Apple IPhone 4s vs Android Galaxy SII
When it came time for me to purchase a new cellular phone, I
began to research what was available in the ever-changing wireless market. The
first step of my product research was to create a comparative analysis of both
the Iphone 4s and the Galaxy S II. After comparing the findings of both
products, I ultimately purchased the Iphone 4s. My purchase decision was
ultimately made due to my personal selection factors[1],
product interpretation[2],
perceptual map[3], haptic
senses[4],
and each products positing strategy[5].
Since
Apples launch of the Iphone 4s, they have sold over 37 million just during the
holiday season, totaling 183 million devices sold since their original launch
in 2007. Iphones now account for 72 percent of Apples total revenue.[6]
The IPhone 4s offers: built in
applications, an app store, iOS, iCloud, 8 megapixel camera and video camera,
decreased charge time, photo editing options, mail attachment support, wifi,
GPS, and siri. Undoubtedly, the most vital selling point of the Iphone 4s is
Siri. Siri is a new feature offering a wide array of benefits, through the
ability of voice command.
How
Siri works:
Another
aspect of Apple that appealed to me was their positioning strategy. Apple
positions itself in lifestyle, attributes, quality and user categories. The Iphone
is positioned for a busy lifestyle, (very common in the U.S) and acts as a personal
assistant to the user. Apple also boasts many qualitative attributes, the most important to
me are, type of software, innovation, technology, and compatibility. Lastly,
Apple positions its products towards users who enjoy technology, and high
performance but may not be technologically savvy. With apples user-friendly
operation systems, literally any consumer is able to use it.
In
contrast, Samsungs Galaxy S II has sold over 30 million devices since it
originally debuted in early 2011, making it Samsungs highest selling mobile
device.[7]
The Galaxy’s record breaking sales, was my first indicator that maybe this is a
better product, so I did a little research. The Galaxy SII offers a wide
variety of features including: 4.3”
Super amolded Plus display, Dual core Application Processor, 8.49mm slim
design, wifi, allshare, kies 2.0, 8 mega pixel camera, and voice solution. [8]
Clearly, The galaxy and the Iphone
have very similar product characteristics. A major difference I noticed between
the two devices, were their marketing strategies. While The Iphone video
tutorial above is very informative, Samsungs Galaxy positioning strategy is
less informative; rather it targets its main competitor (Apple). For example,
here is Samsungs marketing campaign for their new Galaxy S II:
To
conclude, my purchase decision was not based just off of individual features. Rather
a collaboration of them, as well as, customer loyalty[9],
brand perception[10],
self-preference, and compatibility. I am a loyal apple user, and am generally
swayed in that purchasing direction. Although, I did conduct in depth
comparisons of the products, I felt that the Iphone better fit my needs. A
major benefit was its compatibility with my other apple products. After making
my purchase decision of the Iphone 4s, my overall satisfaction (on a scale of 1
to 7 where 7 where 1 is
extremely dissatisfied and 7 is
Extremely
satisfied) is a 7. I use it on a daily basis, and its far exceeds the
requirements that I originally had purchased it for. On the same scale as stated
above, my likelihood of recommending this product to a friend is also a 7. One of the major reasons I disregarded
the Galaxy SII was because of their marketing and positing campaigns. I felt as
if their commercials and advertisements were not informative, and with repeated
exposure it became hard for me to pay attention. I eventually stopped paying
attention to Samsung's marketing techniques, and adaptation[11]
occurred.
[1] Perceptual filters
that influence the consumers stimuli processing. (Experience, perceptual vigilance,
perceptual defense, adaptation)
[2] They way
that a consumer derives meaning from a sensory stimuli
[3] A vivid way
to paint a picture of where consumers locate products or brands in their minds.
[4] Or “touch” these are the most basic of
our senses. We learn before vision and taste, and they affect product
experience and judgment.
[5] Fundamental
component of companies marketing efforts as it uses elements of the marketing
mix.
[6] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/25/technology/apples-profit-doubles-as-holiday-customers-snapped-up-iphones.html
[7] http://www.pcmag.com/article2/0,2817,2394782,00.asp
[8] http://www.samsung.com/global/microsite/galaxys2/html/feature.html
[9] When a customer has created a strong
bond with a brand, and will only purchase products from that company.
[10] Using our
sensory systems to process a brand.
[11] The degree
to which consumer’s continue/discontinue to notice stimuli overtime.
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