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HTC president calls Samsung’s Galaxy S 4 event embarrassing

Updated Apr 4th, 2013 10:37AM EDT
Samsung Galaxy S 4 Event

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As anyone who was on hand at last year’s Galaxy S III unveiling expected, Samsung’s (005930) Galaxy S 4 press conference at Radio City Music Hall on Thursday evening was quite the spectacle. We were expecting a big-budget production, but we’re not sure anyone could have guessed that the presenters would break out in song and dance. HTC (2498) president Jason MacKenzie was watching the show Thursday night, and he had some choice comments when asked how he felt about the unveiling of his chief rival’s new flagship smartphone.

“I went from laughing to actually feeling embarrassed at some of the acting,” MacKenzie said in an interview with CNET. “Watching the presentation, it looks like they invested a lot in marketing instead of innovation.” HTC reps were on hand outside Samsung’s event promoting the company’s upcoming flagship smartphone, the HTC One.

Samsung Telecommunications America’s marketing director Ryan Bidan responded, “Everybody is entitled to their opinion.” He also told CNET that he thinks Samsung handles research and development well, not just marketing.

Zach Epstein
Zach Epstein Executive Editor

Zach Epstein has been the Executive Editor at BGR for more than 10 years. He manages BGR’s editorial team and ensures that best practices are adhered to. He also oversees the Ecommerce team and directs the daily flow of all content. Zach first joined BGR in 2007 as a Staff Writer covering business, technology, and entertainment.

His work has been quoted by countless top news organizations, and he was recently named one of the world's top 10 “power mobile influencers” by Forbes. Prior to BGR, Zach worked as an executive in marketing and business development with two private telcos.