By Kang Seung-woo
Samsung Electronics is expected to remain the world’s largest vendor of mobile phones and smartphones in 2017 for the third straight year ahead of Apple.
According to the tech giant’s annual sustainability report, released Friday, it took the top spot in the global market for standard mobiles phones and high-end smartphones in 2016 by gaining a market share of 19.2 percent and 20.8 percent, respectively.
Samsung also won the crown in both ranks in 2015 with 21.1 percent in mobile phones and 22.2 percent in smartphones.
“We stayed at the top in the global smartphone market in 2016 by providing an enriched user experience and smarter product capabilities, thereby solidifying our market leadership,” Samsung said in the report.
“In addition to our premium smartphone models, our mid- and low-priced product line-ups allowed us to benefit from positive consumer feedback in even broader markets around the globe.”
Samsung plans to keep the winning streak alive in 2017 with innovations.
“In 2017, we will use our top-notch R&D capabilities to introduce innovative products that push the boundaries of today’s smartphone market and ensure unrivaled quality management to increase consumer benefits,” it said.
“Furthermore, our investment and R&D will continue in the areas of the internet of things, artificial intelligence, convergence-driven services, and business-to-business, which will drive the momentum for future growth.”
Samsung has put on a solid performance in the United States -- one of the largest premium markets and the home of Apple -- with its latest products.
According to Consumer Reports, last month, the Galaxy S8 Plus and its smaller sibling S8 earned 82 points each in its ratings, followed by the Galaxy S7 Edge with 77 points. Apple’s iPhone 7 Plus settled for fifth.
Moreover, the U.S. industry tracker said in another report that the Galaxy S8 Plus smartphone has the best performing battery -- another milestone victory for Samsung.
The Korean company is expected to launch the Galaxy Note 8 in the near future, hoping that the new jumbo phone will help continue the winning notes.
“As the Note 8 is anticipated to come with a dual camera, the phone could appeal to those who want to shoot high-quality photos with their handsets,” an industry official said.
The release of the refurbished Note 7, due Friday, will also help Samsung expand its repertoire of smartphones.
Separately, Samsung said Wednesday that the firm has been picked as Asia’s best brand for the sixth-straight year.
An annual survey by Campaign Asia-Pacific and Nielsen ranked Samsung as the No. 1 company on the Pacific Rim in its Asia’s Top 1,000 Brands rankings. Samsung’s smartphone rival Apple came in second and Japan’s Sony came in third. The poll was conducted in 13 countries, including China, India, Japan and Korea.
The survey attributed Samsung’s achievement to its successful launch of the Galaxy S8 phones and transparent handling of the Note 7 fiasco.