Samsung is becoming almost Apple-like in its ability to generate near-constant speculation and rumor about its next moves. Many of these are just as groundless as the wildest Apple reports ‘ recent tales that the Korean vendor was limbering up to acquire Nokia is likely to be an example. The latest story which Samsung is vehemently denying is that it is working on a ‘Facebook killer’.
With Google promoting Google+ and Microsoft buying the enterprise focused Yammer, it is almost de rigeur for mobile platforms to have their own social technology. However, while Samsung is trying hard to enhance its applications offerings ‘ never its key strength ‘ it says it will continue to rely on third parties, as Apple does with its recently tightened Facebook partnership.
The Korean firm used its global blog to deny the rumors, seeded by the Korea Times, of its impending social network as ‘groundless’. There are many reasons why a company expert in selling devices on massive scale should steer well clear of a business model based on advertising.
However, the issue reflects genuine dilemmas for major mobile vendors, which increasingly need to differentiate their devices via a strong user experience and distinctive apps. Samsung has the reach to push its own software towards critical mass, and is certainly pursuing that goal with multiscreen content such as music. And Google’s shift towards a hardware/software offering ‘ though probably just as ill-advised as a Samsung social network ‘ puts on new pressure. But as Microsoft and Google know, creating a compulsive social experience which also generates profits is tougher than it looks ‘ and even Facebook hasn’t worked out the profits formula on handsets.
Samsung is likely to continue to invest in its developer base and web partnerships, while saving its own brand and user interface for content. It did concede that it was working on an upgraded version of its Family Story service, an effort which may well have sparked the speculation about a social network. But Family Story plays far more directly to Samsung’s strengths and important multiscreen cloud strategy, as it ties the firm’s handsets, tablets, TVs and other gadgets to the internet with a common interface, allowing group members to share pictures, files and comments. Although there are social elements in that, even an enhanced Family Story is likely to fall well short of being a ‘Samsung Facebook’.