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Here’s why Samsung, #17 on our 2013 Most Innovative Companies list, should be lauded not loathed.  Samsung built a user interface similar to that of the iPhone but gained its real edge by improving one of Samsung’s core strengths: producing big, beautiful screens. In fact, beginning with the company’s entry into the semiconductor business, Samsung has cultivated an ability to quickly study, imitate, and, where appropriate, improve upon competitors’ products. In an age when information flows freely and contract manufacturers can pump out millions of new devices in a matter of weeks, that skill may be the most underrated in business. [Image: Stephen Doyle]

Here’s why Samsung, #17 on our 2013 Most Innovative Companies list, should be lauded not loathed. 

Samsung built a user interface similar to that of the iPhone but gained its real edge by improving one of Samsung’s core strengths: producing big, beautiful screens. In fact, beginning with the company’s entry into the semiconductor business, Samsung has cultivated an ability to quickly study, imitate, and, where appropriate, improve upon competitors’ products. In an age when information flows freely and contract manufacturers can pump out millions of new devices in a matter of weeks, that skill may be the most underrated in business.

[Image: Stephen Doyle]

“Who wants a Stylus? You have to get ‘em; put ‘em away; you lose ‘em—yuck! Nobody wants a Stylus! We’re going to use the best pointing device in the world…We’re going to use our fingers.” That was Steve Jobs in 2007, as he unveiled the iPhone to the world. But even five years after the unrivaled success of Apple’s smartphone and its subsequent touch-screen iPad cousin, competitors in the space are still heralding the Stylus pen as central to interacting with mobile devices—fingers be damned. A whole range of smartphones and tablets still come with a pen accessory; Microsoft showed off a Stylus in June when it revealed its much ballyhooed Surface tablet; and only this week, Samsung made the S Pen the key differentiator for its Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. “The S Pen…really, truly changes the game,” said Samsung Electronics America president Tim Baxter. But even after over a decade on the market, it’s clear brands still have no idea how to market e-ink accessories. Looking back at years of promotions for Stylus pens, what’s readily apparent is how few benefits marketers can imagine for the devices—which is perhaps indicative of how little benefit Stylus pens actually provide consumers. The Pointless History of Stylus Advertising: The Worst E-Ink Spots From Samsung, HP, Apple

“Who wants a Stylus? You have to get ‘em; put ‘em away; you lose ‘em—yuck! Nobody wants a Stylus! We’re going to use the best pointing device in the world…We’re going to use our fingers.”

That was Steve Jobs in 2007, as he unveiled the iPhone to the world. But even five years after the unrivaled success of Apple’s smartphone and its subsequent touch-screen iPad cousin, competitors in the space are still heralding the Stylus pen as central to interacting with mobile devices—fingers be damned. A whole range of smartphones and tablets still come with a pen accessory; Microsoft showed off a Stylus in June when it revealed its much ballyhooed Surface tablet; and only this week, Samsung made the S Pen the key differentiator for its Galaxy Note 10.1 tablet. “The S Pen…really, truly changes the game,” said Samsung Electronics America president Tim Baxter.

But even after over a decade on the market, it’s clear brands still have no idea how to market e-ink accessories. Looking back at years of promotions for Stylus pens, what’s readily apparent is how few benefits marketers can imagine for the devices—which is perhaps indicative of how little benefit Stylus pens actually provide consumers.

The Pointless History of Stylus Advertising: The Worst E-Ink Spots From Samsung, HP, Apple

One important thing you need to know about the S Pen is that it is not a stylus. “Make no mistake, this is not a stylus,” said Travis Merrill, Samsung’s director of tablet marketing, during the same presentation. “Our competitors have nothing like it. The S Pen looks and feels like a pen, yet it’s packed with advanced technology.” To be fair, it’s a pretty cool stylu—er, “S-Pen.” For one, it uses electromagnetic technology to wirelessly sync with the screen, which helps accuracy. If you increase pressure on the S Pen, for instance, the line will be thicker on the screen. The screen distinguishes between more than 1,000 levels of pressure sensitivity. Everyone Has A Tablet. Samsung Launched A Pen

One important thing you need to know about the S Pen is that it is not a stylus. “Make no mistake, this is not a stylus,” said Travis Merrill, Samsung’s director of tablet marketing, during the same presentation. “Our competitors have nothing like it. The S Pen looks and feels like a pen, yet it’s packed with advanced technology.”

To be fair, it’s a pretty cool stylu—er, “S-Pen.” For one, it uses electromagnetic technology to wirelessly sync with the screen, which helps accuracy. If you increase pressure on the S Pen, for instance, the line will be thicker on the screen. The screen distinguishes between more than 1,000 levels of pressure sensitivity.

Everyone Has A Tablet. Samsung Launched A Pen