Among the new specs, the one that drew the biggest attention seemed to be Samsung Pay. This mobile payment app does both NFC and Magnetic Secure Transmission, meaning you can simply wave the device over the card reader to pay.
Despite all the fanfare, however, critics predicted that Samsung will to struggle to maintain its status as the world’s No.1 smartphone maker.
“It’s a cutthroat competition between Samsung and Apple, and they also have to compete against cheaper but sustainable brands like Xiaomi and OnePlus,” said an executive from a Samsung partner firm who wished to remain anonymous.
In the second quarter, Samsung’s global market share slipped to 21.7 per cent from last year’s 24.8 per cent, according to market intelligence firm International Data Corp. During the same period, Apple’s market share rose to 14.1 per cent from 11.7 per cent, while Xiaomi advanced to 5.3 per cent from 4.6 per cent.
One analyst at the event said, however, that he still expects consumers to flock to the new Samsung phones for their vamped up designs, as the specs are not too different from other high-end devices in the market.
And speaking of design, Samsung’s next smartwatch, the Gear S2, will be unveiled at the IFA international gadget fair in Berlin next month.
The S6 Edge Plus and the Note 5 will start selling in Korea on August 20, the same day that Samsung Pay will be launched there. Sales of the devices in the US are scheduled for August 21.