Showing posts with label premium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label premium. Show all posts

Saturday, February 8, 2014

Curious case of premium phones and tablets.

People pay a premium for a certain section of phones and tablets expecting premium in terms of hardware, software, services and accessories. If we observe the trend along the evolution of phones and tablets, the more premium it is the more is it "closed". The more users have to depend on the manufacturers. Nearly zero indie development, Not "expandable" in nature particularly in terms of hardware, Maximum crapware, Forceful need creation(stylus, This may also be due to the lack of tech knowledge and design fundamentals. It is like the pen apps were designed around the pen. They should have started at the apps and then thought of how to use the fingers themselves or things which the user already carries around with him). The stylus was acceptable on a motoming not on devices(os) which have multipoint touch capability.

Let us discuss the subject w.r.t android devices. I see there is no point in discussing propreitory offerings.
If we take the case of the nexus devices, I was shocked at the ease with which the device can be converted to meet your requirement. Unlocking the device was a "breeze". After that, sky is the limit. Indie developers flourish on the nexus devices. Yes, It is not free as RMS would have liked, but, it is an excellent start. Now, these devices are exactly at the middle category w.r.t costs and the overall premium feel. The lower end of the tablets dont interest indie devs. All devs would love to have a maximum sweep when it comes to the number and variety of users.

I though that, in fact, the situation should be the other way round. The premium ones are the ones should be completely open and allow the user complete freedom of their device. Since, the user has payed a premium, Or, If we put it in business terms, He has payed in entirety for the device and services available. So, the device has to be completely "his" to tinker with. The manufacturers already know how to get out of the loop once a user tinkers with his device by making him accept long terms and conditions especially when a user unlocks his device. So, the manufacturer cannot tell us that he is locking the device for better performance during the servicing of the device.

The nexus device since has not taken the "full" amount required for offering the product and services should have been locked more tightly so that the user clings on to the manufacturer, thereby making him returns on perpetuity. Now, you tell me this is exactly what google is doing. Eh?. Instead of google sharing returns from the device with the manufacturers, why dont the manufacturers reverse the technique by making a nexus of all their premium ones and demand perpetuity from google. How awesome would that be. I dont know why the manufacturers are going behind having cheap skins on the vanilla android. This should be allowed to indie devs. Let  them come out with skins. Let them make money.

Will it happen?
It should happen. This is a pure business proposition. Not a tech discussion. This is more on the rights of a buyer. Let people/businesses concentrate on their core competency.

Let us see............

Wednesday, December 26, 2012

We want Indian premium brands.

So,

We Indians cannot make or generate any premium brand? If at all we do can we continue to keep it premium? Come on, what is a premium brand? It is to take a very simple ingredient and add premium to it so that a "common" person does not have or not allowed to have access to it. A leather hand bag is a "hand bag" at its roots. A Macbook Air is a laptop at its roots.

Should we wait for starbucks to tell us what or how a premium coffee should be made?
Should we, Since how long do we know about coffee and tea?
Do we need KFC to come and show us how a chicken is to be sold or made a premium product?

Just look at the variety we have in our presentation of chicken. Just imagine travelling the length and breadth of India and see how differently chicken is prepared at every village. Just imagine.

Cant we have Burgers made of idlis. Cant we find out that secret ingredient which will make idlis remain fluffy and still allow them to be packaged as "take aways"?. Cant we make dosas premium by adding gold dust...(Oh, I just got a little carried away, sorry). But cant we? Why is the entrepreneural spirit existing only in the IT sector. For how many years shall we ape the other biggies? For how many years will we be able to sell chicken currys to the British?

So, you are gonna ask why cant you do it yourself, dude? Exactly. This is exactly the same question all the billion people ask to each other and will continue to do so. Come on guys, Entrepreneurs need ideas, ideas can come from kids/elders alike. I have seen people laugh at my hobbies but I have slogged on with mine. Turn your hobbies into something big. I want to see more premium brands from India. Not the likes of coffee day, which my son doesnt talk or know about. I want it to be like Mc Donalds, KFC, starbucks. There should be an awe and then to continue that, there should be an element of surprise everytime. This element is what keeps the brand going on.

When customers buy the service/product the feel should be that We have consumed something premium. We have consumed something healthy. We have consumed something which was worth every penny. The customer should not think even once before chalking out the required money.

Can we make it happen, or will we have starbucks making us drink coffe and Mc donalds ask us to have breakfast and ofcourse have lunch and dinner at a KFC/pizza hut.

I, for one, would like to have a premium idli/dosa/roti. Can I.