IT168 Review When you saw the title of the article, your first impression was that the editor was crazy. However, from the configuration point of view, the configurations of the two mobile phones are basically the same and there is indeed a certain degree of comparability. Xiaomi 2S is priced at 1,999 yuan, while Samsung Galaxy S4 is priced at 5,199 yuan and is not yet available on the market. Some people may ask, how many people who buy Samsung Galaxy S4 choose to buy Xiaomi, and how many people who want to buy Xiaomi 2S end up buying Galaxy S4? The author also admits that the above situation is in the minority. But people who buy Xiaomi 2S or Samsung Galaxy S4 must be thinking about what I got for spending an extra 3,000 yuan. What is the difference between the Xiaomi 2S I bought and the Samsung Galaxy S4? This is what this article is about. A simple explanation for everyone. Why are the hardware configurations similar but the prices vary widely?

Friends who are familiar with our evaluations know that when we compare and evaluate two machines, we usually compare the models from multiple aspects such as appearance and industrial design, materials, screens, hardware configurations, system software optimization, etc. Give a detailed answer. Although this article is not a traditional comparative evaluation article, we follow common sense and compare Xiaomi 2S and Samsung Galaxy S4 in various aspects, so that everyone can simply understand the 3,000 yuan price difference between the two models.

1. Appearance:

Xiaomi 2S mobile phone completely continues the appearance of Xiaomi 2nd generation mobile phone. Xiaomi's purpose is very simple. In terms of appearance, Xiaomi does not need to make large-scale improvements from Xiaomi 2 to Xiaomi 2S. Moreover, the body of Xiaomi 2S uses a large amount of the same materials as Xiaomi 2, which not only ensures production capacity, but also reduces the cost of design and manufacturing to a great extent. In terms of appearance, Xiaomi 2S mobile phone can keep the cost to a minimum. In line with its selling price of 2,000 yuan.

▲Xiaomi 2S/Samsung S4 Appearance Comparison

Let’s take a look at the Samsung Galaxy S4. In terms of appearance, the Samsung Galaxy S4 can be said to have disappointed many Samsung fans again. Starting from the Samsung Galaxy S, every generation of Samsung Galaxy S series mobile phones are all made of plastic materials, and this time the Samsung Galaxy S4 is no exception. Samsung's goal is not to simply control costs. Samsung must ensure that each generation of flagship smartphones can be launched as soon as they are launched. Once launched, they can be supplied in unlimited quantities, thereby ensuring revenue and the integrity of the supply chain to the greatest extent. On this point, Samsung and HTC have completely different approaches. From the perspective of HTC ONE, HTC is a company based on design and innovation. In order to ensure differentiation, it must make improvements in the industrial design and craftsmanship of the fuselage. Only then can we compete with other international brands such as Samsung in the market. But it also caused the HTC ONE to be out of stock when it was launched. But from a cost perspective, Samsung's plastic body seems a bit unworthy of the price of 5,199 yuan.

2. Screen

Xiaomi 2S uses a 4.3-inch 720P resolution screen, which is the same as Xiaomi 2nd generation mobile phone. In terms of material, it uses a relatively mature fully-laminated IPS screen. This screen has been in use since the release of Xiaomi Mi 2 on August 16. In a word, the screen quality is very good, and the unit price in terms of cost is also going down. In line with the pricing of 2,000 yuan.

▲Xiaomi 2S uses a 4.3-inch 720P screen

▲Samsung Galaxy Note 2 uses an FHD Super AMOLED screen

Samsung Galaxy S4 uses a new HD Super AMOLED screen , this screen can be said to have been long-awaited. There were previous rumors that Samsung would use this screen on the Galaxy Note 2. However, due to production capacity and yield issues, it was not used until the Samsung Galaxy S4. This screen is currently exclusive to the Samsung Galaxy S4, and it must not be too optimistic in terms of cost and output.

From the fact that mobile phone manufacturers using Super AMOLED are very rare, we can know that the cost of this screen must not be low. In fact, including the author, many consumers buy Samsung flagship phones because of the Samsung screen. Super AMOLED has the characteristics of self-illumination and bright colors. From the perspective of the screen, the cost of Samsung Galaxy S4 Higher than Xiaomi.

3. Hardware

Xiaomi 2S mobile phone uses Qualcomm 600 quad-core 1.7GHz processor, 2GB running memory, 16GB/32GB body storage space, 8 million back-illuminated camera (16GB version) and 13-megapixel stack camera (32GB version), 2000mAh battery and other top configurations. This is why Xiaomi can be called the king of cost performance. Xiaomi has said on many occasions that it does not rely on hardware to make money. money. The author also believes that Xiaomi does not make money on hardware, or that Xiaomi does not make money on hardware.

Samsung Galaxy S4 and Xiaomi 2S parameter comparison information

Model

Samsung Galaxy S4 i9500

Xiaomi 2S

Screen characteristics

4.99-inch 1920x1080 resolution Super AMOLED HD

4.3-inch 1280x720 resolution iPS screen

Network standard

WCDMA /GSM

Body size

136.6x69.8x7.9mm

130g

126x62x10.2mm

Processor

Samsung Exynos 5410 octa-core 1.8Ghz

Qualcomm 600 quad-core 1.6GHz

Graphics chip

PowerVR SGX 544MP3

@533Mhz

Adreno320

Body memory

Ram: 2Gb Rom: 16/32/64Gb

Ram ：2GB ROM: 16/32GB

Camera

Front 2 million pixels/rear 13 million pixels

Front 2 million pixels/rear 8 million pixels or 13 million pixels

Featured functions

Added smart pause/eyeball scrolling/smart screen rotation/gesture actions, etc.

MIUI V5

operations System

Android 4.2.2 TouchWiz

MIUI V5

Battery

2600mAh

(replaceable)

2000mAh (replaceable)

Body color

White/Blue

Black and colorful rear shell on the front

Listing price

"Estimated 5199 yuan (licensed goods)

1999/2299 yuan (licensed goods)

Samsung Galaxy S4 is equipped with a 1.8GHz eight-core Orion 5410 processor , 2GB running memory, 16GB body storage space and supports microSD card expansion, 13-megapixel stack camera, 2600mAh battery and NFC near-field communication module. At first glance, it is actually similar to the Xiaomi 2S phone configuration, but in fact there are many aspects of the Samsung Galaxy. S4 is ahead of Xiaomi. For example, the DDR3 2GB RAM has higher throughput than Xiaomi 2S, and the eight-core Orion 1.8GHz processor also uses a more advanced "Big-Little" architecture. There is news that Samsung's new Processors are facing a problem of insufficient capacity. Although the hardware specifications are higher than Xiaomi 2S, the price is 3,000 yuan higher just because of the small improvement in hardware, which is hard to convince.

Referring to the previous hardware configuration used by Meizu MX2, it is basically the same as Samsung Galaxy Note 2, and the price is only about 500 yuan more expensive than Xiaomi 2. It seems that the improvement in hardware configuration is only a small part of the 3,000 yuan price difference.

4. System software optimization.

What Xiaomi is most proud of is not only Xiaomi’s powerful hardware configuration, but also Xiaomi’s MIUI team. The new version of MIUI V5 installed on Xiaomi 2S mobile phone is deeply customized based on Android 4.1, with 200 customized More than 10 commonly used APP icons are used to unify the style, the Android native code is optimized to save power, and it has the world's largest Android theme store. People who get started with Xiaomi MIUI can't say they can't put it down, but they also like it very much. Even Luo Yonghao said that MIUI has the best user experience among Android deeply customized systems, except for Smartisan ROM. It can be said that MIUI is worthy of any flagship Android smartphone. At a price of 2,000 yuan, Xiaomi's MIUI is definitely a premium part.

▲MIUI V5

▲Samsung TouchWiz UI

Looking at Samsung Galaxy S4, many people think that Samsung’s TouchWiz UI is nothing and not easy to use. It’s not difficult to use. I think it’s just a necessary step for Samsung on the road to Android differentiation. But the author wants to say that if Xiaomi has taken the native Android system to the extreme, then Samsung’s TouchWiz UI has taken a completely different path. Samsung S4 is equipped with many new human-computer interaction technologies, such as floating touch, eye rolling, human eye recognition and other functions. Some people say that these functions are flashy and more gimmick than practical, but Samsung is indeed doing something that native Android cannot achieve. I can be considered a leader and explore the way for other manufacturers, so I will also give a high evaluation to the TouchWiz UI installed on the Samsung Galaxy S4, which is worthy of the "flagship" price of 5,199 yuan.

Through our comparison of the appearance, industrial design, materials, hardware, screen, system, etc. of the two mobile phones, you may think that Xiaomi 2S is more cost-effective when you buy it for 1,999 yuan, and Samsung Galaxy S4 is more cost-effective. At 5,199 yuan, it seems to be much more profitable than Xiaomi. In fact, there is a saying that what you see is not always true. For Xiaomi, as a just-started technology company, it is not unprofitable, but quite profitable. For Samsung, although its main models I bought it for 5,199 yuan, but the profit margin is not that big. Why is this? Next, we will conduct a simple analysis of the profit mechanisms of Xiaomi and Samsung.

In the long run, Xiaomi’s profit will definitely not rely on hardware:

I have said before that I believe Xiaomi does not rely on hardware to make money, but what does Xiaomi make money on? In fact, if you open Xiaomi’s official website Some clues can already be found. In addition to buying mobile phones, Xiaomi's official website also buys many other peripherals. It is like a grocery store. We have published an article before called "In addition to mobile phones, what else does Xiaomi sell?" , if you think that if you buy a Xiaomi mobile phone, it has nothing to do with Xiaomi, then you are totally wrong. When you buy a Xiaomi mobile phone, do you have to buy a film, a back case, and a hand strap? Do you buy a battery holder and charger? Some fanatic fans also want to buy Xiaomi Speed ????car, Bluetooth speakers, etc. If you have a fever with Xiaomi mobile phones Accessories, although everyone knows that these accessories have huge profit margins, they are still willing to buy them. The mentality is: since the prices of third-party accessories are similar anyway, why not buy the official ones. It can be said that Xiaomi’s profits from accessories account for a large proportion.

▲Accessories have made a lot of money for Xiaomi

Everyone can see clearly why Samsung can’t follow suit to increase its profits? The reason is very simple. From the official accessories launched by Samsung We can see that Samsung's official accessories must be produced by Samsung itself, and the cost control of human and material resources is definitely not as good as that of third-party manufacturers, so it does not have an advantage in terms of price. More consumers who buy Samsung mobile phones choose to buy third-party peripherals.

Xiaomi is different. Most of Xiaomi's official accessories are produced by authorized OEMs. To give a simple example: Xiaomi crew neck shirts and Xiaomi canvas shoes are definitely not produced by Xiaomi's own factory assembly lines. The cost is even lower than that of third-party peripherals.

▲MIUI V5 seizes the Internet entrance for Xiaomi

MIUI is also a big profit point for Xiaomi, and even MIUI is the greatest embodiment of Xiaomi’s core value. The user experience of MIUI is good, and the built-in application software is also excellent. For example, Mi Chat, theme store, browser, etc. In today's Internet era, Xiaomi is also known as an Internet company. As an Internet company, the biggest goal should be to seize the Internet entrance. Xiaomi has done an excellent job in this regard, which can be regarded as a new path for many domestic manufacturers that follow Xiaomi's example. Although MiLiao users cannot keep up with WeChat, although users complain about theme store charges, and although users have not yet fully developed the habit of browsing complete web pages through mobile browsers, the installed capacity is there after all. In the future, MIUI will definitely be Xiaomi’s biggest profit growth point.

▲The Mi Box takes over your TV screen

The Mi Box is known as the most popular accessory for Xiaomi mobile phones. It is currently on pre-sale in Shanghai/Changsha/Hangzhou. The price 299 yuan, still based on the concept of not making money with hardware. Why would a pure mobile phone manufacturer get involved in the network set-top box market? Xiaomi has its own abacus. We mentioned before that Xiaomi wants to seize the Internet entrance, and the carrier of the Internet entrance is the screen, mobile phone screen, tablet screen, computer screen, TV screen, etc. It is the carrier of the Internet. We have to admire Xiaomi's foresight in seizing the entrance to the TV Internet through the Mi Box. However, how does Xiaomi correctly occupy the Internet entrance? The most fundamental factor is user experience. Only products with good user experience can capture the hearts of users. Therefore, we can see that although Xiaomi is involved in the Internet set-top box market for the first time, the launch of Xiaomi The box is no worse than any current manufacturer's products in terms of user experience, which is also the scary thing about Xiaomi.

Samsung is the invincible giant in the entire industry chain:

Consumers think it is normal for Samsung Galaxy S4 to sell for 5,199 yuan, and users also think it is normal for Xiaomi Mi 2S to sell for 1,999 yuan. In fact, this is not a sign of admiration for foreigners, but a typical manifestation of brand premium. When it comes to brand premium, many people think it is a miraculous thing, but in fact, brand premium happens in every aspect of your life.

▲Samsung sponsors Premier League giant Chelsea

It is reported that Samsung invested US$4 billion in advertising last year and other marketing expenses reached US$5 billion. The Samsung advertisements that consumers see on TV every day, such as the advertisements on Chelsea’s chest when watching Premier League games, the super-long advertisements on the Super Bowl, etc., are all subtly increasing Samsung’s brand premium and enhancing Samsung’s brand. Image, of course, it is a normal business practice for Samsung to add these phone charges to the selling price of its products. So it is no exaggeration that part of the money you spend on every Samsung product is paying for Samsung marketing, which is one of the specific manifestations of brand premium in terms of price.

Users who are familiar with Xiaomi know that Xiaomi rarely places ads on CCTV until this year. The investment in product marketing is a drop in the bucket compared to Samsung. Xiaomi Li Wanqiang once said that Xiaomi relies more on word-of-mouth marketing. This method has the highest credibility, the best effect and the least cost. However, many netizens say that Xiaomi’s word-of-mouth marketing relies more on “flood troops”. This view is a matter of opinion. The final result is that Xiaomi sold 7.19 million mobile phones last year, plus the sales of China Unicom contract phones. The sales of nearly 10 million Xiaomi mobile phones prove that Xiaomi has become a household name through word-of-mouth marketing alone. However, this kind of word-of-mouth marketing and the positioning of Xiaomi mobile phones are difficult to sell Xiaomi mobile phones at high prices.

▲Samsung can even produce military products

Samsung is a giant company in the entire industry chain. The processor, memory, screen, etc. on the Samsung Galaxy S4 are all Samsung’s own Responsible for R&D and production, Samsung invests in R&D every year. It can be said that while users enjoy the latest technology in advance, they also pay a high price. It can be said that when the user experience reaches a certain level, if they want to improve the experience, users will have to spend a geometric price to enjoy it. This also explains why Samsung Galaxy S4 is slightly better than Xiaomi in some aspects, but in the end the price will be sky-high.

As an Internet company, Xiaomi cannot produce any kind of hardware. All the internal chips of Xiaomi mobile phones are purchased. Compared with Samsung, Xiaomi cannot enjoy the latest technology in advance. Some netizens will say, isn’t Xiaomi 2 the world’s first mobile phone to use Qualcomm’s APQ8064 quad-core processor? But will you see the LG Optimus G coming out at the same time? Will you see the Xiaomi 2 mobile phone being launched at the end of November? Sales, why can Xiaomi 2S mobile phone be purchased in unlimited quantities until a few weeks before its release? Without independent research and development of hardware, the strength will indeed be restricted by others, but this is not a problem that Lei Jun can solve at this stage.

▲Samsung accounts for 17% of South Korea’s annual GDP

When you mention South Korea, I don’t know what you think of? Smecta? Uncle Psy? I think you will definitely think of Samsung, right? But when you think of China, you don’t think of Xiaomi. It is reported that Samsung alone accounts for 17% of South Korea's annual GDP. As a geographically small country, South Korea can be said to have mobilized the whole country to build several companies, and Samsung is one of them. Samsung did not disappoint the South Korean government. Samsung has 370,000 employees worldwide, more than four times that of Apple, and there are countless jobs. Samsung paid US$12 billion in wages last year and had net sales of US$247 billion. It is Apple’s Twice that, selling 215.8 million smartphones, 1.5 times that of Apple. It can be said that Samsung is responsible for the entire economic development of South Korea. In other words, every time you buy a Samsung mobile phone, it will make a contribution to South Korea's GDP. Thinking about it this way, does 5,199 yuan seem to be a reasonable price?

As a just-started Internet company, Xiaomi's tax revenue last year reached 1.9 billion yuan, but it is still very small compared to Samsung. It is reasonable for Xiaomi's technology to develop strongly without any pressure on its shoulders.

Summary: Through the brief introduction of this article, you must have understood that the price of 2,000 yuan for Xiaomi 2S mobile phone is not unprofitable, and the price of 5,199 yuan for Samsung Galaxy S4 is also reasonable. The last thing I want to say is that Xiaomi and Samsung are following two completely different models. As a new generation Internet company, Xiaomi relies on existing hardware and its own software optimization to make money by seizing the Internet entrance and surrounding culture, and Xiaomi's fans have become Xiaomi's greatest wealth. This model will continue healthily in the next few years. As a giant in the entire industry chain, Samsung can provide users with unexpected products, and can strictly control costs, production capacity and ensure the integrity of the supply chain. This is a path to maximize the profit model of hardware manufacturers. In the next few years, Keep going for a while.

Looking at the existing major smartphone manufacturers? Nokia, HTC, LG, Sony, etc., although each has its own different advantages, each one can beat Samsung by a few blocks, but the hardware is limited by others. , it is too late to develop software, and the future development progress is worrying. In the next few years, it may show a situation of neither high nor low, and it may exist on the grounds of differentiation or transform into an OEM. In fact, Nokia began its strategic transformation into an Internet company in 2005, but everyone has seen the current situation of Nokia, which has been wandering on the road to "returning to the top". Presumably, in the next few years, it will be even more difficult for these manufacturers to survive in the cracks between the giants in the entire industry chain and emerging Internet companies.