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Will rebuilding the Galaxy S6 from scratch save Samsung?

November 7, 2014

.(AP Photo/Ahn Young-joon)

Samsung is allegedly in the beginning stages of designing its next flagship phone — the Galaxy S6 — from scratch, in an effort named Project Zero.

Although the move is a drastic one, it makes complete sense amidst recent, significant profit losses and a saturated smartphone market thanks to Apple’s highly successful iPhone 6 line as well as low-cost Chinese competitors such as Xiaomi.

Samsung’s latest release of its Alpha smartphone line focuses on providing low- to mid-priced smartphones to fend off some of its competition, but the S6 will stick to high-end specifications meaning it will probably demand a commensurate price tag.

The reported features include an ultra high-definition screen, a faster processor, more storage, better camera, etc. — mostly unsurprising and more importantly, uninspiring predictions.

What consumers really want to know is what the implications are for starting from scratch. Is Samsung going to start another revolution and create a new niche market like it did with the Galaxy Note upon its debut?

There are a few safe assumptions.

It won’t be bigger than any phone on the market. Samsung already has a product dedicated to that niche if they decide to go that way.

It can’t be a software overhaul because their products will employ an Android mobile operating system, which will certainly not make it unique since many other phones do the same.

Instead, it will most likely come down to a simple hardware design.

The truth is that most consumers — minus the tech geeks — don’t care about what’s inside of the phone.

Why? Because if they’re spending close to $1,000 on a new device, it’s safe to assume that it will run smoothly, have a great camera and will have enough space to hold all of your favorite songs.

Essentially, Samsung’s mobile division is in a state of rebirth. The company has the ability to explore any possibility. That’s why it’s called Project Zero, isn’t it?

Although easier said than done, the S6 needs to simultaneously anticipate consumer needs and create new ones just like the Note.

What we might see is a curved screen or a screen that extends to other parts of the phone. This speculation isn’t out of the question considering some of Samsung’s other products, such as its curved TV and Edge products, that hint at these changes for the S6, but at such an early stage it could be something no one could anticipate and that’s exactly what Samsung needs.