Samsung launches new S9 phone with augmented reality features
Samsung launches new S9 phone with augmented reality
features
Erwan LUCAS AFP • February 25, 2018
Barcelona (AFP) - Samsung unveiled its new flagship
smartphone on Sunday with a focus on augmented reality features as it seeks to
keep its title as the world's biggest smartphone maker.
The South Korean firm showcased the Galaxy S9 on the eve
of the official start of the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, which comes
after a year of flat smartphone sales.
With no other major handset maker using the annual event,
the world's largest phone show, to launch a new flagship device this year,
Samsung had the opportunity to grab the spotlight.
The S9 features essentially the same design as last
year's previous flagship, with the full screen and curved glass edge of the S8,
which was followed by Apple's iPhone X and others.
But it includes louder sound, a faster processor and
software that turns selfies into animated emojis, which will appeal to
consumers who are increasingly preferring to use their phones to send text
messages rather than talking.
Samsung also included a dual lense camara on the Galaxy S
line for the first time, which will improve low-light capture and enhance slow
motion video, which is popular on social media.
A service powered by artificial intelligence (AI) allows
users to point its camera to instantly translate a sign in a foreign language.
It is also one of the few flagship phones left that still
comes with a standard headphone jack.
"Despite these incremental innovations, Samsung will
have to smartly leverage its brand and marketing machine to correctly position
the new smartphones to a target audience," said Forrester analyst Thomas
Husson.
Global smartphone sales fell by 6.3 percent in the fourth
quarter due to slower than expected Christmas sales, according to research firm
IDC.
Overall global smartphone sales for 2017 were virtually
flat -- down 0.1 percent at 1.47 billion units -- as phone makers struggled to
come up with innovations that encourage customers to upgrade their devices.
- Cost concerns -
Samsung suffered a humiliating recall of its Galaxy Note
7 device in 2016 after several devices exploded, but its Galaxy 8 smartphone
was a consumer and critical success.
While it kept its lead over Apple as the world's biggest
seller of smartphones in 2017 with a 21.6 percent market share, up from 21.1
percent in the previous year, Samsung faces stiffer competition from Chinese
rivals like Huawei and Xiaomi that offer cheaper handsets with many high-end
features.
The S9 will sell for 859 euros ($1,055), a price which
analysts warned could turn off many consumers.
While the S9's camera is "markedly different"
in quality from older smartphones that people already own "consumers may
delay purchase because of rising flagship prices," IHS Markit said in a
research note.
"Samsung must work hard to market the benefits of
these designs to counter negative pricing perception."
Huawei unveiled a new laptop and tablet in Barcelona
earlier on Sunday but will present its new flagship smartphone -- the P20 -- on
March 27 in Paris.
Thomas said this will allow it to "fine tune its
marketing message based on how the new Samsung S9 devices are perceived by
consumers".
Earlier on Sunday South Korea's LG unveiled the V30S --
an updated version of its flagship V30 smartphone launched six months ago --
which features higher memory and artificial intelligence-based technologies
that focus on photos and voice recognition.
More than 100,000 people are expected to descend on
Barcelona for the annual show, which features driverless carmakers, social
media giants and chip companies in addition to handset makers.
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