The analogy between razors and smartphones

I just had this thought about the similarities I can see between razor and smartphone history and development. It's tenuous, and not well-developed, of course.

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Regarding razor history: for many years (centuries) razors meant straight razors. There were multiple manufacturers, but the razors didn't change a whole lot.

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Then came Gillette and GEM and the development of the DE and SE razors, respectively. There was a brief boom in razor designs and things like slants, injectors and other types of razors developed.

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This was quickly followed by a few manufacturers taking over the bulk of the razor production and razors became more and more similar - not really offering much variation to the users. This culminated in Gillette and Schick eventually offering the same multi-bladed razors. The designs had converged and, apart from a few minor differences, the same items were being sold to people with constant 'upgrades' that were not really upgrades.



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People who were not well-served by this virtual duopoly had to resort to 100 year-old razors and a few companies that made traditional razors.



Smartphones followed the same general trend. Initially there were only non-smartphones (many of them) and precursors of today's smartphones (Symbian, Windows Mobile, etc.), but it was dominated by BlackBerry.

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Then came the first iPhone followed quickly by Android. They were initially quite different.

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This encouraged a few more companies to try and develop varied smartphones. Windows Phone, the Nokia N9, BlackBerry10, Jolla, Tizen, Ubuntu, Firefox -- they either died out (like the N9/Meego), are dying out (WP and BB) or serve a niche market.

For the most part, this is a duopoly again. Also, Android phones and iPhones are quickly converging in design and interface. There are still minor differences, but they're getting ever closer to being the same thing.

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Outliers like BlackBerry and Microsoft are running out of time.

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What does this imply?

Of course, this wouldn't happen if people were not okay with it. Just like with safety razors - they came in, and essentially killed off the straight (and that happened pretty rapidly). People ate up the hype that was sold to them - 'More blades are better!' - 'You need a hydration strip!'

Not everyone was well-served by this. Some people just suffered in silence, and some of them (like most of us) went back to traditional razor designs, and resisted the 'modern' models.

Similarly, in the case of smartphones, most people are well-served by Apple and the various Android phones. Have you noticed that they all look alike? A slab of glass of various sizes. The apps are all the same and people use them to post pics of their food.

There is a dwindling population of users who want a physical keyboard, or to navigate their phones differently, but since they are such a small part of the market, it's likely that they will eventually have no choices available. Phones like the BlackBerry Classic or Passport are on life-support at the moment.

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These companies will try to make models that allow them to sell enough to stay in business, but eventually they will die out. Blackberry is still around, and announcing new phones (Like the Priv), but for how much longer? Will the next Windows Phones increase their market share? Will Tizen, Firefox, Ubuntu Phone etc. ever rise past their niche status?

Or are we destined to be stuck with iOS and Android while they become the same thing?


Will there be a resurgence of traditional platforms (like there has been with razors)? Of course, it's much simpler to churn out a custom DE razor or a Cobra Classic than it is to develop and launch a smartphone.

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Finally, this being technology, will the next great communication fad come along where we have our devices permanently implanted in our bodies somewhere and everything is shared with Google?

I wouldn't be surprised if that happened.

Very interesting, whether design converges or its a case of the followers trying to duplicate what the category leader has so they will eventually look the same. Have you noticed that trend in automotive design? Bland designs converging ever more blandly. Stand on a street corner and look at the cars go by and imagine that for most of those cars somebody picked it out in a show room or otherwise selected it. How sad. You can say that we are driven to this by the insipid products offered at the affordable car level and I suppose thats true, however, even higher priced cars are converging in design and ugliness. It shouldn't matter except that they're everywhere rolling around displaying their ugliness a blight on the landscape. If ever there was a need for a Romulan cloaking device this is it - nobody what have to look at every bodies ugly cars.
Mark

Interesting concept. I have thought for the last few years I feel like I live in a company town and my only shopping option is a company store.

As everything goes grand, multinational, mega corporate, generic bland garbage - it really is hard to find the products that are different.

As companies sift through every email, facebook post, and tweat they look for commonality and produce products that are basically the same to meet consumer desires.

Maybe that is why we rejected the latest hyped 6 blade razor and cans of goop and wet shave - our why of thumbing our nose at corporate commonality.

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I actually considered including cars in this analogy, but I think that even though sedans and SUV's are all pretty much the same these days, there are still several models (compacts, sedans, pickups, etc.). Also, there are a lot of boutique cars that offer change (if you have the money).

You guys are right, of course, with everything being tracked these days companies quickly figure out 'what the customer wants' and offer the same bland item for everyone. If you're an outlier, they don't care much about your desires.

Luckily, there are usually entrepreneurs who are willing to fill those voids. I hope that, as is the case with shaving equipment at the moment, other vendors will continue to innovate and offer truly original items for the other aspects of our lives so that we're not doomed to a life of blandness.

I don't know where you guys live but up here in Canada the grocery stores all offer the same, very limited line of products. When my son was still in junior high/high school he played club basketball and wold travel to tournaments often in the US, Spokane, Salt Lake City and Las Vegas and we (mom and dad) were usually driving (not LV) It was one of our greatest pleasures to wander up and down the aisles of the grocery stores just to see the selection of products. It was impressive. I suppose you can say who needs more than one brand of bran flakes? Don't get me started on produce.
Mark

Marko I agree. One of the highlights for us on USA weekend road trips, is hitting up USA grocery stores.

We bring back a mini-van or SUV load of USA available only goodies, kids cereal, snacks, BBQ sauce, etc.

All evidence has been buried, all tapes have been erased.

Funny because Cincinnati is home to the corporate headquarters of P&G and Kroger - the largest personal products company in the world and the largest grocery store chain in the U.S - one company making everything - the other one selling everything.  My wife complains about the lack of choice in the local grocery store - yes you have several choices but they are exactly the same item in a different package.

Ironic - when ever I went to Montreal for the F1 race I would always bring home things like HP Steak Sauce (the sell it here now) because it wasn't the bland old Heinz.  So maybe it is just us getting so use to the products we grew up with that anything new peaks our interest.

But with companies like P&G growing - it will reach a point when it won't matter where you go - the toothpaste, steak sauce, and razor blades will be the same.  Here is a sign in Kiev, Ukrane - I don't have to tell you the name of the resturant because you likely know but it shows you the extent that everywhere you go everything is the same.  That is why I like to support the small shops out there when I buy things especially if they are made in house like the soaps and aftershaves.

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