Five things Samsung needs to do better in 2022

Samsung had a powerful 2021, with the South Korean producer retaining on to its place as the sector’s biggest phone producer. This is principally due to the Galaxy A chain, the place Samsung witnessed an enormous uptick in gross sales during the last two years.

Samsung’s foldable technique could also be paying off; the Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 are simply as dependable in day-to-day use because the Galaxy S21 collection, they usually even come with water resistance this time.

Things are going just right at the wearable entrance as neatly. Google teamed up with Samsung to combine Tizen into Wear OS, and the ensuing Wear OS 3 platform made its debut at the Galaxy Watch 4 collection. Samsung is main on many fronts, however it’s not with out its percentage of problems; here is what the emblem needs to repair as we head into 2022.

Launch creaseless foldables

Samsung redoubled its foldable efforts this yr with the Z Flip 3 and Z Fold 3. Both units featured more potent chassis with better sturdiness, IP68 water resistance, and equivalent inside {hardware} as their Galaxy S21 siblings.

Samsung needs a creaseless foldable to pass up in opposition to the Find N in 2022.

Having used the Z Fold 3 for just about 4 months, I will be able to attest to its long-term sturdiness. Samsung has proven that it may well release foldables that dangle up to day-to-day put on and tear, which is a big fulfillment.

While Samsung controlled to carve out a good lead in foldables via being the primary to marketplace, 2022 will see a number of Chinese producers make their foray into this section. We’ve already noticed the advent of the OPPO Find N, with the tool providing a equivalent fold-out design because the Z Fold 3 however and not using a crease in the center.

Samsung additionally needs to expand some way to eliminate the crease for its 2022 foldables. I’ve maintained that the foray of Chinese producers will catalyze foldables as that may inevitably push prices down, and we will be able to get started seeing that subsequent yr. So it should not be tough for Samsung to deal with its lead — in any case, it’s the simplest producer that sells foldables in North America — however it’s going to see larger power out of doors the area.

Make the cheap phone as just right as Xiaomi

Samsung obviously makes the most productive Android telephones, and the Galaxy S21 collection continues to do neatly just about a yr after its debut. One space that Samsung has grew to become things round in contemporary years is the mid-range class, with the Galaxy A52 5G handing over an excellent general bundle.

But when it comes to price range telephones, Samsung does not measure up to its Chinese competitors. It’s no longer for loss of making an attempt. Samsung has a lot of units underneath $250, together with the Galaxy A03, A13, or even the A32. Now, those units are branded in the Galaxy A chain. Still, Samsung is the use of the similar technique that it adopted with the Galaxy J collection, the place it releases new fashions with lackluster {hardware} that do not range from their predecessors in any significant manner.

Samsung has numerous price range telephones, however they do not measure up to the likes of Xiaomi and Realme.

This needs to trade if Samsung desires to deal with its marketplace percentage in key international markets, with Xiaomi making inroads in the U.Okay. and different nations in that area, Samsung needs to reconsider its price range technique.

The state of affairs in the U.Okay. and different western markets is enjoying out the similar manner because it did in India. Four years in the past, Xiaomi overtook Samsung in the rustic, and it hasn’t relinquished its place but. With sub-$300 units making up an vast majority of gross sales in India, Samsung simply did not have anything else in the Galaxy J collection to problem the may of the Redmi Note portfolio.

Samsung has modified its technique to its credit score, liberating Galaxy M and Galaxy F fashions in make a selection Asian nations that supply a lot better {hardware} than their Galaxy A siblings in this class. However, it now needs to do the similar globally to dangle on to its crown as the sector’s biggest phone producer.

Deliver quicker updates to its price range telephones

Samsung has grew to become things round when it comes to device updates, with the emblem now ensuring 3 platform updates and 4 years of safety updates for its mid-range Galaxy A and flagship units. And it’s going an excellent process handing over well timed updates as neatly; Galaxy S and Galaxy Z collection telephones get per month safety updates similtaneously the Pixels.

Samsung has the sources to ship 3 platform updates to all units in its portfolio.

The Android 12-based One UI 4 strong replace is now making its manner to the Galaxy S21 portfolio, and barring a couple of preliminary system faults, there’s a lot to like in the UI. Yet, the place Samsung falls quick is updating price range telephones and the low-end Galaxy J, Galaxy M, and Galaxy F. Not to point out, price range Galaxy A units additionally do not obtain just about as many updates because the Galaxy S collection, nor do they get well timed platform updates.

For example, Galaxy M and Galaxy A fashions that introduced this yr will not be able to make the transfer to One UI 4 till Q2 2022 at the most recent, 8 months greater than the Galaxy S21 collection. Understandably, the emblem does not lavish the similar point of consideration on its price range telephones because it does for its foldables and Galaxy S units, but when there is somebody with the sources to ship long-term updates to all the units in its portfolio, it’s Samsung.

As I stated above, Samsung does not have the brink for the {hardware} in this class, so a great way to differentiate its price range choices can be to ship extra device updates than its competitors. Delivering 3 platform updates to its price range telephones would pass some distance in solidifying Samsung’s place in this class, specifically while you believe that the majority sub-$300 telephones get only one platform replace.

Introduce a small tablet with high-end {hardware}

If you wish to have a tablet in 2021, your easiest wager is the iPad Air. Unfortunately, the Android tablet section has plateaued in contemporary years, and the fault lies with Google — it hasn’t accomplished just about sufficient to scale Android for tablets.

Samsung needs to ship an iPad mini rival in 2022.

As a end result, even the most productive Android tablets — ostensibly via Samsung, as a result of it’s the simplest producer that also releases high-end tablets at an ordinary cadence — do not relatively dangle their very own subsequent to the iPad. Thankfully, this case will have to trade in the approaching months as Android 12L turns into to be had extensively.

Coming to the {hardware} aspect of things, Samsung needs to ship a smaller tablet with high-end {hardware}. The emblem does an excellent process with huge 10.4 or 11-inch tablets in the Tab S and budget-focused Tab A chain, but it surely hasn’t rolled out a smaller style with tough internals for some time. The Galaxy A7 Tab Lite got here shut in phrases of display screen measurement, but it surely used to be aimed on the price range class, and the {hardware} on be offering used to be underwhelming at easiest.

Samsung needs a tablet that may take at the iPad mini, a small tablet with a display screen measurement underneath 9 inches that gives the most recent {hardware}. There is numerous doable for this kind issue, and with Android 12L at the horizon, now could be the best time for Samsung to redouble its efforts right here.

Fix high quality keep watch over problems with wearables and earbuds

Samsung makes the most productive Android smartwatches, and it has exclusivity on Wear OS 3 these days with the Galaxy Watch 4 collection, main to a heady wave of preliminary gross sales. While the smartwatches have so much to be offering, they are not with out their problems; a contemporary replace made the Galaxy Watch 4 collection unusable on non-Samsung telephones, and Samsung hasn’t accomplished a lot to repair the problem and even recognize it.

Samsung needs to do a far better process acknowledging and solving problems.

This is not new for Samsung; the emblem has a tendency to be obstinate from time to time — specifically when acknowledging {hardware} or device problems — and this angle needs to trade. Because the issue with the Galaxy Watch 4 collection has led customers to in finding workarounds on their very own with none steerage from Samsung, and that is not a just right search for the sector’s biggest phone producer.

The debacle with the Galaxy Watch 4 is not the primary factor this yr both. My colleague Chris Wedel highlighted how the Galaxy Buds Pro led to ear infections on account of the fabrics used. It took neatly over a month for Samsung to recognize that there may well be a subject with the earbuds.

Obviously, no emblem desires to admit that it tousled, however Samsung needs to lead via instance on account of its place in the business. And it needs to do a complete lot better when it comes to acknowledging its problems and making amends.