Galaxy S IV - How Bad Was the Show?

[danibbler]

Ok, I didn't bother watching the unveiling earlier this week but I've been hearing it was bad...really bad. How bad?

ven the Samsung fans were cringing when it was over. It felt like a third-world version of the Oscars, with not-so-funny comedy and a generous helping of sexism tossed in for effect.

http://kensegall.com/2013/03/that-was-fast-samsung-buzz-falls-to-earth/

Samsung delivered a Galaxy S4 launch event that served up more '50s-era stereotypes about women than I can count, and packaged them all as campy Broadway caricatures of the most, yes, offensive variety.

To be fair, everyone in Samsung's bizarre, hourlong parade of awkward exchanges, forced laughs, and hammy skits was a stereotype. The kid was lispy, tow-headed, and tap-dancing (the little girl did ballet, of course). Will Chase, the emcee-as-actor, was orange and desperate for fame; his in-skit "agent" was clueless, abrasive, self-absorbed and vaguely Jewish. The backpacking guys were horny, the Chinese actor in his 60s was an "old guy." So, it shouldn't come as a surprise that the women would also be a little, let's say, underdeveloped, as characters.

The Brazilian woman was hot (duh). A bride-to-be arrives on stage with a chirpy, "check out the ring!" The Air Gestures that let you control the phone without touching it are presented as a boon to giggly women with annoying voices whose nails are wet and who don't want to put down their drinks.

http://news.cnet.com/8301-31322_3-57574466-256/samsung-gs4-launch-tone-deaf-and-shockingly-sexist/

 

[IM469]

Ok, I didn't bother watching the unveiling earlier this week but I've been hearing it was bad...really bad.

I ended up watching it for just this reason. Generally, I have found all product introductions pure crap. I was watching an iPhone 4 and I think I was ready to hurl from a the thick gooey sales hype Jobs was laying down so I turned it off. Until now I haven't looked at any Apple, Samsung or Blackberry product presentations - instead just relying on the reviews.

I heard Samsung S 4 was so bad it was almost humorous but I also was a little confused by the initial reviews on the camera functionality so I thought I could breeze through it until they got to that particular section. The first part was typical crap but the skits were more interesting particularly after the annoying dancing kid.

Why ? Because they instead of just reading/ hearing a technical specification - you could actually look at the feature in an example application. The Galaxy S 4 is loaded with software features and the problem facing Samsung is - how do you explain the benefits of a feature using slides ? I believe that that is why they chose to run out a series of skits illustration the new features. Some is badly acted - some has corny jokes but I did find out that there are a lot of features that I didn't know about and other features that are much more useful than I realized.

 

[basketcase]

Who gives a shit about the intro presentation? What it can do is FAR more important.

 

[b4u]

I think Samsung achieved exactly what they wanted. they have received much more attention, especially from Apple bloggers by hosting a tacky,sexist show than had it been a smooth clean BORING tech show that so many companies do(forgotten about immediately). here we are a couple of weeks later and people are still talking about it(danibler etc) and ultimately talking about the show you are still talking about Samsung. brilliant marketing imo.

it was also a worldwide broadcast where values aren't always the same as our American friends
check out Korean advertising and kpop videos(gangnam style anyone?) to get an idea of what i mean.

it was said that every single aspect of the show, right down to the socks that were worn had to be approved by Samsung in Korea

 

[danibbler]

but I did find out that there are a lot of features that I didn't know about and other features that are much more useful than I realized.

Such as?

I was very interested in S Translate until someone told me about the Say Hi App on iOS. For 99 cents you get a lot more languages.

 

[danibbler]

it was also a worldwide broadcast where values aren't always the same as our American friends
check out Korean advertising and kpop videos(gangnam style anyone?) to get an idea of what i mean.

Really? How much kpop have you seen? There's more "liveliness" and color in one Wonder Girls video than in the entire presentation. I don't know how big the American audience was but it was either very small or they were underwhelmed from what I can hear of their reaction.

it was said that every single aspect of the show, right down to the socks that were worn had to be approved by Samsung in Korea

If that's true...they'd have been better off copying Jobs' presentations.

 

[IM469]

Such as?

I was very interested in S Translate until someone told me about the Say Hi App on iOS. For 99 cents you get a lot more languages.

I use Google Translate for free with support with 65+ languages. Most Google apps are available on iOS for free so you may want to check it out.

What's special about S Translate ? Currently with a translate app such as Google Translate, I have to cut and paste text translations back and forth on different apps (text msg, e-mail, etc). S-Translate being part of the O/S of the phone will now translate text and e-mail messages on the fly.

 

[b4u]

Really? How much kpop have you seen? There`s more "liveliness" and color in one Wonder Girls video than in the entire presentation. I don`t know how big the American audience was but it was either very small or they were underwhelmed from what I can hear of their reaction.



If that`s true...they`d have been better off copying Jobs` presentations.

For someone that in the first post say`s "Ok, I didn`t bother watching the unveiling earlier this week but I`ve been hearing it was bad" and then claims there is more "liveliness" and colour in a Wondergirls video than the entire Samsung presentation.

How on earth could you make that statement if you haven`t seen it?

as for your question if i`ve actually seen a K-Pop video you might enjoy my K-Pop thread lol https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?389105-K-pop!&highlight=kpop!
you might notice that many of the videos are tacky and sexist, just like a Samsung tech presentation lol

Samsung use many K Pop artists to sell their products in Korea.

Why would they copy a Steve Jobs presentation? it only appealed to fanboys....everyone else thought it was just another boring tech presentation, forgotten the next day. Apple never even "live broadcast" for the masses...it`s pretty much a tech journalist only affair.

 

[danibbler]

For someone that in the first post say`s "Ok, I didn`t bother watching the unveiling earlier this week but I`ve been hearing it was bad" and then claims there is more "liveliness" and colour in a Wondergirls video than the entire Samsung presentation.

How on earth could you make that statement if you haven`t seen it?

I did see it. After posting this thread, I decided to see for myself how bad it really was.

Did you see it? Actually, from what you posted below, I don`t think you did.

as for your question if i`ve actually seen a K-Pop video you might enjoy my K-Pop thread lol https://terb.cc/vbulletin/showthread.php?389105-K-pop!&highlight=kpop!
you might notice that many of the videos are tacky and sexist, just like a Samsung tech presentation lol

 

[b4u]

Galaxy S4 launch party in India....
cheesy and tacky just like many k-pop videos....

so bad media have picked it up all over the world....like the USA event this and others are talked about for ages, unlike most boring tech presentations that are forgotten the next day. Brilliant marketing in my opinion.

"The above video of the song...*sigh*...Samsung Style, was taken at a Galaxy S4 launch party in India. The man you see singing on stage is Ranveer Singh, a Bollywood superstar. To put this in perspective for you Westerners, this is roughly akin to hiring Hugh Jackman to sing a buzzword-filled version of All The Single Ladies in Times Square. Which, let's be honest, every single one of you would pay actual money dollars to see."
http://www.androidpolice.com/2013/0...angnam-style-parody-and-indulgent-design-ads/


Hey Nibs, is that enough "liveliness and colour" for you? lol

I rest my case!! :eyebrows:

 

[WoodPeckr]

^^^ +1.....:thumb:

 

[Keebler Elf]

That's what happens when nerds try to be funny.

 

[Powershot]

This thread is pretty much full of the usual suspect fanboy nerds this video describes to a T

 

[IM469]

This thread is pretty much full of the usual suspect fanboy nerds this video describes to a T

I agree ... these Windows smartphone fanbuys are worst of the lot ! :wink:

(Okay ... I'm guessing - I haven't yet seen anyone using a Windows smartphone yet.)