"It's confusing to me the existence of so many similar versions of mobile phones."
In order to increase their sales, mobile phone manufacturers present multiple models, without worrying about the similarities they may have with each other.
Over several years in the field of consumer technology journalism, I have observed a growing phenomenon that tends to complicate the lives of mobile phone specialists. A clear example is Samsung, which has four distinct series of phones. While it is easy to differentiate the Galaxy Z series, consisting of devices with foldable screens in "clamshell" and "folder" styles, and the Galaxy S series, which represents its high-end range, confusion arises when comparing them with the Galaxy A series and the Galaxy M series.
Let’s take some models as references: the Galaxy A35, which costs $5,499 pesos; the Galaxy M35, priced at $4,299; and the Galaxy M55, which is priced at $5,799. When looking at their specifications, I find that the difference in screen size is minimal, just 0.1 inches. The devices have three cameras of 50 MP, 8 MP, and 2 MP, share batteries of equal capacity, and present a very similar design. If I delve deeper into the specifications, I could identify aspects such as the type of chipset or the screen refresh rate, but for the average consumer, who is likely to evaluate their purchase based on price, the situation is as confusing as it is for an expert.
The confusion worsens when considering other manufacturers. For example, on Xiaomi's page, there is a wide range of products such as the foldable Mix Flip, the 14T models, four from the Redmi series, and seven from the POCO series. The variety is overwhelming. A similar situation occurs with realme, which has increased its market share in Mexico; the high-end GT series has five different models, and in its entry-level line, the realme C63 and C61 are almost indistinguishable, differing in technical aspects like RAM capacity and their virtualization capability.
This approach of releasing multiple almost identical models to the market is a strategy that experts call push marketing. The goal of this tactic is to sell as many devices as possible, regardless of their similarity. As brands segment their offerings into categories such as premium high-end, mid-range, and more, they seek to reach the largest number of users. This strategy is clearly paying off, as several models from the latest iPhone, along with some high, mid, and low-range models from Samsung, appear on the list of best-selling phones in the first quarter of 2024.
Despite this trend, there are still manufacturers who opt for a more innovative approach, even if it means sacrificing a considerable volume of sales. An example of this is Nothing, which has developed a phone line so limited that it can be counted on one hand.
