Counterclockwise: computer makers fail at making phones time and again

06 January 2019
All except Apple, of course. But then Apple's best-selling product before the iPhone was the iPod - not the Mac.

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Rex Tech, 06 Jan 2019Where are ???: -Microsoft -Asus -Panasonic (many laptops... moreAsus was there.
Microsoft did NOT start out making computers unlike Acer.

And Philips, Panasonic, and Toshiba were better known for producing STEREOS, TVs, and LIGHTBULBS. Again, they're not dedicated computer makers.

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    • Anonymous
    • N3M
    • 06 Jan 2019

    I think you just forgot SONY !! they made both laptops and smartphones for years!

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      • Anonymous
      • 0p}
      • 06 Jan 2019

      freshluvsam, 06 Jan 2019GSMARENA paaaaa, how can u put up such a great story withou... moreagree.
      also lenovo fail at selling but motorola innovation still the play maker in mobile industry, none of company not on list come close, LG try made mod but fail

        Rex Tech, 06 Jan 2019Where are ???: -Microsoft -Asus -Panasonic (many laptops... moreI don't claim to have covered every company that has made both computers and phones - there's plenty of material left over for a second article. These are the largest PC makers and those are the ones I focused on:

        https://www.statista.com/statistics/267018/global-market-share-held-by-pc-vendors/

        For what it's worth, I think Samsung is the most interesting example because it bucks the trend - it's highly successful in mobile (though it computer business isn't doing great).

          freshluvsam, 06 Jan 2019GSMARENA paaaaa, how can u put up such a great story withou... moreMicrosoft is more of a software company than a computer maker.

          Plus, it probably deserves its own story - or three. Pocket PC was huge until i wasn't, Project Origami could have kickstarted the tablet market years before the iPad, SPOT was some cool smartwatch tech back in 2003... There's more too, too much to cover in a couple of paragraphs.

            Where are ???:
            -Microsoft
            -Asus
            -Panasonic (many laptops made by Panasonic were used in the Military for missiles and targeting purposes and for other companies)
            -Philips (They made computers in 1963-1992)
            -Toshiba ??? Millions of laptops were and are sold by them

            I am not going to bother writing other companies since there are many many others.Seems like GSMarena writers are way too young and non informed about old computer manufacturers who were well known and made smartphones as well.

              Peter-B, 06 Jan 2019Yes, Asus seems to be on the right path. I've seen some gre... moreWe'll see what the future brings. It's hard to be competitive in this day and age. Xiaomi is going strong with decent hardware at very competitive pricing and their sub-brands Redmi and Pocophone are gaining traction as well. Not to mention OnePlus, which is still a very good option despite them gradually increasing prices over the years.

              You can't demand a premium price unless you offer some premium features or hardware. I'm thinking the Pixel line, Galaxy S and Note lines, and iPhones. Pixels offer timely software updates and the best camera experience, for a single camera at least. Samsung's flagships offer the hardware with the least compromises. And iPhones... well, some would say it's the raw performance, Apple ecosystem, and 3+ years of updates. Unfortunately in my personal experience, iPhone batteries suck. I personally owned a 5s and currently use a 6s as a work phone, and with both, battery life degraded to way below average within the first year.

              As a counter example, I'd have to single out HTC. Their entire One series (M7, M8, M9) plus the HTC 10 were awesome, in my opinion. The main arguments against them were the high price tag and that they refreshed the same design for far too long. Which is a bit unfair, since Samsung and Apple got away with that for years, while also charging a premium. And Samsung's updates were always a bit late, even compared to HTC.

              Mind you, after giving up on Nokia's Symbian platform back in 2010, I never bought a phone from the same brand twice. I went through Sony Ericsson, LG, HTC, Acer, Apple, Huawei, OnePlus, and now Samsung. As for future upgrades, choices are plenty. And that's a good thing for end-users. I don't care what brand I get, as long as it's worth my hard earned cash.

                v.i.andron, 06 Jan 2019Totally agree. That's one of the reasons I've been rocking ... moreI switch 1-2 times a year. Sometimes even 3. Last year it was p20 pro, Oneplus 6 and rog phone. Canceled the rog and kept op6, since it performs better in gaming and editing, and lasts the same sot as rog phone. Oneplus delivers the same performance as the newest Samsung, for almost half of the price. Less bloatware too, and faster updates. Getting spied on by the Chinese or nsa and Trump, doesn't make any difference in the real life.

                  Zendroid, 06 Jan 2019I know they haven't given up, but they surely haven't gotte... moreTotally agree. That's one of the reasons I've been rocking a Note9 since September. Not the most sensible choice, price wise, but it was the phone with the least compromises in 2018. And since I upgrade once every 2 years, that leaves plenty of time for the market to change.

                  As for the PC side, I have a friend who's upgrading to the latest and greatest soon, and he's offered me a good deal on his 'old' Asus Maximus X Formula motherboard. Looking forward to it.

                    v.i.andron, 06 Jan 2019In reply to Zendroid (for some reason this got posted as a ... moreI know they haven't given up, but they surely haven't gotten better. Their flagships are 10 months delayed, but still full of beta flaws. But yes, they are strong on low end baby phones. Their computers though, are for the babies, standard users, business people and heavy gamers. And therefore they should be on the list, since they can't give the same on the mobile market, as on the computer market.

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                      • freshluvsam
                      • fmg
                      • 06 Jan 2019

                      GSMARENA paaaaa, how can u put up such a great story without the mention of MICROSOFT???......really disappointed

                        v.i.andron, 06 Jan 2019In reply to Zendroid (for some reason this got posted as a ... moreYes, Asus seems to be on the right path. I've seen some great deals on the Zenfone 5z and it's already running Pie (in some regions). However, Asus doesn't have much market yet. It looks like things are picking up in India, though, we'll see what happens this year.

                        https://www.idc.com/getdoc.jsp?containerId=prAP44449718

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                          • Alien
                          • 3RM
                          • 06 Jan 2019

                          I want something similar to the Samsung S10+ or the Note, that would open up like a mini laptop and actually run a Linux os like Ubuntu, mint or kali.
                          The secondary (top) display would run Android, while the inside display is for Linux (or windows if that makes you happy).
                          Also, I really don't care if it has a flexible display or not, but I do know that I really want a real keyboard with laptop-like buttons.
                          This way you can use the android part for calls messages games, while you use the Linux side for work related things.
                          Add an SD card slot or even 2 and I'll buy it from day one even if it costs 2000 euros.
                          PS You can hold the silly selfie camera. I don't want one.
                          Bottom line :give us a hybrid between a smartphone and a laptop and everyone will buy it.

                            In reply to Zendroid (for some reason this got posted as a separate comment):

                            They kinda sort of mentioned it in a single line: "Rival Asus is doing much better with its Zenfone lineup, though it's hardly a major player in the smartphone field."

                            Probably because there's not much to say about it. Asus have a decent line of smartphones and while they aren't a major player, they haven't given up yet.

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                              • ZloiYuri
                              • gya
                              • 06 Jan 2019

                              LG making laptops but quite bad in mobile phones. Samsung making laptops too but quite good in mobile phones.

                                Most important is to get back, and times again, look at microsoft, it never ends. :)

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                                  • Azmo
                                  • JEF
                                  • 06 Jan 2019

                                  Well, this is interesting and all, but where is Samsung? They do also have PC business and quite succesfull. Given that Apple, Samsung and Sony have mobile and computer divisions as well, what is the point of this article?

                                    You are missing asus.

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                                      • eddy-
                                      • Gw{
                                      • 06 Jan 2019

                                      It's true that they gave up too early.

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                                        • Anonymous
                                        • ypY
                                        • 06 Jan 2019

                                        Lenovo is the largest pc manufacturer for years. Three quarters back, it slipped in to second to HP. And now its back to First.

                                        Praising HP because its US and downgrading Lenovo because its Chinese

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