COMPANY PROFILE
of dualband GSM candybar phones offer lower featured HSDPA handset with a
a slightly lower feature set, including 3.0 megapixel camera. While both of
65k colour screen and an FM radio, their these handsets are impressive, their
design and thinness gives them the ap- lack of wifi may be seen by some as
pearance of a more advanced device. The an oversight, perhaps to be rectifi ed
6mm thin U108 will also appeal to this in later models. However, the most
premium low-end market and overall intriguing aspect is the choice of oper-
Samsung now has a broad portfolio to ating system, although called the Ultra
address this segment. Smart, the device uses a proprietary OS
Samsung’s Ultra Edition, fi rst brought instead of Symbian or Microsoft.
to market in Europe in June 2006, Handsets of note for the remainder
has largely been responsible for the of 2007 are the P520, a touchscreen
improvement in company fortunes. credit card sized device equipped with
It has also enabled Samsung to take Samsung D900 wifi and UMA, and the G800 camera-
over the mantle of the company that phone with 5.0 megapixel camera and
produces the slimmest phones. The ered device to market so far in 2007, 3x optical zoom, due to be available to
SGH-D900 has proven itself the most however, the company’s participation consumers in early 2008. Samsung is
popular of the Ultra Edition range. At in the LiMO Foundation should see also likely to launch one or more GSM
3GSM World Congress in February 2007, Samsung releasing more devices using handsets with embedded GPS.
Samsung unveiled the Ultra Edition II that OS in future. Samsung also announced two WiMAX
which includes the U700, the 3.6Mbps As this issue of MCI was going to devices in H107. While the SPH-P9000
HSDPA slider. This entered the market press our sister website, Telecoms.com, ‘Butterfl y’ is too large to be considered a
in June 2007. reported on rumours that Java-based mobile handset, the SPH-M8100 gives a
While most of Samsung’s portfolio mobile operating system SavaJe had very wide range of connectivity options
is equipped with some level of music found a home with Samsung. Apparently, like singleband CDMA2000 1xEVDO,
functionality, the vendor has sought to SavaJe owner Sun Microsystems is part- WiMAX, wifi and Bluetooth, with a high
combine its experience in the MP3 and nering with the Korean manufacturer to level of multimedia features.
mobile handset market with the release develop a handset based on the platform. The fi rm’s recent run of successes
of the SGH-F300, Ultra Music, sold in Sun acquired SavaJe in April, supposedly have come from its high end devices,
the US as the UpStage. Meanwhile, after the start up’s money ran out. The however, closing in on Morotola’s
Samsung’s most popular business two make a good fi t. With Sun’s Java coveted number two spot has resulted
device is the Blackjack, which can be heritage and SavaJe being based on Java, in a stronger focus on entry level
seen as an evolution of the SGH-i320. Sun pledged to take another crack at the phones. Samsung’s move to benefi t
The SGH-i607 reached the market fi rst “write once, run anywhere” promise of from emerging market growth has
in late 2006, initially with Cingular. Java on the mobile. involved a great deal of internal reor-
Samsung’s use of advanced operat- Also, as one of the founding members ganisation. In addressing the low end,
ing systems, although not high, has of LiMo, it is highly likely that Samsung defi ned by Samsung as devices with an
increased from about fi ve per cent of will increase its use of Linux OS. While ASP of between $50-100, the company
new devices in 2005 and 2006 to reach this could help the company reduce its has revised its segmentation, altering
almost 10 per cent of new handsets usage of proprietary OSs, thereby help- its structure in order to increase cost
released in H107. Of these, the major- ing to reduce the cost of device devel- effi ciency and volumes, and is review-
ity are using Windows Mobile 5, with opment and make Samsung’s devices ing its production and outsourcing
Windows Mobile 6 devices expected more open, the complexities behind strategies. However, chasing market
in market during H207. Like Motorola, it mean that it will not be achieved in share is partly responsible for Motoro-
Samsung seems to view Microsoft the short term. Realistically, Samsung la’s fall from grace. Samsung would
Windows Mobile as an OS particu- may only start to reap the benefi ts of be well warned against pursing that
larly suitable for business devices. this collaboration in 2008. strategy above all else. �
The HSDPA enabled SGH-i520 is the With increasing interest in UI and This article draws on extracts from
only Symbian device launched in touchscreen technology, Samsung an- Informa Telecoms & Media’s Future
H107 and seems to be maintaining nounced two devices using that input Mobile Handsets, edition 9, 2007. For
Samsung’s record of launching one or method at 3GSM this year. The F700 further information on the availability
two Symbian handsets every year. The Ultra Smart arrived in the market in of this report and more please visit
company has not brought a Linux pow- June 2007, while the F520 is a slightly www.informatm.com.
For more in-depth company profi les and a full archive of
MCI articles visit telecoms.com.
Mobile Communications International | First for news, best for business 27
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