Samsung is anticipating brisk business for its mobile division, suggests the company’s latest fiscal update.
Covering Q4 and the 2017 fiscal year, the report shows an operating profit of roughly $14.2 billion for the quarter, and roughly $50.4 billion for the full year. So no worries there. But Samsung is a big business, covering everything from TVs to semiconductors. So what does the report tell us about its mobile activities?
A key takeaway is that Samsung’s flagship devices are selling well. Samsung actually saw a decline in its total smartphone shipments, but that’s mostly due to its lower-cost devices; meanwhile, its big-ticket phones, like the iris-scanning Galaxy Note 8 (pictured), saw an increase in sales over the fourth quarter, and Samsung wants to keep that momentum going. Looking ahead, Samsung says it “will strengthen product competitiveness by differentiating core features and services,” according to its fiscal update – and to that end the company points specifically to “the camera and Bixby”. That statement further underlines Samsung’s hint that its next flagship device, which “will launch next month”, will have a strong focus on sophisticated camera technology, while Samsung’s Bixby AI assistant will play an increasingly importance role in the user experience.
The company’s corporate update also offers a few tantalizing hints about other technological innovations in the pipeline. In discussing its display panel business’s 2018 prospects, Samsung says it “will reinforce its competencies in new applications such as foldable, automotive, and IT displays,” and that it will continue ‘to expand the supply of 5G-ready network solutions into major markets, including Korea, the U.S., and Japan.’ The consumer tech powerhouse has had a tumultuous year in some ways, but it looks like it’s firing on all cylinders for 2018.
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