It’s easy to see why everybody wants to be a platform these days. Just look at Apple: By owning both the hardware and the operating system, it gets total control over what developers build on its platform — and a sizable cut of the revenues besides. In return, developers get an unmatched distribution channel directly to customers’ devices. As Apple extends to new devices, those developers get to come along.

So it’s no wonder that Samsung, eternally defining itself by its struggles with Apple, wants to be a platform, too, especially in the face of shrinking profits. On paper, it seems so simple: Samsung has the hardware business. It’s making some wearables, investing in a connected home business with the SmartThings acquisition, and getting into virtual reality.

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