Samsung’s indestructible Galaxy S5 Active has just hit the shelves at AT&T Inc. (NYSE: T) stores. Both companies are about to find out whether anyone wants a smartphone that is almost bullet proof. The phone is relatively expensive at $199.99 with a two-year contract. That will make the product even more difficult to market.
AT&T has begun to promote the Galaxy S5 Active’s features. They do not seem terribly different from the standard Galaxy S5:
With shock resistant, water resistant, and dust proof3 casing, the Galaxy S 5 Active has a variety of features that make it the ideal fit for active lifestyles:
Press the convenience key on the side of the Galaxy S 5 Active to launch all of your apps related to outdoor activity, in one place for easy access. Track your heartbeat with the built-in heart rate monitor. Keep count of your steps throughout the day, earn medals, and request on-demand nutrition tips with S-Health 4.
With the exception of being unbreakable, the smartphone does not have more than other advanced smartphones and rudimentary sports watches and GPS devices.
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The smartphone market has become so fragmented and competitive that the market leaders have resorted to releasing a series of minor product upgrades. This may change if the new Apple Inc. (NASDAQ: AAPL) iPhone 6 is a giant leap forward as early versions of the iPhone were. In the meantime, companies led by Samsung can barely entice the consumer with better cameras and fingerprint recognition. Most sales data show these features have not elicited enough excitement to drive extraordinary sales breakthroughs.
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The indestructible phone market is not crowded. As a matter of fact, Samsung appears to have most of this market to itself. That fact may be telling. Bullet-proof phones do not offer features that draw enough consumer attention to be anything more than niche products. And Samsung needs much more than that to capture customers’ imagination.
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