Why low to mid range phones are the “Next Big Thing”

About 3 years ago Samsung released the Galaxy S 3 and with it, their “Next Big Thing” marketing slogan. At the time, the slogan fit the brand and where they were going almost perfectly. It wasn’t too much later that they released the Galaxy Note II and popularized the phablet. The truth is, that they were churning out hit after hit, but something happened along the way.

A man named John Legere happened. He took over as CEO of T-Mobile and promptly began changing the mobile paradigm. The first thing he did was move away from contracts. Instead of subsidizing the consumer’s phone and locking them into a 2-year contract, he replaced the contract with a loan for the phone.

I remember this very well, as I bought my Galaxy S3 around that same time. At the time, it was the best smartphone available. I had it for a few months and then the Galaxy Note II came out. I then opted to get that phone and passed the Galaxy S3 down to my wife.

An interesting thing happened over the next few years. My wife was content with her S3 and I was also content with my Note II. Before I knew it, my loan had been paid and my bill dropped by $40/month.

All of a sudden upgrading my phone became a big deal because it meant that my payments would be going up again. No, thank you. I was saving $40/month on my bill. So then what to do with my phone? The reality was that our phones had become midlevel phones, and they could still handle almost everything that we threw at them.

Later on my wife would drop her S3 and shatter the screen. Faced with the prospect of purchasing a new phone for her, I started looking at our options. About that same time, Amazon drastically discounted their Fire Phone and sold it unlocked for $180 with a full year of Prime included. I was in like Flynn. Of course, I made sure my wife was OK with it, but she’s not really a techy person and really doesn’t care that much about what phone she uses. In the end, we were very impressed with the phone, and it did everything she needed with ease.

Not too much later, I started looking into a new phone myself. I was fed up with the lack of support on my phone and felt like both T-Mobile and Samsung had strategically decided not to offer KitKat for the Note II. After all, the Note 4 was coming out, and they would rather I just purchase a new phone.

I ended up finding a new open box and unlocked Asus PadFone X for $200. I was, again, in like Flynn, and I was even able to sell my Note II for the same money. For those unfamiliar with the PadFone X, it has similar specs to the Galaxy S5, but with a 9″ tablet dock.

Now, many of the other carriers have followed suit and gotten rid of their contracts as well. So what happens now that more people can enjoy a lower cell phone bill while having a paid-off phone? Well for one, it makes getting the latest and greatest phone a much harder decision. Why spend $800 on a phone that is realistically way more than you will ever need or use? There are too many phones that offer great specs for nowhere near as high a price. Here are a few relatively inexpensive phones.

The cheapest phone listed here, the LG Leon, costs less than $100 and the most expensive, Motorola Moto X Pure, is still under $400. While the LG Leon isn’t a powerhouse by any means, it certainly can handle most tasks that a casual smartphone user would throw at it. The Moto G is a much better phone for under $200, but the remaining 3 phones have features that can challenge most other flagship phones.

While I think you’d have a hard time convincing a Galaxy Note 5 user that any of these phones is a contender, let’s take a look at how they compare against it.

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While Zenfone2 doesn’t have the fingerprint scanner, S Pen, metal frame or 2K screen like that found in the Note 5, it has the fastest processor out of all the phones, and when you combine that with 4GB of RAM, it makes for a very fast phone for less than 1/2 the price.

The Moto X Pure also does not have the fingerprint scanner, stylus, or metal frame, but it has the highest pixel density and is the most customizable of any of these phones. And for a little over 1/2 of the cost of the Note 5, this phone is a real bargain.

The last one is the Blu Pure XL. This phone has a fingerprint scanner and a metal frame. It has 3GB of RAM and a 2k screen. Out of all of them it also has the most megapixels crammed into the camera. Coming in at $50 less than the Moto X Pure, it seems to be the best overall in the comparison.

Obviously the Note 5 is the top dog spec wise, but it is several hundred dollars more than any of the other phones. I believe that the reason that Samsung’s sales have been slipping is because they are pretty much focusing on their flagships and ignoring the market trends.

I’m not saying that there is no place for the ultra-specced flagship models. I’m just saying that Samsung should focus more on what people want. And what people want more than an ultra-specced flagship model today is an affordable cell phone payment.

Samsung could make a phone specced like a Galaxy Note 3 and offer it at a similar price point as Asus, Motorola, and Blu, but in the end it doesn’t fit with their current business model. So let them continue to focus on phones few people can afford, and they will find that people will spend their money elsewhere.

What do you think? Do you agree? What phone are you considering for your next device? Let us know in the comments below.

The post Why low to mid range phones are the “Next Big Thing” appeared first on AndroidGuys.

Be very excited, Bud Light has made a smart beer fridge

There are a ton of smart home tech products all trying to make your life easier. However, one of them has been strangely left out. A beer fridge. Possibly the most important item in your house doesn’t have a smart home version. It’s madness. Today, that all changes thanks to Bud Light. Introducing the world’s first smart home connected beer fridge, the Bud-E Fridge.

With the smart fridge you will be able to view real-time information such as the number of beers left in the fridge and when the beers reach the perfect temperature. Also, all of this info can be seen on your smartphone.

The Bud-E Fridge is a first-of-its-kind smart home beer fridge that enables consumers the ability to view real-time information from their fridge – from the number of Bud Light cans and bottles in it to when the optimal temperature is reached for them – from anywhere that they have access to a mobile device.

However, it goes even farther than just that. It can hold 78 beers, and now for the coolest part, alerts you to when a sports game is coming up to tell you to get more beer if you are low. Even if there are no games coming up, the fridge will still alert you to get more beer if it is low. AKA, what dreams are made of.

Amazing idea, but now time for the bad news. The Bud Light Bud E-Fridge is only available in California… We can only hope it catches on and is available all over the world soon.

Press Release:

NEW YORK, Oct. 5, 2015 /PRNewswire/ — Bud Light, the official beer sponsor of the National Football League, is introducing the ultimate in smart technology innovation at the start of the season to ensure that sports fans never run out of Bud Light when watching the action. The Bud-E Fridge is a first-of-its-kind smart home beer fridge that enables consumers the ability to view real-time information from their fridge – from the number of Bud Light cans and bottles in it to when the optimal temperature is reached for them – from anywhere that they have access to a mobile device.

Developed by Bud Light, Buzz Connect, and Linq IQ, the Bud-E Fridge and its accompanying smart-phone app (available on both Apple and Android devices) lets sports fans program their favorite sports teams so that the Bud-E Fridge can keep them up-to-date on when games are approaching. When games are approaching, the Bud-E Fridge immediately lets them know if their game day supply of Bud Light needs replenishing, and as fans re-stock their fridge, which has a 78 beer capacity, the Bud-E Fridge updates the stock level in real time. A countdown timer indicates when the Bud Light will reach the optimal serving temperature, which the Bud-E Fridge achieves by chilling beers below 32 degrees without freezing them.

“We are constantly looking for innovative ways to enhance the consumer’s experience and the Bud-E Fridge represents an unprecedented advance,” said Lucas Herscovici, Vice President of Connections at Anheuser-Busch. “With the Bud-E Fridge, we’ve created something that shows how we continue to push the boundaries in technology and innovation, particularly in the connected home of the future, and provide beer drinkers with new level of convenience to better enjoy Bud Light with their friends.”

The Bud-E Fridge also provides consumers with alerts of when it is running low on Bud Light, regardless of whether an upcoming game is taking place, via the smart phone app. In addition to these alerts, when the Bud-E Fridge is low on Bud Light, the mobile app integrates with beer-delivery service, Saucey, allowing consumers to order Bud Light for home delivery in San Francisco, LA, and San Diego.

Bud Light has a history of success with new technology innovations in the beer industry. This past January, Bud Light rolled out the Bud Light Button in the District of Columbia, a beer delivery app that allows users to order Bud Light with one easy tap of the finger.

The Bud-E Fridge is available for purchase by California residents only at this time at BudLight.com/efridge.

About Bud Light
Introduced in 1982, Bud Light is a premium light lager with a superior drinkability that has made it the best-selling and most popular beer in the United States. Bud Light is brewed using a blend of premium aroma hop varieties, both American-grown and imported, and a combination of barley malts and rice. The light-bodied beer features a fresh, clean and subtle hop aroma, delicate malt sweetness and a crisp finish that delivers the ultimate refreshment. For more information, visit www.BudLight.com.

About Buzz Connect
Buzz Connect is a product development agency focused entirely on design of end to end products for Internet of Things world. Understanding the link between the product and the consumer, Buzz has led the campaignable IoT space for the last 3 years, creating iconic products for brands worldwide. Including theQantas Q Bag Tags, Budweiser Red Light and VB Live Cricket Scoreboard. Creating connected products is not only about linking the product with the internet, it’s about making it relevant for the brand and their consumers.

For More Information:
Lindsey Herzog
lherzog@3pmagency.com
469-375-0288

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