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Samsung Electronics introduced the idea of its foldable phone during a developers’ conference in November 2018. (YouTube screenshot)
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Samsung and LG respectively focus on foldable phones and 5G technology
The 2019 smartphone market appears poised for some of its biggest shakeups since the 2007 arrival of the iPhone. The year is bringing both changes in the shape of the devices and a new generation of mobile communications. In late February, Samsung Electronics is set to move first as the major smartphone companies each unveiled the innovative products they have been preparing over the past few years. Samsung Electronics is making its bid with foldable phones. On Feb. 20, it is planning an independent “Unpacked” event in San Francisco to unveil the Galaxy S10 foldable phone, which can be folded to open and close. Previously shown briefly at a developer’s conference in November, the smartphone measures 4.6 inches when closed and 7.3 inches when open. Samsung Electronics described the product as “seven years in the making.” The company also plans to launch a 5G phone at next month’s Unpacked event, but the foldable phone is being given pride of place. “It looks like Samsung sees the foldable phone as offering more ‘innovation’ than the other products,” an industry source said. Samsung Electronics has been dogged by criticisms of “lacking innovation” since its full-scale adoption of edge displays with the early 2017 launch of the Galaxy S8. LG Electronics is pouring its energies into a 5G phone, which it plans to unveil next month in Barcelona at the Mobile World Congress, the world’s largest mobile industry exhibition. The company is predicting that 5G demand will far outstrip foldable phone demand with the shift to a new mobile communications generation. Its two chief markets in South Korea and the US are both moving proactively in the shift toward 5G. LG Electronics is also reportedly preparing to unveil a dual display phone with front and back displays. The company remains a few steps behind in the foldable phone competition. The area that carries enormous R&D costs, and with its smartphone sector producing losses for nearly four years, LG Electronics is not in the position to take on a leading role. Huawei, which has been leading in the innovation game with its release of the world’s first triple camera phone last year, plans to launch its own foldable phone and 5G phone in the first half of 2019. With some delays in its preparations, the unveiling is expected to come sometime after March. “We also unveiled a triple camera phone (the P20 Pro) last year at a separate ‘unpacked’ after the MWC in late February,” a Huawei official noted. “Something similar is expected this year,” the official added. Apple, which has been struggling lately with diminishing performance, is lagging behind in the foldable phone and 5G phone competitions. No news has yet emerged on a foldable phone, while the launch of a 5G phone is predicted to come as late as next year amid frictions with communications chip supplier Qualcomm. Apple also tended to adopt a slower launch strategy with 4G, releasing products roughly a year after other companies. Motorola’s Razr, known as the “Beckham phone” during the feature phone days, is also scheduled to appear in foldable phone format at next month’s MWC in Spain. Negative growth to continue despite new product launches Despite the new product launches by major companies, the smartphone market is expected to continue its negative growth for a second year, with the market research firm Trendpost projecting a 2019 decline of 3.3% from 1.44 billion units this year. Unlikely to shake off its Chinese competitors, Samsung Electronics is adopting a strategy of launching numerous regionally tailored low-end items to maintain its 20% market share. LG Electronics, which has faced growing losses in recent years, plans to focus on building substance rather than market share. The company’s current share of the global smartphone market remains in the 2–4% range. By Choi Hyun-june, staff reporter Please direct comments or questions to [english@hani.co.kr]
