With the upcoming Galaxy S10, Samsung may have an innovation problem.
The Korean tech giant may have stolen CES 2019 last week by announcing the Galaxy S10’s Feb. 20 launch date in San Francisco), but it was world’s second-largest phone maker, Huawei, whose Huawei Honor View 20 reminds us how far Samsung’s flagship innovation has slipped in past years. The Galaxy S10 may not be able to outpace its rivals in a few key areas.
Samsung is currently the largest phone brand on the planet by sales volume, but it’s hardly sitting pretty. Phones sales are slowing down, with even trillion-dollar Apple warning investors that it hasn’t sold as many new iPhones as expected. Samsung needs its 10th anniversary Galaxy S10 to impress if it’s going to keep its place at the top.
Does Samsung really have anything to fear? Huawei, which ousted Apple to become number-two, is in a tight spot. The company, which is also one of the biggest names in telecommunications equipment, has been banned by governments over fears of spying for the Chinese government, despite Huawei’s insistence that it adheres to local laws wherever it operates.
Since last year, massive carrier and retailer deals dried up and two of the company’s employees have been arrested.
Although Huawei’s business is imperiled, the handsets themselves are on the rise. The Huawei phones we’ve seen since last CES have outpaced Samsung’s flagship models with three rear cameras, like the Huawei P20 Pro and Mate 20 Pro, an in-screen fingerprint reader and flashy finishes and colors, like the stunning Honor View 20 seen this past week at CES. More
