US Market
Samsung is trying to reclaim lost ground in the coveted high end of the smartphone market with a new line-up of Galaxy S models designed to appeal to consumers who are increasingly sharing videos of their antics on TikTok, Facebook, YouTube and other popular apps.
Although the Galaxy S22 phones unveiled Wednesday feature some improvements from last year’s models, the differences aren’t dramatic. Samsung is emphasising new features on the phones that are supposed to produce more vibrant and more stable videos.
One of most most noticeable changes is the addition of a built-in pen to take digital notes and draw on the screen of the Ultra model that will cost US$1,200. That ‘S Pen’ had to be purchased separately for US$40 on last-year’s model, which didn’t include a slot to hold it when not in use. The standard Galaxy S22, priced at US$800, and the Galaxy S22 Plus, priced at US$1,000, don’t include the S Pen, which was popularised on its Note line of phones that were made more for getting work done than for leisure and entertainment.
All three of the Galaxy S22 models – available in stores Feb 25 – are supposed to have longer battery life and better cameras, particularly for pictures taken in dark lighting and for videos that Samsung estimates now account for about 80 per cent of internet usage.
The camera improvements largely rely on advances in artificial intelligence technology that aren’t easy to grasp, so the success of the Galaxy S22 models may hinge on how well Samsung’s marketing campaigns can illustrate how the changes will enrich people’s lives, said Forrester analyst Thomas Husson.