Samsung Lets The World Know Its Phones Are Breakable

from the just-reminding-you dept

Fri, Sep 8th 2006 11:11am — Joseph Weisenthal

Psst... have you seen the video about how to easily the Samsung Ultra Edition mobile phone can break? Neither had we. In fact, there didn't seem to be much talk of it at all. But now a lot of people are going to hear about how breakable the Samsung Ultra Edition is, as the company has foolishly said it may take legal action against the creator of the video. What does Samsung think it could possibly accomplish with this? There's no way to suppress the video, now that it's been released; there's no meaningful monetary reward that it could get. There's simply no possible outcome other than alerting more people to the video and the alleged weakness of its phones. Eventually, companies will come to understand the Streisand effect, and fire the lawyers who keep encouraging them to make stupid legal decisions.

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31 Comments

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Chuck Norris' Enemy (deceased), 8 Sep 2006 @ 11:32am

I want to see it!
I can't find the video anywhere. Anyone know where it is? Just post anonomously to avoid and potential legal action brought upon you by Samsung.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Sep 2006 @ 11:40am

I someone can't find the video, then Samsung wins!
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Sep 2006 @ 11:40am

What does Samsung thing it could possibly accompli
"What does Samsung thing it could possibly accomplish with this?"

Really I did not know companies could "thing." (j/k we all make typos I know I will).

Really, after being an avid reader for about a year ro so, I have seen "company" after "company" (meaing the legal staff of said companies) to sue anyone for anything that has to do with their company. This does not really reflect on the company in that the company is only being represented by the lawyers who decided to sue and get some more cash from the major companies. While there is no clear chain of command for these legal departments and directing in the companies best interest. Of course anyone can argue that it is the companies fault that there is no clear statue to govern who the legal department can sure and who it cant sue.
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Marc, 8 Sep 2006 @ 12:10pm

What they should do is create a better product, then replicate the commercial with the same, but upgraded so as not to break, product, and then say "in your faces bitches." All companies want to do is "take legal action." They would be doing the right thing if that phrase was sans "legal." But alas, American society once again proves that the answer to failure is litigation.
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Autonomous Coward, 8 Sep 2006 @ 12:41pm

Re: What does Samsung thing it could possibly acco
Man, you weren't kidding when you said you'd make your own spelling mistakes!
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Amerin, 8 Sep 2006 @ 12:43pm

I dont think this is right what a tease !
You should always post a link the for mention video if you talk about it,

JEESE ! I'm so disappointed TECH DIRT !

Now I wont know how easily Samsung Phone will break.

But on a cliff note, I had a Samsung flip phone from t-mobile a couple of years ago, it was fricking AWSOME Phone, I never had one second of problem with it.
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Grandfather Time, 8 Sep 2006 @ 12:49pm

It's called supressing evidence
to further keep the product selling at it's current rate...
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S, 8 Sep 2006 @ 12:53pm

Likewise, my friend
Come on guys, give Techdirt a break.

Techdirt won't offer the link. They don't want to sue by Samsung, that's obvious. They keep saying Samsung is stupid bababa, but they also avoid to be sued, even by that stupid company, that's for sure.

Samsung won already, no one dares even to put the link, mission completed.
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®idiculous ©rap, 8 Sep 2006 @ 1:01pm

How about the Samsung Effect ?
It appears that Samsung actually accomplished what Streisand tried to do in quashing the undesired image/s.
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Sep 2006 @ 1:13pm

dagnabbitalltoheck, I WANT THAT VIDEO.
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freedom, 8 Sep 2006 @ 1:17pm

I want to see it!
I want to see the video! I want to see the video! Where is it! Where is it!
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Sep 2006 @ 1:50pm

Me thinks the video is Korean, and that's why we can't find it with English words in Google.
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Sol, 8 Sep 2006 @ 2:06pm

Re:
Ah... I think you are right.... anyone know Korean?
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Anonymous Coward, 8 Sep 2006 @ 3:00pm

not exactly dirt...
"may take legal action"?

Bit of a stretch, don't you think? A lot of companies "may" do a lot of things regarding trival issues around them.

It's not like the headline is "Bill Gates sues cross-dressing hooker for fraud."
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David tz, 8 Sep 2006 @ 4:11pm

can write korean...
삼송한드폰 = sam-song-han-d-pone
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Matthew, 8 Sep 2006 @ 5:03pm

GAH WHERE?
I will never buy another Samsung product UNTIL I see this video!!

I must be able to fully research my electronics purchases
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Sep 2006 @ 6:39am

I'm pretty sure they would sue to keep other people from making similar videos.
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Rachid, 9 Sep 2006 @ 12:18pm

Anyone seen it yet ? :-)
삼송한드폰 = didn't gave me anything pretty
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obilesk, 9 Sep 2006 @ 12:43pm

Yeah I've had a Samsung phone for about 2 years (one of the most basic of cells you'd ever see). Its been dropped in ice water, smashed on cement, dropped a few times so hard the battery fell out, and I've never had a problem with it. Oh, it did restart all by itself a couple of times when the battery went dead, which only happens when I don't charge it after a week. Must've got a Tuesday phone...
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Anonymous Coward, 9 Sep 2006 @ 3:52pm

http://www.sme.sk/cdata/2879338/samsung_x820.avi
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tom, 10 Sep 2006 @ 12:11pm

Re:
Imagine if a bully did that to your phone right in front of you in the school yard.
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Sohrab, 10 Sep 2006 @ 2:33pm

damn. that snapped...she seems like a strong girl though...
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ant, 10 Sep 2006 @ 8:34pm

well duh...
did anyone really doubt that the phone was breakable. i mean the thing is mostly plastic... and not much of it judging by the thickness of the phone.

just the right pressure applied at the right place -- notice in the video ho the phone is snapped where one of its components ends -- and it all seems so easy.
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DJ, 11 Sep 2006 @ 4:03am

"by Anonymous Coward on Sep 9th, 2006 @ 3:52pm

http://www.sme.sk/cdata/2879338/samsung_x820.avi"

thanks!

lol!

and now Samsung is saying that the phone was prepered so it would break easily.. what a bunch of losers!!!
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pepeu, 11 Sep 2006 @ 9:49am

the clip
here you go...
http://forum.physorg.com/index.php?showtopic=9049
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Rich, 11 Sep 2006 @ 10:10am

YouTube Clip
Here it is on YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S33cLomqaoM
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Anonymous Coward, 11 Sep 2006 @ 6:33pm

Samgung - stop damaging your company image.
Wake Up Samsung. Stop trying to censor info you don't like - the customers are brighter then you think.

If you had ignored it - few would have noticed.
Now we know you try to suppress consumer iinformation.

Have you not yet learned that this is silly, and
possilby harmful to your company.

P.S I like Samsung products and think tht they are often good value for money and some are superb guality.

Focus on making good products.

P.S. 2 So the phone broke becase the girl tried to break it. It does not mean that the product is bad.
No big deal.
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johnny rocket, 12 Sep 2006 @ 5:37pm

we should all get them, take them out of the brand new sealed box, stand in a line and break them all at once
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Neverend, 12 Sep 2006 @ 6:55pm

That video is available now at!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S33cLomqaoM

you can see it... enjoy it.... prove it!

Truth cannot be denied!
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Jim, 15 Sep 2006 @ 1:18pm

Here it is
You tube keep taking down all their copies of it, here's one that's hosted elsewhere and should stay up. http://www.mbmagazine.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1062&Itemid=62
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weezer, 21 Jan 2007 @ 9:45pm

Funny
If that girl can break it in her hands, imagine what that would do in the back pocket of some girl's ultra tight jeans. Better for Samsung to get ridiculed now than sued later for that girl needing to get shrapnel from the phone surgically removed from her bum!
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