الأربعاء، 10 مارس 2021

The feature phone market is dying and Samsung might be fine with it

Samsung’s been losing ground in the feature phone segment and the company has lost 2% global market share in Q4 2020 compared to the previous quarter. Then again, the feature phone market means very little for Samsung in terms of revenue, especially compared to the full-fledged smartphone segment.

It’s only a matter of time before feature phones will be phased out as more emerging markets jump on the smartphone bandwagon, and in a way, Samsung appears to be content with the way things are going.

The global feature phone market has experienced a massive 24% year-on-year decline in Q4 2020. For the time being, however, Samsung remains one of the main players in the feature phone segment, though rivals including iTel, HMD Global, and Tecno have a bigger presence.

Samsung was the fourth-largest feature phone vendor in Q4 2020 with an 8% global market share (in terms of shipments), down from 10% in the previous quarter. In contrast, Tecno, HMD Global, and iTel have captured 10%, 17%, and 22% of the market, respectively.

India was Samsung’s biggest feature phone market in Q4 2020

According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung’s biggest feature phone market in Q4 2020 was by far India. There, the company was able to reach the podium on 2nd place with an 18% market share. The feature phone segment in India was led by iTel with 20% and Samsung was followed by Lava with a market share of 15%.

Aside from India, Samsung was only able to break into the top 5 list of feature phone brands in the MEA region, where it recorded a 1% market share in Q4, down from 2% in Q3. Samsung wasn’t as successful in regions such as LATAM, Europe, North America, and the rest of Asia, where the company has failed to reach top 5.

Samsung’s presence in the feature phone segment is clearly waning but that’s partly because the feature phone market itself is shrinking. In most cases, Samsung is selling feature phones as a way to keep brand awareness alive for customers who will eventually become smartphone owners. And in most markets, this strategy appears to have run its course.

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Samsung’s first Unpacked for Galaxy A series will strike fear in its rivals

It’s no secret that growth in the flagship smartphone market has stalled. Even before the pandemic hit last year, it was projected that high-end smartphone demand would likely remain stagnant due to rising prices and the general trend of users holding on to their phones for longer.

Then the pandemic happened and the market contracted even further as people became more mindful of what they spent their money on. As people across the globe dealt with the pandemic’s economic fallout, $1000+ smartphones were not really a priority.

Samsung has been trying to shake things up in the high-end smartphone segment since 2019 when it launched the first Galaxy Fold. It followed up with the Galaxy Z Flip several months later and also released the exceptional Galaxy Z Fold 2 last year. However, those devices are still far too expensive for even those that would spend $1,200 on a Galaxy S21 Ultra.

These changing dynamics have made smartphone manufacturers focus more on mid-range devices. Margins might be slim on those devices but that’s where the volume exists now. The technology and capability of sub-$500 devices have considerably improved over the past couple of years. Companies like Samsung are pushing the envelope as much as possible in this segment to attract buyers, many of whom are often buying their first smartphone.

This has led to intense competition in the mid-range smartphone market. Competition is always good for the consumer. It provides more options and a greater value for money. Samsung was quick to realize this and pounced on the opportunity with the Galaxy A50. We called it “Samsung’s most value-for-money mid-ranger yet” in our Galaxy A50 review and with good reason.

The Galaxy A50 was one of Samsung’s best-selling smartphones in 2019. It leveraged that solid foundation for the Galaxy A51 which turned out to be an even bigger hit. The Galaxy A51 Samsung’s best-selling smartphone in the entire first half of 2020. No other Samsung device, not even the flagships, came close to the sheer number of units that Samsung sold in this segment.

The Galaxy A51 and Galaxy A71 duo ticked all of the right boxes. They had a great design, amazing build quality, good cameras and a lot of new features. Samsung later launched the Galaxy A51 5G and Galaxy A71 5G, cementing their position as the premier mid-range devices.

Samsung’s decision to push new technologies through its mid-range series helped it against the relentless onslaught of affordable devices from Chinese manufacturers. The revamped Galaxy A series allowed Samsung to not only retain but regain its share in key markets across South Asia. The company went one step further and promised three years of Android OS upgrades and four years of security updates for the leading Galaxy A series devices. This pushes the series into a league of its own.

One can’t help but be excited about what the future holds. How will Samsung further improve the Galaxy A series, particularly the leading Galaxy A5x and A7x devices, to decimate the competition? We won’t have to wait for much longer to find out. The company confirmed today that it will conduct a Galaxy Awesome Unpacked event on March 17. The countless leaks we’ve seen over the past couple of weeks are enough to assume that it will unveil the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 at the event.

It’s uncommon for Samsung to conduct a dedicated launch event for mid-range devices. It used to launch new Galaxy A devices through mere press releases such a few years ago. Not only will these devices get their own event, but Samsung is also referring to it as “Unpacked,” a branding it only uses for flagship launch events.

This will be the first Unpacked event for mid-range devices. It underscores the importance that Samsung gives to the Galaxy A series. The Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 will undoubtedly be the crown jewel of Samsung’s mid-range lineup and the company wants to give them the media spotlight befitting that status.

There’s reason to believe that these might be some of the best mid-rangers from Samsung yet. We exclusively revealed last month that the Galaxy A52 and Galaxy A72 will get high refresh rate displays. Other leaks have revealed improved cameras, stereo speakers and water resistance. 5G variants will be on offer as well and don’t forget, these new devices will definitely be supported for three Android OS upgrades.

Customers who want a device in this price range would likely not find a better option. This is how high Samsung will be raising the bar with its latest mid-rangers. Its decision to unveil the phones under the Unpacked umbrella only goes to show how serious Samsung is about the lineup and that it remains committed to ensuring continued dominance in the mid-range segment.

The ultimate beneficiaries are those that spend their hard-earned money on their devices. Samsung is going to provide them with a top-notch product at a competitive price with software support that goes above and beyond what any other OEM can promise. Its rivals can only fear just how much further Samsung is willing to push the envelope on this.

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A Galaxy A22 4G variant exists and it’s reportedly planned for an H2 release

Samsung’s most cost-effective 5G smartphone so far is the Galaxy A32 5G but the handset in question won’t hold that title for much longer. As reported a few months ago, Samsung is developing another 5G phone under the Galaxy A22 5G moniker — one that’s shaping up to be even more affordable than the A32 — and today we were able to confirm through our colleagues at GalaxyClub that Samsung is also planning to release a Galaxy A22 4G variant later this year.

As you would expect given that the Galaxy A22 5G was identified by model number SM-A226B, the Galaxy A22 4G will be known by its SM-A225F ID. Availability-wise, the Galaxy A22 4G will reportedly go on sale in a large number of countries including a few European markets, similar to the 5G model. Pricing details are unknown but it’s logical to assume that the Galaxy A22 4G will cost less than the Galaxy A32 4G, which was introduced earlier in March for around $300.

The Galaxy A22 4G and 5G variants could have slightly different specs

The Galaxy A22 5G was previously reported to be planned for release with a 5G-enabled MediaTek Dimensity 700 chipset in tow, but there’s no guarantee that the 4G model will use the same solution or have the exact same specs sans 5G connectivity.

Looking back at Samsung’s most recent 4G/5G phone — the Galaxy A32 — there are major differences between the 4G and 5G models in terms of display, chipset, and camera setups, with the main, depth, and selfie sensors that were employed by the 4G model boasting a higher resolution.

There’s no way to be sure of this as yet, but if the Galaxy A22 4G will follow the Galaxy A32’s example, it, too, could offer a few interesting upgrades over the 5G variant.

Samsung is expected to schedule the Galaxy A22 for release no earlier than the second half of 2021, so we’re bound to find out more about the device through leaks in the foreseeable future.

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[Result] SamMobile Weekly Giveaway: Get your free Galaxy Z Flip!

We have something very special on offer in our latest SamMobile weekly giveaway. Enter now for a chance to win the Galaxy Z Flip. All SamMobile members across the globe are eligible for our giveaways. Everyone gets an equal chance to win some amazing Samsung products every week!

The Galaxy Z Flip is Samsung’s first clamshell foldable smartphone. In our Galaxy Z Flip review, we highlight that the device is absolutely worth its asking price. The 6.7-inch foldable display is the first to utilize ultra-thin glass. The Galaxy Z Flip is powered by a Snapdragon 855+ chipset with 8GB of RAM and 256GB internal storage.

To win this $1,380 smartphone, use the widget at the end of this post to submit your entry. The winner of this SamMobile weekly giveaway will be announced on March 10, 2021.

Result: Drum roll please…! Congratulations, Kinesh Malviya. You’ve won a Galaxy Z Flip. We’ll be in touch with further details on how to claim your prize. If you didn’t win, don’t lose hope. Take part in our latest SamMobile Weekly Giveaway to win the new Galaxy SmartTag.

Galaxy Z Flip international giveaway!

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SamMobile Weekly Giveaway: Galaxy SmartTags for three lucky winners!

Three people will have a chance to win an amazing new Samsung accessory in our latest SamMobile weekly giveaway. The new SmartTag is a great accessory that you can use to keep track of your valuables and even to control smart home devices.

Check out our Galaxy SmartTag review to learn more about this great product. Three lucky winners will receive one SmartTag each. SamMobile’s giveaways are open for everyone. So you can be located anywhere in the world and still enter for a chance to win.

The widget at the end of this post lists the multiple ways through which you can submit an entry. We will announce the winners of this giveaway on March 17, 2021.

Galaxy SmartTag x3 international giveaway!

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[List] Galaxy devices that have received Android 11/One UI 3.0 update

Only four months after officially announcing the One UI 3.0 update, Samsung already brought its custom Android 11 implementation to quite a few of its Galaxy devices. At least compared to the pace of its Android 10-based One UI 2.x deployment efforts which have been ongoing until this very month. And assuming we’re counting Android 11 beta builds, which we are.

As Samsung is expected to begin ramping up the development and release of various One UI 3.0 iterations, this is a fine time for us to start keeping detailed tabs on that endeavor. This would primarily constitute tracking the exact lineups and models that have already been updated, as well as the order in which that happened.

We will be updating this list on a regular basis, so feel free to bookmark it if you’re eager to embrace Samsung’s latest mobile OS ASAP. Our definition of that term is about to change soon, anyway, seeing how the One UI 3.1 update is right around the corner.

In case your device isn’t on the following list just yet, here is when you can expect the Android 11 party to start on your end. Keep in mind that releases usually take at least several weeks before going fully global, with the possible exception of Samsung’s foldable smartphones.

With that said, you can download the latest system images from our firmware archives almost as soon as Samsung makes them available.

Galaxy devices that have received Android 11/One UI 3.x update

The post [List] Galaxy devices that have received Android 11/One UI 3.0 update appeared first on SamMobile.



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One UI 3.1 update brings Samsung DeX support to Galaxy Tab S6 Lite

The Galaxy Tab S6 Lite started receiving the Android 11-based One UI 3.1 update last week. The update brought a refreshed UI design and various other features to the mid-range tablet. However, most people failed to see that the update also brought a major feature to the device: Samsung DeX.

With the One UI 3.1 update, the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite received support for Samsung DeX, but we still don’t know if it works wirelessly with monitors and TVs. The feature brings desktop-like UI to the tablet, allowing users to do tasks more efficiently while using the S Pen or when connected to an external display via a cable. DeX Mode is ideal when it is used with a keyboard and a mouse.

Given the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite’s Exynos 9611 processor, the performance of Samsung DeX might not be extremely smooth, but it is still great that the South Korean firm brought such a huge feature to its year-old mid-range tablet. Thanks to the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite’s big screen, DeX could become a handy feature for users.

You can see the DeX Mode working on the Galaxy Tab S6 Lite in the video below. The Android 11-based One UI 3.1 update also brought refreshed UI design, one-time permissions, permissions auto reset, media player widget in the quick settings section, conversations section in the notifications area, improved apps, and more to the tablet.

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