Just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should do it

Bloomberg published an article today about Samsung’s plans to release a device with a display that wraps around the edges. Why would you need such a feature, you may ask? As Van Baker, director of research at Gartner, explains, it’s all about throwing a bunch of s#@& against the wall and see what sticks.

Curved screens may be a technology in search of a problem to solve, said Gartner’s Baker. Samsung may provide a test case because they have shown a willingness to release products into the market to see if they gain favor with customers, he said.

“There are enough companies out there that are very fond of throwing whatever hardware they can out into the market, just to see if anybody will bite,” he said.

Of course, Samsung will sell this to us as true innovation.

By definition, innovation is the application of better solutions that meet new requirements, inarticulated needs, or existing market needs. Innovation must solve an existing problem, not just be a demonstration of what can technically be done.

Just because you can do it doesn’t mean you should do it. But Samsung likes to prove it can be first. Not first at creating a new innovative product. Just first at creating a product.

Read Bloomberg’s article.