Clever?
Screenshot of ZDNet
It’s weird being able to influence someone.
When I met my wife, she was completely indifferent to the devices.
She kept her phone for years. They must be Androidof course.
She considers Apple Brand is not one with everyone.
However, over the past few years, when I accidentally brought her into the world of gadgets, she began to change.
Things got so bad that, a few weeks ago, she exclaimed, “Don’t have a new Samsung phone? I want to see it.”
And this is dinner.
My eyebrows and ears took a while to recover, but she insisted I go with her to the Verizon store so she could see the Galaxy S22 in person.
Here it is. But is that all?
We wandered in for a weekend and a nice Verizon salesperson directed us to the Galaxy S22 screen.
My wife chose the S22 and didn’t feel overly emotional. She judged that it was shiny and new. The seller explained that the current camera has a quality that can only be beaten by next year’s camera.
Not too many words, but that’s the only impression one can get.
But then my wife said to him: “No that different from my S20 right? “
“Not really,” he replied honestly. “Anyway, it’s all just copying Iphone. “
I fear that this will not go well. I fear Verizon is about to dampen my wife’s (relatively) recently discovered enthusiasm.
But then her eyes drifted slightly to the right.
“What is this?” she speaks. “Is that something that reminds me of my old flip phone?”
She was vaguely aware of Z Flipbut this has been cleverly put by Verizon and Fold Z right next to the S22s.
The effect is tug-of-war. This is a shiny thing and doesn’t look too different from the iPhone. And right next to it is something that looks really cool and unlike anything Apple has made.
Flip, Not Fold.
My wife quickly dismissed the Z Fold, just because of its size.
“Too big for my hand,” she said. “I can not do that.”
However, she was moved by the display outside and the overall atmosphere was enjoyable about it.
But once she has chosen the Z Flip, there is a certain love thing that happens. She hugged it with unsettling affection. She opened it and was quite stunned by the seemingly unbroken fold. She played with it.
She loves how the videos look about it. She compared the screens and concluded that, while it may be inferior, it’s not different enough from the S22.
The salesperson seemed surprised, but felt the need to add some objectivity. He explained that the camera is not as good as the S22.
“But this fits my pants, my bag, whatever,” my wife countered. She is an excellent photographer, but this is an attraction on another level.
“Maybe I should get my proper camera back if I want to take pictures,” she added.
She flipped.
But then she asked about battery life.
Again the seller was honest: “It won’t be as good as the S22, but we’ve sold a few of these and no one has complained.”
This did not disappoint her. She charges her phone wirelessly while working at her desk, so the Z Flip won’t be a problem.
In the end, however, she encountered a downside. Actually, two.
“Yes, but there won’t be any case for this, right?” she speaks.
The salesman took her to the display and, voilá, that problem was extinguished before it took a bite.
But then the big one.
“I can’t do this off-white/beige,” she says. That’s the color of the Z Flip on the screen.
The salesman once again stepped in with the courage of Lionel Messi’s agent.
“They have different colors,” he said. And so my wife fell in love with lavender.
However, the salesman still did not want to force her. He looked up special deals on the phone and presented her with an option that would cost her just $3 more than her current S20 payment.
“The promotion will be good until the end of the month,” he said. “So take your time.”
She decided to think about it. She’s a scientist and that’s what they do – think about things a lot.
However, I am surprised that by placing folding phones next to regular phones, Verizon has created a real enthusiasm for something not everyone will enjoy.
I was also surprised that the salesman did an extremely attentive job not to sell, but to help. Phone store salesman endured harsh times during the pandemic. They had to deal with abusive customers and difficult circumstances.
However, it was an extremely enjoyable and thought-provoking experience.
My wife has known there are new folding phones but has forgotten a lot about them.
Now, she is seriously debating whether she should defect to another side.
Selling is still an art. As well as making a really different phone.
