What you should know
- The tech industry has seen a number of epic fails, including Microsoft’s Windows 98 failure at the COMDEX trade show in 1998, Steve Jobs’ connectivity issues while demonstrating the iPhone 4 in 2010, and LG’s disastrous event in 2013 where attendees were injured while trying to retrieve coupons for a new phone attached to balloons.
- Samsung‘s Galaxy Unpacked event on January 17 was largely successful, but the company made a major mistake by failing to adequately advertise the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s Gorilla Glass Armor display, which reduces glare by 75% and offers superior visual clarity.
- Many users have noted the impressive difference between the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s display and that of the previous model, the Galaxy S23 Ultra, with the former’s display being much more readable and less reflective.
- Some believe that Samsung missed an opportunity to highlight one of the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s best features during its unveiling event, and that if Apple had such a feature, they would have made it a major focus of their presentation.
Full Story
Let’s dive into some epic tech industry fails. Live ones, to be precise. We’re also going to see how the Galaxy S24 Ultra might just be joining this “epic fail” club.
Remember 1998? It was over a quarter-century ago, but the infamous Microsoft Windows 98 failure at the COMDEX trade show is still fresh in our minds. The PC running the all-new Windows 98 froze, displaying the dreaded BSoD (Blue Screen of Death). The audience’s collective “Ooph!” still echoes.
Fast forward to 2010, and we have another memorable blunder. This time, it’s Steve Jobs, unable to showcase the iPhone 4 due to connectivity issues. In a classic Jobs move, he asked the audience – several hundred journalists and attendees – to turn off their Wi-Fi devices. They were messing with his demo iPhone, you see.
No “Top 3 of epic tech industry fails” list would be complete without LG’s 2013 debacle. LG was presenting the LG G2 phone and decided to give away phones to attendees. The catch? The coupons for a brand new G2 were attached to sky-bound balloons. The result? Around 20 people injured after attendees brandished BB guns and sharp objects to pop the balloons and snag a new phone. “G2” stands for “Genius x 2”, right?
Now, is Samsung about to join this “epic fail” list? The Galaxy Unpacked event from January 17 was mostly a success. The lighting was on point, the presenters didn’t stutter, everything seemed to work the way it should, the overall rhythm was more than OK, and the clips were not as cringy as one might have expected.
But, there was one major hiccup with the Galaxy S24 Ultra and its display. Samsung failed to advertise it adequately and to show how good it actually is. I’m talking about Gorilla Glass Armor on the Galaxy S24 Ultra.
People are surprised at how glare-free it is, especially compared to the previous champ from Samsung – the Galaxy S23 Ultra. Many X/Twitter tipsters are showing the 2023 and 2024 Ultra flagships side by side, and the difference is striking. The Galaxy 23 Ultra’s display is barely readable or with washed-out colors and contrast, while the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s display shines.
In a media briefing with Samsung, they mentioned the coating on the S24 Ultra reduced glare by 75%. It’s pretty evident when compared to the S23 Ultra. Some might think that’s an edited photo in favor of the Galaxy S24 Ultra, but more users are reporting the same.
This is all thanks to the brand-new Gorilla Glass Armor, which promises to offer “an unparalleled combination of durability and visual clarity.” As Samsung puts it: “Compared to a typical glass surface, Corning Gorilla Armor reduces reflection by up to 75%, which enhances display readability and minimizes screen reflections in almost any environment”.
So, where was the Galaxy S23 Ultra, when the Galaxy S24 Ultra needed it? I don’t know where the Galaxy S23 Ultra was when Gondor fell, but I do know that it wasn’t where it was supposed to be on January 17. Last year’s flagship had to be a part of the Galaxy Unpacked and it had to stand side by side with the Galaxy S24 Ultra and inflate its successor’s stardom.
What the X/Twitter users are now doing with the comparisons, Samsung should have done (in a far better way) at the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s unveiling event. The presentation, in my humble opinion (and in the opinion of many more), should’ve focused much more on that glare-free experience that users are now reporting.
Here’s what people are saying: Samsung made a huge mistake not advertising this. If Apple did this, it would be in a 10-minute presentation…and these are just part of the comments that X/Twitter tipsters and users have made on the topic.
Instead, the Galaxy Unpacked event went the other way: the Corning ambassador who talked about the new Gorilla Armor glass started with the toughness of the new material. Next, he underlined the scratch resistance of the Gorilla Armor. The “superior anti-reflective properties” were served at the end of the Gorilla Armor segment with no real-world examples. What a shame.
If only Apple had this to show off…Many are pointing out the obvious – if Apple had this on their hands, they’d brag for days and probably, we’d see a whole separate event solely for the glare-free experience on the hypothetical iPhone.
No, really – can you imagine how Cupertino would act in Samsung’s place? Tim Cook would have hired director Ridley Scott, NASA and half of Disney, just to make them come up with nothing short of a Hollywood-grade sci-fi epic that features Mickey Mouse, a Skywalker Jedi (plus Taylor Swift, because why not) and depicts the “Great display revolution”.
What’s done is done, the ship has sailed, the bird has flown, whatever – Samsung missed its chance to turbocharge (and thus, capitalize on) one of the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s best features. After all, some will use the living daylights out of the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s AI features. Some will not. But all of them will look at the screen, no matter what they do.
Or – that’s a perplexing thought – maybe Samsung’s marketing masters make their moves in mysterious ways. Maybe, they “forgot” to show off the Galaxy S24 Ultra’s anti-glare display on purpose and now, they count on the media to do that for them. If that’s the case, I want my cut.
