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vomhorizon

macrumors 6502a
Sep 24, 2013
952
68
Errr, they've sold tens of millions of these phones - I'd hardly call that a "niche market"

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And here we go again, minimising the success of Samsung. You can't help yourself.


What defines a niche market? When a form factor sells a very small fraction of the overall smartphone sales, is it not a niche product? How many smartphones have sold over the last 12 months, and how many of them have been above 5.5 inches? Is this category not a niche category?
 

SlCKB0Y

macrumors 68040
Feb 25, 2012
3,431
557
Sydney, Australia
What defines a niche market? When a form factor sells a very small fraction of the overall smartphone sales, is it not a niche product? How many smartphones have sold over the last 12 months, and how many of them have been above 5.5 inches? Is this category not a niche category?

How many non-Apple, non-Samsung phones have sold more than 10 million units in the last year? A handful. They have screen sizes of less than 5.5 inches, are they limited to "niche markets" as well?
 

vomhorizon

macrumors 6502a
Sep 24, 2013
952
68
How many non-Apple, non-Samsung phones have sold more than 10 million units in the last year? A handful. They have screen sizes of less than 5.5 inches, are they limited to "niche markets" as well?

You do realize that phones are not the same as categories? We have all these phones clubbed in the SMARTPHONE category, of this category only a handful of models are available that are above 5.5 inches in size. My contention is that the 5.5 inch form factor (5.5+) is very much a niche product category. I do not count a 5 inch samsung phone and a 5 inch LG phone to be different categories..Nor do i count a category to be defined by a device made by a particular OEM. LG may have sold 10-20 million phones (hypothetically speaking) but they make phones of all sizes, from 4 inches to 6 inches..I look at form factors and what is selling..Majority of the phones being sold today (smartphone) are 5 inches or less..Phones above 5.5 inches and below 3.5-4 inches are a small segment of the market, hence niche products..

Its quite likely that around 300-325 million smartphones were sold worldwide in the holiday quarter (2013)..Even if we are to assume that the Samsung Note 3 managed to retain its first month sales into november and december thats 15 million phones sold in October, November and December put together. Lets take all the other 5.5+ devices out their and assume that all of them combined sold the same ammount as the note 3 (thats a very optmistic assumption and most likely a gross exaggeration) . Thats less then 10% of the entire smartphone market..
 
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TechGod

macrumors 68040
Feb 25, 2014
3,275
1,129
New Zealand
How many non-Apple, non-Samsung phones have sold more than 10 million units in the last year? A handful. They have screen sizes of less than 5.5 inches, are they limited to "niche markets" as well?
So are Non apple and non Samsung phones below 5.5" not smart phones?
 

Tig Bitties

macrumors 603
Sep 6, 2012
5,517
5,692
The Note 3 sold 15 million units in it's first quarter, I wouldn't call that a niche product, but a pretty healthy sales stats.

It's not gonna sell iPhone 5S quantities, no, but certainly pretty good sales for a phablet device.

And I think the Note type device, is best for the small business owner, who may be a jack of all trades, the President, salesman, accountant, janitor, etc.. all wrapped in to one person.

And the iPhone might be best suited for big corporate business jobs, with tight security, and lots of employees.
 

vomhorizon

macrumors 6502a
Sep 24, 2013
952
68
The Note 3 sold 15 million units in it's first quarter, I wouldn't call that a niche product, but a pretty healthy sales stats.

I havent seen the 15 million quarter numbers posted on the web..The info i had was that they managed 10 million in 60 days, but i could be wrong.
 

Tig Bitties

macrumors 603
Sep 6, 2012
5,517
5,692
I havent seen the 15 million quarter numbers posted on the web..The info i had was that they managed 10 million in 60 days, but i could be wrong.

I read it a few weeks ago, forgot where, like Forbes.com or somewhere, said in it's first quarter that the Note 3 sold over 15 million units. And I also read a bunch of sites, stating that the N3 sold 10 million units, in the first two months.
 

animalx

macrumors 6502
Apr 1, 2013
474
330
I rely on my phone for business use, and the iPhone just comes up way too short for me to use it in that way. For example, when I do my close out, I send in my digital documents. With an Android phone, I can send in my documents in one email. With an iPhone, I'd have to send separate emails with each attachment type. That would not be an acceptable practice in my field, which means I'd have to send my emails in via laptop. This alone is enough reason that the iPhone wouldn't make a very good business phone for me.
 

FFR

Suspended
Nov 4, 2007
4,507
2,374
London
Business Phone, Note 3 or 5S

I havent seen the 15 million quarter numbers posted on the web..The info i had was that they managed 10 million in 60 days, but i could be wrong.


Correct.

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I read it a few weeks ago, forgot where, like Forbes.com or somewhere, said in it's first quarter that the Note 3 sold over 15 million units. And I also read a bunch of sites, stating that the N3 sold 10 million units, in the first two months.


The 15 million was an estimate by Forbes. At last count the note 3 only SHIPPED 10 million.

Sales have been relatively flat for 2014.
Btw, S4 sales have fallen below expectations as well last reported shipment figure was 40 million back in October, Samsung has been silent ever since. I was at the s5 launch last week in Barcelona, it wasn't impressive at all. I liked the heart rate sensor, but I have one on my Withings Pulse.

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I rely on my phone for business use, and the iPhone just comes up way too short for me to use it in that way. For example, when I do my close out, I send in my digital documents. With an Android phone, I can send in my documents in one email. With an iPhone, I'd have to send separate emails with each attachment type. That would not be an acceptable practice in my field, which means I'd have to send my emails in via laptop. This alone is enough reason that the iPhone wouldn't make a very good business phone for me.


Try downloading documents 5, it seems to fit your bill.
 
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sentinelsx

macrumors 68010
Feb 28, 2011
2,004
0
Pretty sure half of the Note 3, or Note series in general ever sold is actually bought by Korean customers. Giant phones are a hit in S.Korea.
 

vomhorizon

macrumors 6502a
Sep 24, 2013
952
68
Try downloading documents 5, it seems to fit your bill.

Absolutely agree..It is just the app required to handle files and solve some of the problems the user mentioned.

http://readdle.com/

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Pretty sure half of the Note 3, or Note series in general ever sold is actually bought by Korean customers. Giant phones are a hit in S.Korea.

I would tend to agree, South koreans love phablets..Samsung has sold 10 million Note series phones in that country alone, thats roughly 1/5th of the population. Not sure how many note3's have sold in SK but i would assume that at least a 4th of the 10 million would be in the home country.
 

sentinelsx

macrumors 68010
Feb 28, 2011
2,004
0
The Note 3 sold 15 million units in it's first quarter, I wouldn't call that a niche product, but a pretty healthy sales stats.

It's not gonna sell iPhone 5S quantities, no, but certainly pretty good sales for a phablet device.

And I think the Note type device, is best for the small business owner, who may be a jack of all trades, the President, salesman, accountant, janitor, etc.. all wrapped in to one person.

And the iPhone might be best suited for big corporate business jobs, with tight security, and lots of employees.

People like tradesmen would also benefit from the note IMO. Taking pictures of equipment and scribbling on it for reference.

I may not need such a big phone but like you I also acknowledge some people would be better off with it.

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I rely on my phone for business use, and the iPhone just comes up way too short for me to use it in that way. For example, when I do my close out, I send in my digital documents. With an Android phone, I can send in my documents in one email. With an iPhone, I'd have to send separate emails with each attachment type. That would not be an acceptable practice in my field, which means I'd have to send my emails in via laptop. This alone is enough reason that the iPhone wouldn't make a very good business phone for me.

Strange. I believe you can send multiple document types. I had no issues back when i used iPhone 5. Did iOS take a step back in ios7?
 

sentinelsx

macrumors 68010
Feb 28, 2011
2,004
0
yes indeed, not everyone is the typical white collar exec

Or works in IT/programming/accounting/as a technologist.

About half of control technologists at our company use iPhones and majority uses work issued iPads and they work fine. Really depends on what type of work you do.
 

gotluck

macrumors 603
Dec 8, 2011
5,717
1,260
East Central Florida
Or works in IT/programming/accounting/as a technologist.

About half of control technologists at our company use iPhones and majority uses work issued iPads and they work fine. Really depends on what type of work you do.

yes fair enough, my server support guy that knows way more than me uses an iphone, while our firewall support (linux) prefer android becuase of powerful firewall and other system tools not available on ios (they are just too neckbeardy to use iOS)

The server guy actually wants a surface most, since enterprise is essentially windows only and his remote work would be that much more robust
 
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sentinelsx

macrumors 68010
Feb 28, 2011
2,004
0
yes fair enough, my server support guy that knows way more than me uses an iphone, while our firewall support (linux) prefer android becuase of powerful firewall and other system tools not available on ios (they are just too neckbeardy to use iOS)

The server guy actually wants a surface most, since enterprise is essentially windows only and his remote work would be that much more robust

Yeah, our company is looking into replacing our tablets with those new windows 8.1 tablets as well. Much cheaper to just use the existing windows software in the field than maintain a separate and a little limited port on the iPads.
 

Chodite

macrumors 6502a
Sep 23, 2007
586
0
Baltimore, MD
Personally, I went from an iPhone 5 to a Note 3 and couldn't be happier. Note 3 is THE perfect phone and best piece of tech I've ever owned.

With my new job, I was just given an iPhone 5S and am required to use it. I couldn't be more disappointed.

Just my 2 cents.
 

Robster3

macrumors 68000
Original poster
Dec 13, 2012
1,987
0
Personally, I went from an iPhone 5 to a Note 3 and couldn't be happier. Note 3 is THE perfect phone and best piece of tech I've ever owned.

With my new job, I was just given an iPhone 5S and am required to use it. I couldn't be more disappointed.

Just my 2 cents.

Do you sync your note to your Macbook? If so how does that work for you?
 
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