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SAMSUNG IS CONSIDERING adjusting the prices of both the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge after less than impressive sales contributed to a slump in its smartphone earnings.
The company posted a fall of 8% in its second quarter and promised “flexible” pricing of its new flagship smartphone “depending on marketing circumstances” while launching new devices.
Despite a positive reception, the Galaxy S6 was hit by two problems. The first was it underestimated the demand for the S6 Edge, a device that features curved screens on both sides, which production and supply wasn’t able to match. On the other hand, the standard Galaxy S6 didn’t do as well as expected.
Samsung says the second half of 2015 will be challenging for the company. Not only does it have to compete against cheaper high-end smartphones from the likes of Xiaomi, Motorola and OnePlus, it will also have to fend off Apple which will announce the latest additions to its iPhone range in September.
The second half of Samsung’s year will begin with an Galaxy Unpacked event on 13th August, where it’s likely to announce the latest addition to the Galaxy Note as well as a larger S6 Edge.
The world’s largest smartphone maker said net profit for the April-June period stood at 5.75 trillion won (€4.5 billion), down from 6.25 trillion won a year ago and slightly below analyst estimates.
In an effort to see off smaller rivals nipping at its heels in emerging markets, Samsung slimmed down its line of low- and mid-range smartphones last year, and ramped up production of those that remained in a higher-volume, lower-price strategy.
At the same time, booming memory chip sales have managed to mitigate some of the slump elsewhere, thanks to tight supply and strong pricing.
(Additional reporting from AFP)
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Good for them for having the foresight and courage to go ahead with this in the face of Russian threats.
- “Erdogan says he could still slam the door shut if Sweden and Finland don’t follow through on their promises, which include possible extradition agreements.”
Erdogan is up for a difficult election in June next year, so this isn’t going to be resolved any time soon. He sees the extraditions as actual promises, and ignores the fact that in countries with a functional rule of law, unlike in his own, it isn’t governments that decide on extraditions, but the judges.
I’m not expecting the Swedes and Finns to start chucking people under the bus – that isn’t even possible unless they start corrupting their judiciaries. It’s rather more likely that this won’t be settled until next Summer, with Erdogan upping the antics right up to the election, because it plays well to his base.
@Mick Tobin: it was reported in Sweden that Erdogan expects the extradition of over 30 individuals that Turkey regards as serious terrorists.
It was also reported that Sweden agreed to label the PKK and other kurdish groups as terrorist organisations, which of course will make the extradition of said individuals easier.
Sweden also dropped their ban on selling weapons to Turkey.
@Moss Cotter: The PKK is already labeled a terrorist organisation by the EU, and therefore also by Sweden and Finland.
‘Other Kurdish groups’ implies the YPG, the boots on the ground in the fight against IS – I do not see the Swedes and Finns going that far. Moreover, Erdogan also wants Gulenists extradited, which is even less likely to be approved by the courts.
At most there might be an extradition or two of PKK members, but I think it’s more likely that the formal Nato membership will only be ratified after the Turkish election of June 2023.
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