|
The
world's top smartphone maker will launch a new version of its
Galaxy Note phablet in mid-August, the person said, declining to
be identified due to the sensitivity of the matter. Previous
versions, such as the Note 3 and 4, typically launched in
September.
A Samsung spokeswoman declined to comment.
The mid-August launch will likely put the new Note smartphone
model on the market ahead of arch-rival Apple Inc's next iPhones.
The U.S. company is preparing for its largest initial production
run for new phones so far by the end of the year, the Wall
Street Journal reported earlier this week.
Samsung is seeking to rebound from a disappointing 2014, when
its annual profit hit a three-year low as smartphone earnings
slumped. Though Samsung's earnings are recovering, its
second-quarter guidance of a 6.9 trillion won ($6.11 billion)
operating profit fell short of market expectations following a
supply shortage for the curved-screen version of its flagship
Galaxy S6 smartphone.
"I don't know how much the earlier launch will help boost the
company's average selling price for smartphones, but this
suggests that Samsung will work hard to maintain its market
share for the high-end market," said HDC Asset Management fund
manager Park Jung-hoon.
(Reporting by Se Young Lee; Editing by Miral Fahmy and Kenneth
Maxwell)
[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights
reserved.] Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published,
broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
 |
|
