 Samsung will take a different approach to its flagship mobile products in 2015, according to sources familiar with the company’s plans, Business Insider has reported, with one of the S6 models to be metal and the other to have a curved screen like the Galaxy Note Edge.
A metal design for the S6 would be a departure from the polycarbonate rear employed by its predecessors. Business Insider has reported it is uncertain if the S6 will feature a metal unibody design or if it will have metal accents. Samsung will be looking to bounce back in the smartphone segment in 2015 after a difficult 2014, which saw it lose market share, with pressure increasing at both the premium and budget ends of the market. Technology research firm Gartner last December reported Samsung’s worldwide smartphone market share for the 2014 third quarter dropped from 32.1 per cent to 24.4 per cent year-on-year. While Samsung remains the world’s number one smartphone vendor, Apple continues to maintain pressure at the premium end of the market, while at the budget end of the market, a number of new competitors, including Xiaomi, are looking to gain further market share. With the smartphone market undergoing significant change, Gartner this week observed in its forecast for worldwide IT spending in 2015 that it is becoming “polarised between the high and low-end market price points”, with growth in premium phones with an average selling price of US$478 in 2014 dominated by iOS. Business Insider has additionally reported Samsung will also release a smartwatch with a round screen at MWC, similar to Motorola’s Moto 360. |
