Samsung is on fire with its product line and has easily become the king of Android when it comes to handsets and offered up one of the only worthwhile Android tablets, until just recently. With the Galaxy S II already a hit, we really like what Samsung is doing with its products and the Galaxy brand but that doesn’t mean it’s all sunshine and puppy dogs, or what have you. While this is just my personal opinion, I would imagine I’m not the only one who would like to see some of the following. These are just a few tips I’d like to see Samsung do and stop doing with its products going forward.
Stop with the Apple bullshit: Everyone wants a piece of Apple’s success but no other company has attempted to emulate the iPhone maker as much as Samsung. The first Galaxy S resembled and iPhone so much it was almost embarrassing to see and while we know Samsung is trying to steal iOS users away (good luck on that, by the way) these blatant attempts are just the wrong way of going about this. I’ve managed to gain a great deal of respect for the Galaxy S maker but when you see something like iOS app icons in a Samsung booth, it’s just sad.
TouchWiz doesn’t make matters any better, either. Luckily, the latest of the custom Android skin offers up some truly unique features that we have yet to see implemented before anywhere. The novel use of zooming using the gyroscope and accelerometer feels natural when you do remember to use it and we can only hope that Samsung will begin to trust itself more when implemented new features within TouchWiz.
Give Steve Kondik more creative control: The man behind Android’s most popular custom ROM, CyanogenMod, was scooped up by Samsung last month and this could only mean good things to come. Mr. Kondik will be able to tell Samsung developers what works, what doesn’t, and what needs to be implemented. TouchWiz is miles away from what it used to be but we’d like to see Cyanogen’s touch going forward.
Let Ice Cream Sandwich shine through when it debuts: The next version of the Android OS is said to be Google’s most ambitious effort to date and we’d hate to see it swallowed up by any sort of custom skin. The most hardcore Android enthusiasts have a tendency to prefer stock Android over any custom skin and while we have our doubts that Samsung will end up scrapping TouchWiz altogether, being on the latest version of the Android OS and barely noticing it *cough*HTC*cough* doesn’t help.
We’re hearing that the app drawer has undergone a significant revamp in Ice Cream Sandwich, and while we do like the new scroll bar to quickly navigate through apps in TouchWiz, we’d prefer Samsung to rid itself of the iOS-like app drawer.
Samsung, meet metal: While rumor has it that the upcoming Samsung-made Nexus handset will be encased in a metal chassis, the choice to use such a material may be Google’s choice. Samsung has always gone heavy on the plastics with its Galaxy S phones and while it makes the handset significantly lighter, it lends to a cheap in-hand feel. If Samsung can begin to produce handset with the sleekness of the Galaxy S II and the build quality and solid in-hand feel of most HTC handsets, it could gain a little more attention.
Samsung has gained a solid following with its Galaxy S line and it’s time for it to realize its products can stand on its own. It’s time to step it up, Samsung. You’re on the right track to give all Android manufacturers a run for their money. Don’t muck it up.