On Wednesday, February 9, local time, Samsung released its latest Galaxy S series mobile phones, hoping to seize a larger share in the high-end market.
The Galaxy S22 series, which will be released on February 25, includes three models: Normal, Plus and Ultra. According to the press conference, the models of the series have a longer battery life, as well as a more powerful camera, able to take photos and videos in low-light environments. The most eye-catching update at the conference was the addition of a companion stylus S Pen to the most expensive Ultra model, allowing users to easily take notes and draw on their mobile phones.
According to Samsung estimates, videos now account for around 80 percent of internet usage, and this year's update is designed to attract a growing number of video users on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and other social media. In addition, Samsung also hopes to compete with rivals such as Apple with the S22 series.
During the publicity process, Samsung said that the Galaxy series products represented the "epic standard" of the mobile phone industry, but some experts had a different view.
"That amazing factor is gone, not because these products aren't good enough, but because the difference in annual updates isn't big enough," said Nabila Popal, research director at International Data Corporation.
Phopal said that since 2015, these relatively small improvements have become commonplace among major smartphone brands. Therefore, for this year's Samsung S22 series, consumers are unlikely to rush into 800 to 1200 US dollars (equivalent to 5083.28 ~ 7624.92 yuan), unless their old mobile phones are almost scrapped.
After digging deeper into the market, International Data Also found that while Samsung's cheaper models are still selling hot, its most expensive phones have recently lost market appeal — Samsung's global market share has fallen from 28 percent in 2019 to 18 percent in the first nine months of 2021 in high-end smartphones worth $800 and above.
At the same time, Apple's share of this lucrative segment has climbed rapidly from 63% to 72%. According to International Data Corporation, the latest Apple phone, which launched last September, was so popular that Apple replaced Samsung between October and December last year, leading the global market share in all price categories.
Drew Blackard, Samsung's vice president of product management, disputed the findings, insisting the company still maintains a leading position in the competition. "We are very happy with where we are now, and there is an ambitious growth plan," Blackard said in an interview.