Samsung would like you to test-drive one of its flagship phones. iPhone users can try a Galaxy S6 edge+, Note5, or the smaller S6 edge for 30 days, with (ahem) "no obligation." It's free (if you don't count the $1 fee and the risk you might break or lose it).
Yep, Samsung seems serious about getting out of its sales funk. Programs such as this don't come cheap.
But is it really going to work? Are iPhone fanbois really going to jump ship to Android?
In IT Blogwatch, bloggers scratch their heads. Not to mention: What TV Will Look Like in Five Years...
Your humble blogwatcher curated these bloggy bits for your entertainment.
[Updated 6:44 am, 10:13 am and 1:29 pm PT with more comment]
Nigel "RTF" Manuel reads the fine runes: [You're fired -Ed.]
Samsung [said] it would give iPhone users a chance to try its latest smartphones, the...Galaxy S6 Edge+ and...Note 5. During the 30-day test drive, users will get...a free data plan. There are no obligations.
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It's unclear how many iPhone users will bite. This isn't the first time a test drive program has been done. T-Mobile has a program where customers are able to take an iPhone 5S smartphone out for a week. ... While it didn't do well in terms of numbers [it] let its customers know that they carry the iPhone. MORE
Carly Page calls it a "desperate bid":
Ultimate Test Drive is available to confused punters in the US and is aimed at iPhone users who fancy a change of scenery. ... You'll have to pay $1 to borrow [one].
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BlackBerry or Windows Phone users who wouldn't mind giving them a try: bad luck...they must sign up to it using their iPhone.
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[The] promotion comes, conveniently, just a day after Gartner revealed that...Samsung's share of the market fell [4.3 points] in the first quarter [while] Apple gained 2.4 percentage points...thanks to strong iPhone replacements. MORE
That one-dollar charge is presumably a way to verify payment authority, notes James Vincent:
Anyone who fails to return the smartphone within 30 days will be charged the full retail price.
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Test handsets arrive with a prepaid shipping box to make returns easier. MORE
And Michael Andronico is already sold:
Samsung is confident that iPhone owners will love the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge.
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Even without a free trial, the latest Galaxy phones make a compelling case for iPhone owners to switch to a Samsung. MORE
Meanwhile, Shervin sees the opportunity for a spittle-flecked rant:
Samsung can pay ME to test drive their phone. And by "test drive" I mean load up their iPhone 5/6 replica with my JPGs evidencing just how closely they copied Apple's iPhone to build up their galaxy brand and toss it back in their lying faces. Maybe it'll clip Lucy Koh at the side of her head, on the toss back. My tax dollars better not be spent on a Supreme Court hearing for their bitching. Pay Apple the paltry $500M, considering you made BILLIONS from them, you thieves. MORE
And batchtaster says it's, "More evidence Samsung just don't get it":
Everyone I know who switched from an iPhone to an Android has regretted it. One did it deliberately for 2 years so he could push back on Fandroids from a position of strength and came away saying it was even more painful than he expected.
Given the high satisfaction rates among iPhone owners (something like 98%), and the lack of any motivation whatsoever for a regular user to take it up - beyond the techno-masochists wanting to make a point - I don't see this being a very successful promotion. MORE
Update 1: Jay McGregor isn't sure how to describe it:
[It's] a move that could be described as brilliant, desperate or dastardly.
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The terms are fairly straightforward. [It] means signing-up using an iPhone via the Safari browser. ... But beware, if you damage or lose [it], you could end up paying a high cost. ... The full-priced replacement for the Galaxy S6 Edge is $820. ... If you’re keen on giving this a go make sure you read the full terms and conditions.
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Clearly, Samsung wants to position its devices as unusual and unique. Whether or not that’s what appeals to iPhone users is another story. ... There’s also, arguably, a bigger problem on the horizon for Samsung, and that’s the rise of cheap high-end Android devices that are becoming...hard to distinguish from the ‘premium’ end. MORE
Update 2: Robert Pratt plans to avoid it:
If I can avoid it, I will never buy another useless software bloated Samsung again. The update service never worked properly the last time I owned one and almost 40% of the phone memory was stolen by paid program placements that were uninstallable without rooting the phone.
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The specs on the new 'flagship' phones are underwhelming, especially the limited memory and lack of micro SD support. MORE
Update 3: Susan Fourtané exclaims thuswise:
That's really desperate! Thank you, but no, thank you. I am super happy with my iPhone 6 Plus.
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I wouldn't change it for anything, not even for a free Samsung. MORE
And Finally...
TV Channel Guide from the Future -- What Television Will Look Like in Five Years
[some NSFW language; hat tip: Andy Baio]
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