people just haven't tried anything else.
The iPad would put away Windows forever if it just had a good file system and an SD card reader. It would become a computer replacement and Microsoft would have to become a gaming device maker instead of a computer manufacturer. Windows would fade away quickly as the iPads and Macs would take over.
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Originally Posted by stike vomit
How does this correlate with the claims that people only buy Samsung phones because they are Samsungs, and not because they run Android?
Why aren't the Samsung WP8 phones selling?
Because we don't have super cheap Windows phone from Samsung? Another reason is I don't think people 'asking for' Windows on the phone. The word "Windows" make a phone seems complicated and scary.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Smallwheels
The iPad would put away Windows forever if it just had a good file system and an SD card reader. It would become a computer replacement and Microsoft would have to become a gaming device maker instead of a computer manufacturer. Windows would fade away quickly as the iPads and Macs would take over.
Past failed TabletPC attempt and the current Surface RT is the proof that SD reader and a file system are bags of hurts on touch oriented devices.
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oh gosh, I'm on APPLEinsider... I thought I was samgsider.com. Only thing that made me realize i was here was the AI logo in top left.
My guess is Google will lose control of Android to Samsung. It don't see any other Android company able to innovate with Android like Samsung. What will this mean for Android as a whole? Samsung might simply permanently branch Android off into their own OS, give a different name perhaps, with Google's Android withering away along with Windows 8.
Microsoft's entire mobile, Post-PC effort, starting from October 2010 (release of windows phone) has been a disaster. Their entire program as it stands is a non-starter. And it's been over three years already.
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Originally Posted by Chandra69
Dirty Samsung. It is a kind of monopoly in Silicon chips. So, it makes these kind of cheap comments. Junkk.
Seems Samsung understands that consumers don't care about Microsoft's "me too" Post-PC products.
That's a big problem, for Microsoft, not Samsung.
Quote:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chandra69
Dirty Samsung. It is a kind of monopoly in Silicon chips. So, it makes these kind of cheap comments.
What is it you find so attractive in Windows 8?
If I tell something bad about Samsung, that does not mean that I like something about Windows 8.
I hate the way Samsung treats partners. Yesterday it did not even mention its partners - Google. And, not a single mention of Android.
Quote:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Chandra69
Dirty Samsung. It is a kind of monopoly in Silicon chips. So, it makes these kind of cheap comments. Junkk.
Seems Samsung understands that consumers don't care about Microsoft's "me too" Post-PC products.
That's a big problem, for Microsoft, not Samsung.
Yes. Samsung is a threat to which ever it is in partnership with. It now shaving the windows head.
It is developing Tizen. I cant wait Samsung to Ditch Google leaving Android and fully develop an entire ecosystem of Tizen. It is going to happen.
Yesterday it mentioned about their own App store kinda stuff.
Samsung is dangerous.
Quote:
Originally Posted by waldobushman
My guess is Google will lose control of Android to Samsung. It don't see any other Android company able to innovate with Android like Samsung. What will this mean for Android as a whole? Samsung might simply permanently branch Android off into their own OS, give a different name perhaps, with Google's Android withering away along with Windows 8.
ROFL! Samesung innovate? you mean shamelessly copy and steal from Apple? Samesung would be nothing without copying Apples innovation.
Exactly. Google is so stupid to give away Android for free. Sammy will fork it and remove Google services in favor of its own crapware. Google will then be marginalized when the top two smartphone vendors won't use any google services.
Not suprised in the least Windows is a total failure. The UI is an abomination...totally unusable. And the cost...LOL. IF the Windows cloner machines were sub $100 they might sell.
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Quote:
Originally Posted by jungmark
Exactly. Google is so stupid to give away Android for free. Sammy will fork it and remove Google services in favor of its own crapware. Google will then be marginalized when the top two smartphone vendors won't use any google services.
Thus the real reason Google bought Motorola. They saw it coming and hedged their bets, I'm guessing.