The head of the Samsung Mobile Experience division, Te Moon Roh (TM Roh), during a press conference in Seoul, answered some questions from journalists, including those about competition with Apple. A top manager of the South Korean giant is confident that his company will catch up with its biggest competitor in five years, after which the supply of premium Samsung smartphones will surpass that of the iPhone. He believes that this is quite realistic, although not an easy task.
Tae Moon-ro said that the company’s global sales of foldable smartphones will exceed those of flagships by 20% this year, and one in three premium Galaxy smartphones sold in Korea will be foldable. The head of Samsung Mobile Experience seems overconfident in his statements. Media outlets claim that Apple is already increasing shipments of upcoming smartphones and has informed suppliers about the preparation of 84 to 89 million iPhone 15s this year. Sales of the Galaxy S23 did not even reach half of the above figure.
Tae Moon-ro said that the company’s global sales of foldable smartphones will exceed those of flagships by 20% this year
At the moment, Samsung has two main problems that prevent it from catching up with Apple in the premium smartphone market. First, it is the lack of a reliable ecosystem. Secondly, it’s pricing. While the Galaxy Z Flip5’s $1,000 starting price is still acceptable, the Galaxy Z Fold5 comes with a much higher price tag, limiting overall shipments of both devices for an entire year. Despite the fact that Samsung sells more smartphones per year than Apple, this is all due to entry-level and mid-range devices. The premium smartphones of the Korean company are not yet as popular as the iPhone.