Samsung Electronics to advance launch of next Galaxy S phone: South Korea paper

[October 20, 2015]  SEOUL (Reuters) - Samsung Electronics Co Ltd plans to bring forward the unveiling of its next Galaxy S smartphone to January in an attempt to compete better with rival Apple Inc's new iPhones, South Korea's Electronic Times reported on Tuesday, citing unnamed sources.

Samsung has in recent years announced new Galaxy S smartphones on the sidelines of the Mobile World Congress trade show, which usually takes place between late February and early March. The world's top smartphone maker unveiled its Galaxy Note 5 device in August this year, however, earlier than the typical September announcement.

A Samsung spokeswoman said the firm does not comment on rumors or speculation.

The South Korean firm has been unable to arrest its smartphone market slide despite a product lineup revamp. Researcher TrendForce says Samsung's smartphone shipments will shrink by 1 percent this year, marking the firm's first-ever annual decline.

(Reporting by Se Young Lee; Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

[© 2015 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.]

Copyright 2015 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.