Samsung Wants to Emulate Apple's Ecosystem

While Samsung and Apple may be locked in over 10 patent disputes around the globe, the former has expressed its admiration for its rival's ecosystem.

During an interview with MIT Technology Review, Samsung's Chief Strategy Officer Young Sohn discussed how services such as Apple's iCloud inspires the South Korean technology giant to offer an equally impressive service to its users.

He even went as far to admit he utilizes Apple devices outside the office. Sohn stresses that a critical point within Samsung's future is dependent on creating an open ecosystem such as iCloud should the company continue its success.

Samsung, which utilizes Android for the majority of its mobile devices, recently finished work on two new research and development facilities in Silicon Valley, with Sohn explaining what he hopes for the new branches to achieve.

"We make really great devices. But actually if you think of our future, it's in answering the question of how we put it all together and how we manage the data that's coming out of these devices and encourage the innovation ecosystem for our platforms."

He added that Samsung would be looking into growth areas constituting of cloud and mobile ecosystem technologies. "If you look at the strengths of Apple, in a way it's not the product per se. It's that consumers like their ecosystem such as iCloud."

"[The Samsung Galaxy Nexus] is a better phone, in my view. It's a better display. It's faster. But eventually the connected ecosystem is really critical. [If] you think about our experiences, it's device-centric. It's experienced by itself. It's not experienced in a connected way. So we think we can provide a lot more things than what we are doing today with an open ecosystem with our partners."

Samsung, who is expected to debut a "complete new look" during CES in January that is said to compete with Apple's "vibrant" international brand image, recently teased an unveiling for the event by telling consumers to "get ready" as "the world is waiting".

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  • amk-aka-Phantom
    No, Samsung, you'll lose your customers - because they buy your devices EXACTLY because they're NOT Apple's closed ecosystem. You're doing GREAT, there is NO NEED to emulate crApple. You'll fail because people who want that crap will just buy iStuff instead!

    Every time someone says they want to "directly compete" with Apple on something, that company's new products soon become useless crap. Look at Windows 8. Seriously, does anyone EVER learn from others' mistakes?!
    Reply
  • jcesmi
    I agree. Samsung, youre doing fine. So what if someone died of radiation poisoning from one of your factories, you are still morally correct in everything else you do. You are what the consumer needs, so please, exploit the f*** out of 3rd world countries and please give us better stuff cheaper than apples offerings. Im off out to buy a Note2 to replace my iphone 3G. Knowing someone may have died making my new phone will make tapping on that large screen all the sweeter xx
    Reply
  • unksol
    Seriously guys? Read the source Zak copied from. He said nothing about copying apple. He's taking cloud and connectivity. Nothing about being like apple, just a feature apple has that is decent. Like a while ton of other cloud storage options.

    All Zak did was.slap a misleading title on and cherry pick quotes to work you up, and its working. Go read the actual interview ffs.


    jcesmi, when the hell did south Korea become a 3rd world country? Foxconn causes cancer, US factories have caused cancer. Manufacturing involves carcinogens. At least south Korea deals with it.
    Reply
  • FSCx64
    I really start to fed up Mr. Islams one sided and empty articles. The quality of his writings is unfortunately absolutely sub-par. Time... after time.

    Reply
  • MichaelSP
    The annoying thing I find about this is that there are people who don't like Apple because of the ecosystem. Also, there are people who don't like the all-purpose-cloud-sync stuff such as for a small 8GB iPod touch. Apple would sync it to everything in my iTunes but I don't like all the songs but many I got through albums at a cheaper rate than buying the individual songs. Then there are multiple movies SOME of which I want but not room on the iPod for all of them. So...trying to sync EVERYTHING and is a pain.

    Another point (rare for most these days) but slow internet services make cloud storage less than viable. With internet that takes a few minutes to upload or download each song, a sync-cloud system is just not usable even if it is desirable.

    Still, I can see that some people would like a closed, syncing system for there device so my advice is to buy Apple. If not, buy Samsung/other-not-mentioned-here-companies.
    Reply
  • freggo
    If Samsung switches to a closed system a la Apple they will find that they soon follow Apple in market share too.

    Please Samsung listen, we do NOT want to be locked into a closed system.
    It is better for all Manufacturers to get together and figure out a joint system.
    Yes, that means you may loose some potential customers to a competitor. However, that works both ways of course; in an open and compatible system you will also be able to attract new customers from your competitors.

    Let the better product win because it is better, not because the cost of switching to a better system is prohibitively expensive.

    Reply
  • rahulkadukar
    Was Zak hired from Engadget. Looks like a Crapple fanboy.

    Listen Zak, learn to write unbiased articles and stop trying to get cheap publicity
    Reply
  • mesab66
    Come on guys! Some things Apple do is actually good!! - have a more open mind....think outside the box! Do you think Hendrix or Frank didn't take the best from the current and past and add a significant sprinkling of their magic/signature to create something unique and lasting?

    Samsing isn't talking about mirroring everything about Apple, thank god!! ;)
    Reply
  • mesab66
    Damn you - you got me spelling samsung wrong!
    Reply
  • in_the_loop
    A very vague article?
    I what way does Samsung want to contribute to The "Ecosystem" and the cloud that already isn't there in Android?
    Android has always been much more into the cloud even from the beginning compared to Ios, with everything synced up to your Google account.

    And the Google Play store is also doing great being as big as apples Appstore now and will pass it soon.

    So , this sounds like they are trying to fix a problem that really isn't there.

    And, as many said, when it comes to the streaming of really big files in the cloud , like music and video, I don't think it is something that is practical, since most subscriptions are data limited and even if not, the bandwidth varies a lot and sometimes you lose the connectivity (like in tunnels and some other areas).
    Reply