[daeken]

> Samsung needs to seriously simplify its message and product line if it wants to compete.

This comment makes no sense to me for two reasons: 1) They're doing something wholly different than Apple; they're not trying to make The Phone (TM), they're trying to make a bunch of phones that fit different needs, and 2) They already compete. And quite well, I might add, since they're the global leader in smartphone sales for the most recent quarter. http://www.engadget.com/2011/11/15/gartners-q3-2011-smartpho...

[GFischer]

Indeed, I bought a Samsung Galaxy Mini (5570) for my girlfriend here in Uruguay, and it's amazing... all you'd expect from a smartphone at a developed-world affordable price (U$ 200 unlocked).

If Samsung can win the bottom of the pyramid from Nokia, they don't need to compete directly with Apple, and it's a far bigger market.

[squealingrat]

1) But they set themselves up as a direct competitor in the ad. Their phone versus the iPhone. This image makes them look quite similar to Apple to the lay person.

I like that they make multiple phones. But at a certain point, they're overextending. Surely you agree they need to pare it down, even a little.

You're right- when people want a phone that's not an iPhone, they will look at the Samsung phones. But consumers who want a phone because the image they think it will portray will get the iPhone. It's a status symbol. A Samsung phone doesn't have the same effect. But with this ad, Samsung looks like they're trying to become an alternative to Apple. They need to get their act together and decide who they really want to be.