Samsung Electronics Co is said to be planning to debut its next flagship smartphone in February, presenting Apple Inc’s iPhone X with a sooner-than-expected challenger.
The South Korea-based technology giant plans to introduce the new models, the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9 Plus, as early as late February and release the devices as early as March, people familiar with the matter said.
That schedule would be a month earlier than it was for the current Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus.
The new phones will be similar to the current Galaxy models, but include upgraded camera systems, said the people, who asked not to be identified because the plans are private.
The debut is to be the South Korean company’s first major phone introduction since the Note 8 was released in September last year. The Galaxy S8 line was introduced in March.
The launch is to be a significant one for Samsung, potentially serving as a way for the company to continue strong global momentum despite the appeal of the new top-of-the-line iPhone X and a forecast of a dip in market share. Samsung’s new models could present Cupertino, California-based Apple with formidable rivals just months into the iPhone X’s life cycle.
While the latest iPhone has generated positive reviews and some analysts project holiday sales will help Apple close its first quarter with more than US$80 billion in revenue, Cowen and Co analyst Karl Ackerman said customers seem to be opting for cheaper models of the iPhone, suggesting that the company failed to cram enough new technologies into the iPhone X to justify the US$999 price tag in the US.
“Some investors may conclude this relates to better sales momentum for the X, but we are increasingly concerned that demand has been below initial expectations as users appear to have gravitated toward the previous iPhone models,” Ackerman wrote in a note to clients.
Sales of the models released this year are “good, but not yet indicative of a ‘supercycle,’” Ackerman said.
Meanwhile, China’s top smartphone makers are ready to challenge Apple on its home turf after trouncing the iPhone maker in their own market.
Huawei Technologies Co (華為) and Xiaomi Corp (小米) are in talks with US wireless operators about selling flagship smartphones to Americans as soon as next year, people familiar with the matter said.
The firms are negotiating with carriers including AT&T Inc and Verizon Communications Inc, the people said.
Huawei has already tried selling its flagship Mate 9 phone in the US via e-commerce Web sites like Amazon.com Inc and the company also plans to sell the Mate 10 device through e-commerce channels, the people said.
Xiaomi senior vice president Wang Xiang (王翔) said the firm aims to roll out phones in the US within two years.
The company is also weighing opening retail stores in the US to build its brand and sell its fitness trackers, thermostats and vacuum cleaners before a phone launch, Wang said.
Those products are already sold online in the US.
Verizon, AT&T and Huawei declined to comment.
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