Why the Samsung Galaxy S23’s better specs won’t be enough to beat Apple

As you already know, the Samsung Galaxy S23 series is just a few days away. And by now we know almost everything about the devices. Regardless, there’s no denying that the upcoming Galaxy Unpacked event will have the biggest smartphone releases of the year. That alone is enough to get you excited about the devices.

However, the case is not the same for everyone. Simply put, many of us are a little disappointed with the decisions Samsung made with all the marketing efforts it made with the Galaxy S23 lineup. And if you analyze them carefully, Samsung is trying to play Apple’s game with the flagship series.

But even with all its big ambitions, the Samsung Galaxy S23 may not be able to keep up with the iPhone 14 or even the upcoming iPhone 15 lineup.

Samsung’s ‘Too Little, Too Late’ Strategy for the Galaxy S23

Samsung has announced that a change of direction is in effect for the Galaxy S23 series. It states that the company will no longer prioritize profit margins. Instead, they will focus on competitiveness, especially for high-end Galaxy devices.

Now when you think of premium and ultra-premium devices, it goes without saying that Apple dominates the smartphone market. And Samsung’s new strategy for the Galaxy S23 lineup, especially the S23 Ultra, makes a lot of sense.

If Samsung continues to lose ground to Apple, it will have to face the more damaging effects of a few bad financial quarters.

However, the new strategy for the Galaxy S23 series may not be enough. Even with that in place, Samsung may still fall short.

Where is the spirit of innovation?

One opinion that is popular among the tech community is that Apple stands for performance while Samsung is there for innovation. While there is some truth to this statement, there is a huge lack of innovation in the Galaxy S23 lineup. This becomes more apparent in the standard S23 and S23 Plus.

Now Samsung is just playing the numbers game. But are more megapixels and a faster chipset really an innovation? Yes, they’re a big deal for a new flagship, but will they be enough to make the Galaxy S23 series stand out from Apple’s flagships?

You can’t forget the fact that mass consumers don’t find devices attractive just because of the specs. Smartphones have to have something more to sell well. Even if the selling point is real or imagined (more on that below), it needs to be there to make smartphones more attractive to them.

Another thing you can’t ignore is that the Galaxy S23 series looks exactly similar to the S22 series. There’s nothing flashy about the build, nor is there anything to make you say ‘wow’. And why would anyone want to switch to a smartphone that looks just like the one they’re holding?

Now, you could argue that the same strategy has worked for the iPhone for years. Well, there is a key difference to consider. Apple is very good at making the new iPhones look innovative (an imaginary selling point). Take Dynamic Island for example. While far from a revolutionary feature, it has made the iPhone 14 series sell well.

Who is the target audience of the Galaxy S23 series?

The commercial performance of the Galaxy S23 range is very confusing. You may have a hard time finding the users it is trying to appeal to. It’s not enough to just try to attract users who want the latest and greatest specs on their phones. And it definitely won’t make Apple users switch to Samsung.

First and foremost, Samsung needs to give solid reasons for current iPhone users to flee Apple’s ecosystem. While there’s a good reason to flee the ecosystem (iPhone prices are going up), it’s just not enough for most Apple users to get a new Galaxy S23 phone.

Second, if money wasn’t an issue, Apple users would be looking for a more premium device than their iPhones. Yes, a large number of Apple users may be interested in getting the Galaxy S23 Ultra, but they will be equally attracted to other premium Android flagships. For example Galaxy Z Fold 4.

So for Samsung to get some of Apple’s market share, the Galaxy S23 needs to be perceived as better than the iPhone. But if Samsung doesn’t want to play this game, it needs to work on better competitive pricing for the devices.

Samsung S23 series price hike – is it finally happening?

While the Galaxy S23 series isn’t out yet, we do have some solid pricing details. Most leaks point to price increases in key markets including the UK and EU.

And for now, it looks like pricing in the US market will be the same. Why is Samsung making these unusual pricing decisions? Well, Samsung may be mirroring Apple’s international pricing strategy. Of course, price talk is still in the realm of speculation. We still have to wait for the Galaxy Unpacked event to see how much the Galaxy S23 devices will actually cost.

Summarizing

No matter what, it’s clear that Samsung is missing proper marketing, competitive prices, innovation and quality. If only Samsung had found a good combination of these factors for the Galaxy S23 series, the range would have had a better chance of standing up to the iPhone flagships.