MWC 2020 cancelled by GSMA
News comes as Chinese death toll passes 1,100 and more than 50 companies drop out
News - Jasper Hart
February 12, 2020
Mid-market success for Korean vendor
Last night, Samsung celebrated the launch of its latest flagship series, accompanied by a new foldable device.
The S20 Range boasts formidable camera qualities and sizeable RAM and battery life, while the Galaxy Z Flip has a smooth design and a flexible display.
However, the vendor has also been flexing its commercial prowess further down the mid-range, according to director innovation, technology & services strategy Kate Beaumont.
In a briefing last week ahead of the launch of the new S20 Range, Beaumont revealed that the manufacturer’s best-selling device in the UK was the Galaxy A40, released in April 2019.
Samsung pushed its revamped A Series heavily last year, releasing seven devices that run the affordability gamut, from the A20e to the A90 5G.
“It was a good year, we extended the A Series range. In 2018, where we underperformed was in the low- to mid-range segment,” said Beaumont. “From a profitability perspective it’s challenging, but we weren’t seeing the demand.
“Then obviously we got new competition and we thought that was an important segment to be in. The A40 was the best selling in the UK, so it shows that there is a real demand in that segment.”
Beaumont would not disclose precise figures. She added that any new devices in the A series range this year would take the previous year’s performance into account, as Samsung looks to focus its devices by region.
“You’ll probably see three or four new iterations in that segment – it will depend on region,” she said. “We have a global roadmap and we see what works in the UK market, so there are certain sweet spots. Some of them will have enterprise editions and some will have 5G. But we will still have a very strong A series rollout for 2020.”
Samsung already announced two new A Series phones, the A51 and A71, at CES.
