Samsung Portugal, regarding the launch of the new premium Galaxy S23 series, gave a press conference to the national media.
Aroged was present and took the opportunity to talk to the head of the company’s Mobile division product, José Correia, about the expectations that Samsung has for the reception of this series in the Portuguese market.
The brand is confident with the equipment now presented and believes that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will be a success in our country, since “the Portuguese have long accustomed us to wanting the best of the best”.
José Correia, head of product Mobile Division Samsung Portugal
What are the expectations for the Portuguese market regarding the new Galaxy S23 series?
We face the year with great confidence. We saw the year with some difficulties on the horizon, naturally, especially in the lower ranges, with prices below 600 euros. This is a very challenging market and the first few weeks confirm this.
However, the segment above 600 euros, which we call premium, continues to grow. Naturally, flagships, whether ours or Apple’s, make the market move a lot. We believe the consumer will continue to respond. We also bring enough news to justify the upgrade compared to the model that people have at the moment. Therefore, we believe that we will continue to meet our objectives, in particular with this new line of smartphones, in which we are all very confident.
This new series is quite happy, both in terms of design and specifications. We are quite confident and comfortable with what we are presenting.
What will be the model of these three Galaxy S23 with more success among the Portuguese?
Without a doubt, the Galaxy S23 Ultra. The Portuguese have accustomed us for a long time that they want the best of the best. Even before we had the Ultras, the Portuguese always opted for the most advanced models, such as the S10 Plus, which had a great preponderance. And since then Ultra’s weight has been increasing. In this logic, we are clearly convinced that the Galaxy S23 Ultra will be very well received by the Portuguese.
What about the Galaxy S23 Plus model? Second, the latest market analyses, the Plus models have fallen short of expectations.
I think it’s a very specific model. When we look at customer retention, the Plus model is the one that causes the most “repurchase”. In other words, a Plus consumer is a Plus consumer and will continue to be so. The model is very specific and has a loyal audience. But it depends a lot on the type of use that is given. That is, the Plus is still a larger base model, with a battery and larger screens. Everything else is very identical.
It is for that consumer who effectively wants to have the essential experience of a flagship, does not value having the top of the top, but wants a good generous screen to consume content. Having a phone with a bigger battery that lasts longer. I wouldn’t say it’s in a niche, but it’s clearly the least sold model.
It does not fall short of expectations, rather it responds to a highly loyal audience. We don’t want to stop having a Plus model because this one has exactly this phalanx of followers.
But of course we are always attentive to what the consumer’s response is. Our job is to maintain a range that is efficient, from the point of view of the available models. But, at this moment, it is fully justified to keep a Plus model in our Galaxy S range.
Earlier we said that the more affordable Galaxy A series was not having as much success as expected. Will the new models from this line that are coming change this market trend?
I would like to say yes. This is the behavior of the market, not the behavior of any specific brand. And taking into account the country’s and international economic situation, we honestly haven’t seen things change much, in terms of market dynamics.
Naturally, what we see in this market below 600 euros is that the weight of the highest ranges, that is, the highest sub-segments – we divide the market below 200, then 200-300, then 300-400 and 400-600 , this is how we saw the market – in these higher segments we see an increase in their weight and the successors of the Galaxy A53 and A33 will have an important preponderance.
I think the pandemic has also given an important emphasis here on people, more and more, valuing having good equipment. Fewer and fewer people want a phone just to make calls. And therefore, in terms of volumes, the market will certainly go down, now we expect the average price to increase and increase not only above 600 euros, but also below 600 euros, thanks to these successors that are expected in the coming months.
But the dynamics as a whole, I believe it will not change. The premium segment will increasingly move the market. Exactly in the same logic. People want to have something good that they can use both personally and at work. And the pandemic made you realize that it’s different to have a good phone.
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