Samsung - the Go-To Brand for Innovative and Reliable Products | KOA EDI

In 1947, Bardeen, Walter Brattain, and William Shockley invented the transistor, which completely revolutionized the field of electronics, allowing manufacturers to build smaller, more power-efficient, and more reliable consumer electronics. However, the late 1950s saw the introduction of integrated circuits, more commonly known as ICs, which Jack Kilby and Robert Noyce developed. 

Both the transistors and ICs, which combined multiple transistors on a single silicon chip, gave birth to modern electronics, further driving the miniaturization and efficiency of electronic devices. So, it’s quite evident that innovation is key, and it’s precisely innovation that made Samsung, a trading company dealing in dried fish, locally-grown groceries, and noodles, into the omnipresent tech giant we know today. 

Yes, that’s right; Samsung hasn’t always been known for its innovation and reliability. In fact, the company entered the electronics market in the late 1960s, producing black-and-white television sets, radios, and other inexpensive, imitative electronics for other companies. Back then, its leaders valued speed, scale, and reliability above all other metrics, and as a result, Samsung’s electronics division wasn’t as globally recognized as it is today. 

All of that changed in the early 1980s. In 1974, Samsung Group acquired Korea Semiconductor, which was already in the process of building its first chip-making facility. The company acquired several other businesses dealing in semiconductors and communications and began investing heavily in research and development and building its manufacturing capabilities. 

However, while innovative, Samsung struggled with sales, especially when it comes to consumer electronics. The company’s mobile phone division also struggled with poor quality and inferior products, and exit from the mobile phone sector was a frequent topic. All of that changed in 1995 when Lee Kun-Hee, the chairman of Samsung Group, decided that Samsung needed to change its strategy and focus more on design rather than sheer scale and affordability.

The company discontinued production of its under-selling product lines and focused on designing and manufacturing components and investing in new technologies. The main idea was to eventually challenge Sony as the world’s largest consumer electronics manufacturer. Lee Kun-Hee restructured the company to meet its global brand-design leader ambitions. 

And, the plan worked. By the early 2000s, Samsung became one of the major players in various electronics sectors, including televisions, smartphones, and semiconductors. In 2005, Samsung surpassed its Japanese rival, Sony; in 2007, Samsung Electronics became the world’s second-largest smartphone manufacturer, and it overtook HP’s title as the world’s largest technology company in 2009. 

But what really makes Samsung a go-to brand for innovative and reliable products? As we stated at the beginning, transistors and ICs (chips) are the foundational building blocks of modern electronics, and Samsung is the world’s largest chip manufacturer. This means that the company produces its own hardware literally from sand (needed to make chips) to the end product. 

Paired with the fact that Samsung also produces operating systems for its hardware, such as Tizen OS for its smart TVs and wearables, the Android-based One UI used in Galaxy smartphones, and Samsung DeX—the latter isn’t actually an OS, but a heavily modified One UI that turns Samsung Galaxy smartphones into a desktop environment, Samsung has full control over its product development and manufacturing. 

This all leads us to one particular point: just like Apple, Samsung has built its own ecosystem of various products. And it has been doing so for years. But, with the advent of wireless technologies and broader internet connectivity, the existence of Samsung’s ecosystem means that all of the company’s devices and services seamlessly integrate with one another, leading to greater reliability. 

Previously, consumers only had to compare respective devices from different manufacturers, but nowadays, feature and function comparisons factor in entire ecosystems, and that’s where Samsung is king—it evolved from a company that trades in dried fish into a diversified conglomerate offering a wide range of consumer electronics and home appliances. 

Besides usual smartphones, tablets, wearables, and television sets, Samsung also makes laptops, audio equipment, digital cameras, smart refrigerators, washing machines and dishwashers, smart dryers, air conditioning, air purifiers, and cooktops. The best part about most of its product lineup is that most actually integrate into Samsung’s home automation platform SmartThings, allowing users to control, monitor, and secure their homes. 

Furthermore, Samsung’s ecosystem isn’t a “walled garden,” like Apple’s, which means that its devices also integrate with third-party smart devices from various manufacturers. So, in the age of vast and rapid technological advancements, it all comes down to choice. Samsung continues to drive innovation and manufacturing to provide its loyal customers with the broadest choice of reliable tech possible, making it a trusty go-to brand among consumers.