LG intentionally missing the target? (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on 2015-08-05 23:53 (#GJ8Q) FTA: > While they may lack features, these retro phones are simple to use, > have batteries that last the week and are practically indestructible > compared to their smartphone equivalents. > The [LG] handset has a 3.2-inch colour touch screen and runs Android > Lollipop 5.1, a modern 1.1GHz quad-core Snapdragon 2010 processor and > 1GB of RAM, supports 4G LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS....So, let me get this straight: retro, flip-phones are desirable because they are simple, easy to use, and have phenomenal battery life yet LG is intentionally building something complex (Android), slow (Android), and power-hungry (Android, 1.1GHz, quad-core Snapdragon, 1GiB of RAM, 4G LTE, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi and GPS)? It will be interesting to see if customers eschew the new LG phone because it doesn't fit their requirements. Re: LG intentionally missing the target? (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on 2015-08-06 04:37 (#GJQS) There's a few problems with this article.First is the assumption that this is not supposed to be a smartphone, and the underlying concept that the only thing that can be a smartphone is a glass brick. Really, what these are is a smartphone with physical buttons. This is much more desirable in Japan as a number pad is a surprisingly effective way to enter Japanese text. LG is not looking to get the kind of person who would buy the basic call and text only phone with this. LG still makes the old feature phones, as does pretty much every manufacturer. Of course they'd rather you buy the $600 flagship, but they're out in stores if you look.Second is that old phones are desirable for normal use. The ones paying big money for them are collectors. That one people are paying four figures for? It's gold plated. Really, what most people want is the best of both, functionality of a modern phone with a week long battery life. Third is the implication that feature phones are making a comeback in Japan. Sure, there was an uptick, but smartphones are still outselling them nearly three to one.Also, similar phones have been around for a while in Japan. But the interesting part about this new LG one was skipped. This phone is coming to other markets as the Wine Smart, including some in Europe, like the UK. Re: LG intentionally missing the target? (Score: 1) by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2015-08-06 17:30 (#GMVQ) First is the assumption that this is not supposed to be a smartphoneNobody said that. The topic is FLIP phones. Can you name any previous SMART phones that flip open?Really, what these are is a smartphone with physical buttons. This is much more desirable in JapanPlease point me to any Japanese smartphones in production with a full physical keypad, I'd like to have a look. I just checked softbank.jp, and didn't find a single one. What I found there were iPhones, Galaxy S6's, and basically everything a western audience would be familiar with.The Japanese seem to love their iPhones (HINT: Apple doesn't sell any flip or keypad phones):"Last October, the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c also accounted for 76% of smartphone sales in Japan, marking a record high. All three major Japanese carriers including DoCoMo, SoftBank, and KDDI have been offering the iPhone 5s free on contract" http://www.macrumors.com/2014/05/14/apple-smartphone-market-share-japan-36/ Re: LG intentionally missing the target? (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on 2015-08-06 20:21 (#GNBE) Can you name any previous SMART phones that flip open?Sure. Those are just ones that run Android, I'm using that as a conservative definition of smartphone.any Japanese smartphones in production with a full physical keypadHere's one that's been out for a year. Are you using the English site? That only shows a subset of what they have.Of course the glass brick style is still more popular. But the point here is that the smart flip phone has been done before.
Re: LG intentionally missing the target? (Score: 1, Interesting) by Anonymous Coward on 2015-08-06 04:37 (#GJQS) There's a few problems with this article.First is the assumption that this is not supposed to be a smartphone, and the underlying concept that the only thing that can be a smartphone is a glass brick. Really, what these are is a smartphone with physical buttons. This is much more desirable in Japan as a number pad is a surprisingly effective way to enter Japanese text. LG is not looking to get the kind of person who would buy the basic call and text only phone with this. LG still makes the old feature phones, as does pretty much every manufacturer. Of course they'd rather you buy the $600 flagship, but they're out in stores if you look.Second is that old phones are desirable for normal use. The ones paying big money for them are collectors. That one people are paying four figures for? It's gold plated. Really, what most people want is the best of both, functionality of a modern phone with a week long battery life. Third is the implication that feature phones are making a comeback in Japan. Sure, there was an uptick, but smartphones are still outselling them nearly three to one.Also, similar phones have been around for a while in Japan. But the interesting part about this new LG one was skipped. This phone is coming to other markets as the Wine Smart, including some in Europe, like the UK. Re: LG intentionally missing the target? (Score: 1) by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2015-08-06 17:30 (#GMVQ) First is the assumption that this is not supposed to be a smartphoneNobody said that. The topic is FLIP phones. Can you name any previous SMART phones that flip open?Really, what these are is a smartphone with physical buttons. This is much more desirable in JapanPlease point me to any Japanese smartphones in production with a full physical keypad, I'd like to have a look. I just checked softbank.jp, and didn't find a single one. What I found there were iPhones, Galaxy S6's, and basically everything a western audience would be familiar with.The Japanese seem to love their iPhones (HINT: Apple doesn't sell any flip or keypad phones):"Last October, the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c also accounted for 76% of smartphone sales in Japan, marking a record high. All three major Japanese carriers including DoCoMo, SoftBank, and KDDI have been offering the iPhone 5s free on contract" http://www.macrumors.com/2014/05/14/apple-smartphone-market-share-japan-36/ Re: LG intentionally missing the target? (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on 2015-08-06 20:21 (#GNBE) Can you name any previous SMART phones that flip open?Sure. Those are just ones that run Android, I'm using that as a conservative definition of smartphone.any Japanese smartphones in production with a full physical keypadHere's one that's been out for a year. Are you using the English site? That only shows a subset of what they have.Of course the glass brick style is still more popular. But the point here is that the smart flip phone has been done before.
Re: LG intentionally missing the target? (Score: 1) by evilviper@pipedot.org on 2015-08-06 17:30 (#GMVQ) First is the assumption that this is not supposed to be a smartphoneNobody said that. The topic is FLIP phones. Can you name any previous SMART phones that flip open?Really, what these are is a smartphone with physical buttons. This is much more desirable in JapanPlease point me to any Japanese smartphones in production with a full physical keypad, I'd like to have a look. I just checked softbank.jp, and didn't find a single one. What I found there were iPhones, Galaxy S6's, and basically everything a western audience would be familiar with.The Japanese seem to love their iPhones (HINT: Apple doesn't sell any flip or keypad phones):"Last October, the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c also accounted for 76% of smartphone sales in Japan, marking a record high. All three major Japanese carriers including DoCoMo, SoftBank, and KDDI have been offering the iPhone 5s free on contract" http://www.macrumors.com/2014/05/14/apple-smartphone-market-share-japan-36/ Re: LG intentionally missing the target? (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on 2015-08-06 20:21 (#GNBE) Can you name any previous SMART phones that flip open?Sure. Those are just ones that run Android, I'm using that as a conservative definition of smartphone.any Japanese smartphones in production with a full physical keypadHere's one that's been out for a year. Are you using the English site? That only shows a subset of what they have.Of course the glass brick style is still more popular. But the point here is that the smart flip phone has been done before.
Re: LG intentionally missing the target? (Score: 0) by Anonymous Coward on 2015-08-06 20:21 (#GNBE) Can you name any previous SMART phones that flip open?Sure. Those are just ones that run Android, I'm using that as a conservative definition of smartphone.any Japanese smartphones in production with a full physical keypadHere's one that's been out for a year. Are you using the English site? That only shows a subset of what they have.Of course the glass brick style is still more popular. But the point here is that the smart flip phone has been done before.