Telecom Equipment News
- Samsung unveils new lines
Date: 14-Feb-2007 Sources: (Xinhua Online)
Samsung Electronics will expand its product portfolio and reach further into the low-priced segment of the handset market to maintain its top-three position in China, a senior executive said.
The South Korean mobile phone maker hopes to drive its sales in China by reinforcing its premium handset lines while offering more diversified products, said CR Jeon, senior manager of its Overseas Marketing Strategy Group, Mobile Communication Division.
We will focus on (the high-end) Ultra Edition series this year and also expand our product range in China,' Jeon said at the 3GSM World Congress 2007 held in this Spanish city.
Samsung is also planning to introduce more customized and dedicated models in China, such as music or messaging phones, Jeon said.
The electronics giant unveiled 15 new mobile phone models, including Ultra Edition II, some of which will be released in China.
The company will also strengthen its efforts in PDAs (personal digital assistants), a market that Samsung has previously neglected, the executive said.
But Samsung, which has long been known for its sleek designs and premium prices, 'will also introduce more low-priced cell phones in China', Jeon said, noting that the demand is showing strong growth.
Samsung is currently the third-largest mobile phone vendor in China, comprising about 10 percent of the market, trailing Finnish firm Nokia and US-based Motorola.
China, the world's largest mobile phone market, had 461 million subscribers by December, according to the Ministry of Information Industry.
The number is expected to exceed 500 million this year, according to CCID Consulting, a Beijing-based consultancy affiliated with the Ministry of Information Industry.
And 160 million more mobile phone subscribers are expected to be added from 2007 to 2010, most of them coming from small towns and rural areas.
The mobile phone market in big cities has become increasingly saturated, the consultancy said.
'We hope low-priced cell phones we are going to introduce will drive our business and help maintain our position as a top vendor in the country,' Jeon said.
Globally, Samsung aims to sell 133 million cell phones this year, increasing from last year's 118 million, Jeon said.
But the senior executive declined to say how many handsets his company is aiming to sell in China, citing company policy.
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