Samsung Planning to Kill Off Unofficial Accessories?

[cereal killer]

Ever find yourself on vacation and realize you forgot your wall charger for your smartphone? Yeah, it happens to everyone at some point in their smartphone owning lives. Luckily it's not even a problem. You just go out to the nearest store, fork out $5-$8 for a generic one and your on your way. Crisis averted! What if we told you that if your a Samsung fan that scenario may just become a whole lot more complicated in the future? Yes, running out and picking up a charger just to 'get you by' may be a thing of the past if your a Samsung fan.

According to ETNews Samsung Electronics recently distributed an authenticity recognition chip to its accessory business division and suppliers, and made it mandatory to install the chip on all their accessories. What exactly does this mean? It means that Samsung assigns a unique ID to the chip in the case, wireless charging pad, wall charger etc. This chip detects the authenticity of the smartphone accessory, and if it is not authentic, the accessory cannot be used. So getting your hands on an accessory when you left your authorized one at home will now become a very big issue.

According to Samsung they established this authenticity policy apparently for the sake of reliability--cough *BS* cough--. Here at DroidForums HQ we tend to think ETNews hit the nail on the head when they said:

the real intention is to capitalize on its control over the smartphone market to take the initiative in the high-value-added accessory business. It is an attempt to support the accessory business division Samsung created earlier this year, and reinforce its closedness and induce loyal customers to buy more Samsung products.

If this report turns out to be accurate Sammy may face some serious backlash. If you are saying to yourself "Gee this sounds like what Apple did", well pat yourself on the back. This is exactly what Apple did.

Sound off in the comments below. We want to hear your rants and/or praises.

Source: ETNews

 

[mountainbikermark]

Lemonade factor? You'll know very quickly if that "genuine Samsung product in generic retail packaging" you got on Amazon or ebay for $3.95 , including s/h, is a knock off or not.

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[bkdodger]

I remember the same with the new Apple charging ports and chip...If I'm not mistaken they have figured that out already..

 

[Sydman]

I am kind of torn on this issue. On one hand I see this for what is really is, Samsung trying to squeeze more money out of the consumer. Yet on the other hand I don't really buy non genuine accessories because I don't trust them.

It would be a little more tolerable if they also along with this decreased the price of their accessories a bit. $40+ for a home charging cable is madness.

 

[mountainbikermark]

I remember the same with the new Apple charging ports and chip...If I'm not mistaken they have figured that out already..

Those darn Chinese reverse engineerers

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[Amagine]

I thought it was standard that phone companies had to use an unabated USB micro connector?

I am opposite. I have found a few non genuine companies that I like for 5-8 bucks. I like the fact most non genuine companies charge at the full 2.1A charge instead of the dang eco mode of like 500ma.

 

[akhenax]

This is madness. But alas, the chip will get reverse engineered.

All to do about nothing.

 

[LoneWolfArcher]

If true I will have purchased my last Samsung product.

 

[Dusty]

Too many choices in products to even entertain the idea of buying their stuff if they try this junk.

At a few bucks a piece I have chargers at work, in my car, in my suitcase, in my travel bag, in my wife's car, in several rooms in the house, etc.

If they think I'm spending x5-x10 more per charger just for their "licensed" product... they're high.

 

[akhenax]

This is an attempt to be further "Apple-Like".

It won't stop here. Perhaps a Samsung App store is in their future. :icon_eek:

 

[bkdodger]

This is an attempt to be further "Apple-Like".

It won't stop here. Perhaps a Samsung App store is in their future. :icon_eek:

We have an app for that..

Samsung Apps | Samsung Content & Services

 

[johnomaz]

I'm kind of torn on this. Cheap accessories can in fact damage your phone. But at the same time, when they charge so damn much for a charger or cable, its highway robbery.

 

[Batman8]

That is a bunch of BS!!! If Samsung starts to become the next Apple, then I'm moving back to Motorola products.

 

[xsylus]

While this may be an inconvenience it's also a good idea because unregulated and so-called "universal" adapters could be hazardous to electronic devices. I remember with my first Droid I bought a stand-alone battery charger that also had a USB port for charging the phone directly. The battery part worked but when I plugged the usb in my phone went crazy; it was like the phone was possessed and started scrolling through screens and opening apps on it's own. Fortunately Samsung still offers devices with user-swappable batteries so you can carry spares which could decrease the inconvenience of being without an official power adapter. My question is that many companies also offer external power packs to use with phones. Will these new chips make the phones not work with those universal power packs?

 

[christiansectas]

...........

That is a bunch of BS!!! If Samsung starts to become the next Apple, then I'm moving back to Motorola products.

Absolutely Agree, or perhaps maybe by that time LG or SONY Phablet division (I own a NOTE 3 right now and can't go back to smaller phones) will be more attractive.