Samsung’s mobile communications head said the company won’t provide specific volume targets for the Galaxy Note 10, but said it is expected to “achieve higher volumes versus its predecessor, Note 9.”
Speaking on Samsung’s second quarter earnings conference call, Jong Min Lee, vice president of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business, was asked about the Note 10 launch as well as the Galaxy Fold Foldable Phone and the potential impact on reviving smartphone sales.
Samsung’s issue is that the Note 10 launch, which happens at Unpacked Aug. 7, arrives as the company confirmed that the Galaxy Fold will also arrive following a false start over concerns about its screen.
Lee noted that the Fold will be in limited quantities and markets, but foldable screens will work their way into the product portfolio. Samsung’s smartphone unit is in a bind as it tries to be more cost competitive in the mid-tier and lower end devices while launching premium devices ahead of a 5G rollout that hasn’t quite taken off yet.
Meanwhile, smartphone demand has been down.
Samsung’s plan is to leverage a seasonal demand bump and be efficient to weather economic turmoil due to trade wars. Samsung also plans to improve efficiencies to preserve profits.
Like Apple, Samsung faces a few key questions in the premium market. More
By Larry Dignan for Between the Lines
