According to reports out of South Korea, Samsung phone shipments this year are less than 300 million. This will be the first time in nine years that the company will ship below 300 million units. However, the company was expecting the figures considering the coronavirus pandemic. Samsung is expected to promote the supply of foldable smartphones in 2021 and fully expand the lineup of low- and mid-end 5G models.
The report pointed out that Samsung’s total shipments at the end of the third quarter were 189.4 million units. The company’s total shipments this year are estimated to be 270 million units. Nevertheless, Samsung plans to ship 307 million mobile phones in 2021. Of the 307 million mobile phones, 287 million are smartphones and the rest are feature phones.
In addition, Samsung Electronics plans to produce a total of 49.8 million flagship models including the Galaxy S21 series and foldable phones in 2021. In the second half of next year, Samsung’s foldable phone may replace the company’s Note series. We expect Samsung phone shipments to increase in the coming year given all the strategies it has in place.
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Samsung to launch many low-end 5G phones in H1 2021
With the current travails of Huawei, Samsung has a huge ground to cover. If it can unveil some affordable 5G devices, it might just claim those grounds. According to reports, after the official release of the Galaxy S21 series, Samsung will unveil a series of low-end 5G phones. This year, the only mid-to-low end 5G phone from Samsung is the Galaxy A51 5G. However, the South Korean manufacturer is currently preparing the likes of Galaxy A32, Galaxy A52, and Galaxy A72. Unlike the latest high-end models, these mid-and low-end models will still retain the 3.5 mm headphone jack.
In addition, Samsung Galaxy A32 recently passed the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) certification. According to reports, this device will officially arrive next year. There are speculations that the price of this device is about 400,000 won ($364). Although it will be Samsung’s cheapest 5G model, it is not entirely cheap. The likes of Realme V3 5G cost about $150. This is the target price of 5G smartphones for Chinese manufacturers next year.
Industry insiders predict that Samsung will launch a low- and medium-priced 5G phone with a multi-function camera when the Galaxy S21 arrive in January next year. The company will do this in order to seize the market gap left by the US sanctions on Huawei. If it succeeds, it will capture a larger share of the emerging market.
Nevertheless, it appears that the company is not preparing for a 5G phone under $350. This means that its devices are still pretty expensive, mid-range at best. If more $150 – $250 Chinese 5G phones hit the market in the first half of next year, Samsung may find itself struggling. The Korean manufacturer will have a better chance if the starting price of its upcoming 5G device is between $250 and $300. Do you think Samsung has the capacity to release $250 5G smartphones? Let us know your thoughts in the comment section below.
