Samsung’s smartphone market share grows stronger on its home turf in Q2 2020

Samsung maintained its leading position in the global smartphone market during the second quarter of 2020 despite a sharp fall in sales. In South Korea, it managed to grow its market share even further, a new report showed earlier today. The company launched the Galaxy S20 series and various Galaxy A series devices in South Korea in Q2 2020.

According to a new report from Counterpoint Research, Samsung’s market share in Q2 2020 improved by three percentage points from Q1 2020 in South Korea to 67%. The report mentions that the company’s market share improved due to robust sales of Galaxy A series smartphone and the Galaxy S20 series. The smartphone market in South Korea improved by 9% compared to Q1 2020 but was still 8% lower compared to Q2 2019.

Apple stood second in the South Korean smartphone market with a share of 19% during the same period. Compared to Q1 2020, the iPhone maker’s market share improved by 1 percentage point in Q2 2020. LG remained in the third spot with a market share of 13%, down 3 percentage points from Q1 2020.

The top three best-selling smartphones in South Korea during the second quarter of this year were the iPhone SE, Galaxy S20+, and Galaxy S20. Half of the top ten best-selling devices were from Samsung’s Galaxy A series. Sales of smartphones priced below $400 accounted for 45%, showing that Korean consumers opted for more affordable phones during the pandemic.

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Samsung Display wants to keep Huawei as a client, seeks US approval

Samsung Display is reportedly seeking approval from the US Department of Commerce to continue selling OLED panels to Huawei. Much like the company’s semiconductor arm, Samsung Display will be forced by new regulations set in place by the US government to cease supplying Huawei with parts that have been developed using software and technologies originating from the USA. This virtually includes any serious component needed for smartphone manufacturing. In the case of Samsung Display, its OLED display driver integrated circuits are made using US technologies.

Samsung and other companies who may want to continue doing business with Huawei after September 15 have to obtain a licence from the US Department of Commerce. Samsung Display , not unlike the company’s semiconductor arm, has reportedly made such a request on Wednesday, September 9.

Samsung Display doesn’t want to lose its third-biggest client

Huawei is Samsung Display’s third-biggest client after Apple and Samsung’s own consumer electronics arm, so there’s a good reason for the company to try maintaining a business relationship with the Chinese tech giant. In the past, Samsung Display has supplied Huawei with OLED panels for flagship smartphones such as the P40 series, and the company is also supplying Huawei with large OLED panels for some of its TV models.

Samsung Display’s neighboring rival, LG Display, is in a similar situation but it has yet to apply for a license, according ZDNet citing anonymous sources. LG Display supplies Huawei with much smaller quantities of OLED panels compared to Samsung Display. The company recently stated that if it will stop supplying Huawei with its display solutions, this will have minimal impact on its business.

Of course, seeking approval and gaining approval are two different things so only time will tell if or when Samsung Display will receive green light from the US government to continue trading with Huawei. We’ll keep you posted as the story develops.

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Galaxy Z Fold 2 Thom Browne Edition hits China, sells out in 4 minutes

In spite of countless successes, Samsung’s track record with smartphones is far from spotless – largely due to the company’s slow but steady decline into irrelevancy in China, the world’s largest smartphone market. Which makes any individual success in the Far Eastern country all the more significant – especially when it revolves around an exotic, bleeding-edge flagship with an eye-watering $3,300 price tag. The Galaxy Z Fold 2 Thom Browne Edition may be a mouthful, but it’s also the reason why Samsung has lately been counting money by the handful.

This hybrid between an Android flagship and a fashion statement continues to perform so strongly that its pre-sales are turning into lotteries, and China isn’t immune to the craze, either. Newly emerged reports reveal the Galaxy Z Fold 2 Thom Browne Edition sold within four minutes of becoming available for pre-orders in the country on Wednesday.

How artificially scarce is this this foldable, exactly?

Naturally, while Samsung and the local branch of the American fashion brand were quick to tout that milestone, don’t hold your breath for any actual pre-order figures to get released. After all, a set of head-turning sold-out headlines is much more valuable to Samsung’s nascent foldable smartphone efforts than a few hundred extra sales. Though none of that is to say we expected this level of global enthusiasm for a smartphone that costs as much as a serviceable used car.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 Thom Browne Edition is scheduled to begin shipping to early adopters on September 25th, a week after regular model hits the market. If “regular” is how you’d call a state-of-the-art, unapologetically extravagant flagship with a buttery smooth, vast, and bendable Dynamic AMOLED display. The remaining few Samsung tech enthusiasts in China are also in the luck because they’re getting exclusive access to the ultimate version of the vanilla Galaxy Z Fold 2, that has double the amount of internal storage, along with Taiwan.

Curiously enough, this extra-luxurious Galaxy Z Fold 2 model is the third Samsung smartphone to have sold out in China this year, after the comparabily high-end Galaxy Z Flip and the decisively mid-range Galaxy A51 5G. It’s almost hard to believe that China, on the whole, doesn’t care about the Galaxy brand any longer. It’s still true, though – at least for now.

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RCS support reaches Galaxy A50 but global outlook remains bleak

The Galaxy A50 isn’t just one of Samsung’s best-selling smartphones from 2019, it’s also among the best-supported devices from the company’s mobile portfolio. Which is saying something, given how strong Samsung’s after-sales game has been in recent times. Yet a year and a half after its debut, the Galaxy A50 continues to impress – most recently due to the addition of RCS support to its feature set.

The novel functionality hit the said smartphone model as part of the September 2020 security update which began rolling out to select Galaxy A50 models last week. Unsurprisingly, this latest RCS expansion appears to be limited to a single country – Poland, in this instance. It isn’t carrier-specific, however, as the September 1st patch has so far only reached the unlocked, dual-SIM variants of the device in the country.

Years later, RCS remains tech industry’s slowest revolution ever

Short for Rich communications Services, RCS is a cellular messaging standard that’s well-equipped to replace the now-ancient SMS technology with absolutely superior capabilities… eventually. Because 13 years following its initial proposal, no one’s exactly in a rush to implement it, courtesy of the fact no one’s really using SMS if they can help it. Which isn’t to say mobile messaging is without a future – emergency services alone guarantee that isn’t the case, not to mention invaluable notifications systems such as Amber alert. Still, global RCS adoption continues to move at a glacial pace, even after a number of tech industry giants including Samsung and Google vowed to find some urgency.

Of course, it’s hard to blame manufacturers for this state of affairs since any RCS implementation effort lives and dies by invidual carrier support. Which has been largely non-existent so far, presumably due to the overall lack of consumer interest. In other words: any initiative that doesn’t have significant potential to become a major money-maker is unsurprisingly not something the wireless industry is too thrilled to back with notable investments.

With that said, the arrival of RCS support to the Galaxy A50 is a welcome sight as it signals the messaging standard may finally be gaining some traction in the non-flagship market segment. Well, at least as far as Galaxy smartphones are concerned.

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Samsung Galaxy M51 preview: Move aside, Galaxy A71

If you feel like Samsung launches a new Galaxy M series smartphone every day, you aren’t wrong. While the actual frequency isn’t that high, Samsung has brought quite a few new Galaxy M handsets to the market this year. Six, to be exact, with the Galaxy M51 being the latest addition to the constantly-expanding lineup and also the most expensive yet.

The headline feature of the Galaxy M51 is no doubt the 7,000 mAh battery sitting under the hood, but that’s not all. The Galaxy M31s was a repurposed Galaxy A51 with a few upgraded specs thrown in and a lower price tag, and Samsung has taken the same formula and applied it to the Galaxy A71 (review) to come up with the Galaxy M51.

So, on paper, the Galaxy M51 is a fantastic proposition: You get a Snapdragon 730G processor, 6/8GB of RAM and 128GB of storage, a 6.7-inch Super AMOLED Plus display, 7,000 mAh battery with 25W super fast charging, a quad-camera setup with a 64MP main camera, and a 32MP front-facing camera. And you get all that for less money than the Galaxy A71, which is quite impressive.

We’ll have a full review of the Galaxy M51 in the coming days that tells you whether its spec sheet makes make it a worthwhile purchase, but since I’ve already been using the phone for a couple of days, I have some early impressions to share.

Galaxy M51 preview

Let’s start with the battery. Battery life takes a while to settle down on every new phone, but when you have a 7,000 mAh cell running the show, amazing battery life can be experienced from day one. And that’s exactly what I’ve seen with the Galaxy M51, with idle drain in particular being impressively low. I also tested super fast charging – starting at 4%, the phone went up to 36%, 64%, and 87% in 30, 60, and 90 minutes respectively, which is pretty great given the battery capacity.

The Galaxy M51’s performance also feels a lot better than any previous Galaxy M handset, thanks to the fact that it’s powered by the Snapdragon 730G instead of the Exynos 9611. Well, last year’s Galaxy M40 had similar performance, but that phone had too much wrong with it to really matter. My unit has 8 gigs of RAM, but I’m sure the variant with 6GB RAM will do similarly well. However, since my time with the phone has been limited, I’ll only be able to offer a full performance report in our review.

The same goes for other aspects of the phone, such as camera quality, though I have a feeling most of it is going to be similar to the Galaxy A71. For those wondering about the software, I can confirm that the phone runs One UI 2.1 Core instead of standard One UI 2.1, but Samsung has thankfully left features like the screen recorder in there. That said, considering the Galaxy M51 is launching after the Galaxy Note 20, it would have been nice to see it running One UI 2.5 (Core) out of the box.

Is there anything about the Galaxy M51 that you’d like to know? Leave your questions down in the comments, and I’ll try to include answers in my full review.

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Samsung making over 55% in profit on every Galaxy Note 20 Ultra

This year’s Galaxy S20 series won’t end up being Samsung’s best-ever flagship generation in terms of sales, but the Korean giant did manage to charge a healthy markup on it. And that tradition continued with the newly launched Galaxy Note 20 family. That’s according to mobile market experts at Counterpoint Research, who just estimated a single Galaxy Note 20 Ultra SKU with 128GB of storage costs $548 to manufacture.

That’s $20 more than the Galaxy S20 Ultra, with the most expensive component on the flagship’s spec sheet being Qualcomm’s Snapdragon X55 5G modem and RF antenna system at $92.20. Of course, this pricey component is inseparable from the chipmaker’s latest application processor, the Snapdragon 865+, which sets Samsung back another $57 per unit. Counterpoint Research did not give a concrete estimate on how expensive the Exynos 990 version of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra is to manufacture, having only suggested that with around 70% of its hardware sourced in-house, it’s likely to allow an even higher profit margin than the Snapdragon version.

Refer to the table below for a detailed breakdown of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra production costs.

A full-priced, Snapdragon-equipped Galaxy Note 20 Ultra yields $741 in profit

Of course, licensing costs are a completely separate issue and if importing the Exynos 990 variants of the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra into the U.S. was cheaper, you can be sure Samsung would have already done it. Qualcomm’s predatory licensing practices aside, it’s not like U.S. consumers have any reason to complain this year, given how great the Snapdragon 865+ is and how decisively mediocre the Exynos 990 turned out.

At the end of the day, Samsung likely won’t be making 57% (circa $741) in profit on the Galaxy Note 20 Ultra for long. With the iPhone 12 series being just around the corner, the company already greenlit some surprisingly early but welcome discounts on its entire new flagship range. That’s without even accounting for the enormous marketing investment the company makes for every single one of its high-end smartphone series.

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Galaxy Watch Active 2 is getting some of the best Galaxy Watch 3 features

Samsung has a habit of bringing new features from its latest wearable to at least some existing models. That’s a habit that many of its customers quite like and they’ll be glad to see that it’s sticking with it. The company today confirmed that it’s bringing some of the best Galaxy Watch 3 features to the Galaxy Watch Active 2.

The same courtesy has not been extended to the Galaxy Watch Active, though, even though it was also released in 2019. Perhaps this is because the Galaxy Watch Active 2 has 8 photodiodes at the back, double that of the Galaxy Watch Active. Samsung may just be prioritizing accuracy here.

Galaxy Watch Active 2 picks up the best Galaxy Watch 3 features

The new and improved running coach is making its way to the Galaxy Watch Active 2. Its Running Analysis feature provides insight into detailed metrics like contact, flight time, stiffness, vertical oscillation and more. It’s also possible to measure VO2 max now, which is an indication of the maximum amount of oxygen you can utilize during intense exercise.

We had first heard in 2019 that the Galaxy Watch Active 2 will get Fall Detection eventually. Samsung is finally adding this feature. The upcoming software update adds Fall Detection. If a potential fall is detected, the watch will present the user with an option to send an SOS notification to designated contacts. It can also do that on its own should there be no input from the user.

All of the new communications features that come with the Galaxy Watch 3 such as support for emoticons and images, smart reply and chat history are included in this update. Lastly, the scroll capture feature has been added so when a screenshot is taken on the watch, it’s automatically sent as an image to the paired smartphone.

This Galaxy Watch Active 2 update is rolling out starting today. As we mentioned in our Galaxy Watch 3 review, if you’re not buying it for the design, then just buy the Galaxy Watch Active 2 instead. There’s little left after today’s update, functionality-wise, that differentiates the two.

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Galaxy Z Fold 2, Z Flip 5G pre-orders to start in Korea from tomorrow

Samsung has announced that it will start accepting pre-orders for the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Galaxy Z Flip 5G in Korea starting September 11. South Korean customers would be able to pre-order the new foldable smartphones until September 15. The devices will start shipping the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and the Galaxy Z Flip 5G from September 15.

The Galaxy Z Fold 2 is priced at KRW 2,398,000, and it will be released in two colors: Mystic Black and Mystic Bronze. The Galaxy Z Flip, which costs KRW 1,650,000, and it will be available in three color variants: Mystic Bronze, Mystic Grey, and Mystic White. Pre-orders can be made via Samsung’s website, Samsung Digital Plazas, 11Street, Coupang, and network carriers who will be selling the devices.

Galaxy Z Fold 2, Galaxy Z Flip 5G pre-orders come with various benefits in Korea

The foldable smartphones will go on sale in South Korea from September 18. Customers who pre-order the Galaxy Z Fold 2 would be eligible to receive the Galaxy Buds Live or a special package that contains a genuine leather case, a Wireless Charger Trio, and a phone holder for the car. Those who pre-order the Galaxy Z Flip 5G would get one-year Samsung Care+ plan, Galaxy Buds Live, or the special Disney-themed accessory package that consists of a wireless charger, a case, and custom skin.

Samsung will also make its extended warranty and accidental damage cover plans for the Galaxy Z Flip 5G and the Galaxy Z Fold 2. Customers pre-ordering the phones would be eligible to get a 70% compensation for the display’s damage replacement cost (limited to once a year), a genuine screen protection film, and Z Premier Service. They can also request a gift via the Samsung Members app or event page. The pre-orders also come with a four-month subscription to YouTube Premium and a three-month subscription to the knowledge content platform Willa.

The South Korean smartphone giant is also offering higher return value for customers who are upgrading from the Galaxy Fold to the Galaxy Z Fold 2 and from the Galaxy Z Flip to the Galaxy Z Flip 5G. The Special Rewards Program will only offer higher return value to the first 10,000 customers on a first-come, first-serve basis.

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Galaxy M51 is official in India, here are the availability and price details

Samsung’s so-called battery monster, the Galaxy M51, was officially introduced to India today ahead of hitting the shelves later this month. The company didn’t reveal any availability details for offline retail channels but the Galaxy M51 will be available online through the Samsung Shop, Amazon.in, and other major online stores.

The Galaxy M51 will hit the virtual shelves in India on September 18 and prospective buyers will have the option to pick from two memory configurations. The model with 6GB of RAM and 128GB of storage will go on sale for INR 24,999 ($339), whereas the 8GB model with the same amount of storage will cost INR 26,999 ($366).

Galaxy M51 quick spec overview

Samsung released the Galaxy M51 in Russia earlier this week, which means that hardware specifications were already known ahead of the phone’s launch in India. Nevertheless, in case there was any doubt, Samsung India did confirm that the Galaxy M51 is powered by a Snapdragon 730G SoC and not the standard Snapdragon 730 chipset. The two solutions are virtually the same except for the fact that the Snapdragon 730G was optimized for gaming and offers an additional 15% graphics boost, according to Qualcomm.

Other specs include a 6.7-inch Infinity-O Super AMOLED Plus display with a resolution of 2400 by 1080 pixels, a quad-camera setup featuring a 64MP wide, a 12MP ultra-wide, a 5MP depth sensor, and a 5MP macro camera. The front-facing sensor has a resolution of 32MP and an f/2.2 aperture.

The Galaxy M51 in India and elsewhere ships with Android 10 and One UI 2.1 Core out of the box, and it’s available in two color options, black and white. But at the end of the day, one of the most impressive characteristics of the Galaxy M51 is its monstrous 7,000mAh battery with 25W fast charging. Up until now, Samsung’s upper battery limit has been 6,000mAh but the Galaxy M51 has raised the bar to a new level.

We’ll be testing the Galaxy M51 ourselves relatively soon and we will be putting the battery and other characteristics to the test so stay tuned for our upcoming review.

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