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| Lee Don-joo, head of strategy marketing at Samsung's mobile division, introduces the Galaxy Note 4 phablet and Galaxy Note Edge during a launch event in Seocho, southern Seoul, Wednesday. The two Notes will be available from Sept. 26 via all three major Korean carriers. / Yonhap |
Galaxy Note 4 unveiled at home
By Kim Yoo-chul
Samsung Electronics unveiled its Galaxy Note 4 to domestic customers Wednesday amid hopes it will improve its handset business.
The company expects the Note 4 to outperform earlier expectations as initial feedback from consumers during the pre-order session was "awesome."
"I can't tell you about the internal sales target for the Note 4; but it will be much higher than for the Note 3. We have expectations given initial consumer reactions," said mobile business division strategic marketing head Lee Don-joo.
The device will be available from the three major mobile carriers ― SK, KT and LG Uplus ― from Sept. 26. By October, the Note 4 will have been released in 140 countries.
"Samsung can improve its profits as we are positioned well to pursue technology improvements, steadily, based on solid corporate fundamentals," Lee said.
While 10 million Note 3s were sold in the first two months after its launch, the company aims to sell at least 15 million Note 4s in the first 30 days.
Lee stressed that Samsung was responding to consumer needs in different markets with a diversified product portfolio according to target countries.
"Samsung Electronics is increasingly being challenged to tackle business uncertainties ― however, this should be temporary," he said.
Samsung moved the release date forward in response to Apple's launch of the iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.
Since 2011, Samsung has enjoyed huge success with large-screen phablets through its Galaxy Note series ― a market Apple had not bothered with until now.
"One strength that Samsung phablets have is that they offer users an opportunity to do creative work with the S-Pen," said mobile division head of marketing Lee Young-hee.
"The Pen, which is embedded with the Note, doubles as a mouse for a PC, meaning that Samsung phablets support multi-tasking."
Samsung also released a curved Note 4, but executives said the variant would be released only in a limited number of countries as it was designed for niche markets.
Lee said new telecom rules, to take effect on October 1, would hurt the local market.
"We are collaborating with carriers to introduce updated mobile pricing and devices according to the new law," he said. The regulations are designed to eliminate illegal subsidies.
But the Ministry of Science, ICT and Future Planning said it had decided not to publicize manufacturers' subsidies to mobile carriers.
