Tiberiu Dobre, Samsung: The new Note10 smartphone series brings considerable improvements over the previous generation

Samsung Electronics officially presented in Romania its latest smartphones in the new Galaxy Note 10 series. The new range is intended for modern users, who use the phone in their daily activities – both personal and especially professional ones. According to the company, Galaxy Note10 generated 20 percent more pre-orders than last year’s Galaxy Note9.

Equipped with the Cinematic Infinity Display and the most advanced S Pen so far, as well as enhanced camera specifications that allow users to take the most amazing photos and videos, the Galaxy Note10 combines sleek design with productivity tools to deliver the best experience for Galaxy users.

For the first time in Note’s history, Galaxy Note10 is available in two sizes: Galaxy Note10 is for those who want to enjoy the power of the S Pen in a compact phone, while Galaxy Note10+ is designed for those who want the biggest display ever produced for a 6.8 inch Cinematic Infinity Display. Prices are at flagship level; Note 10 costs around EUR 950 and Note 10+ around EUR 1,050.

Business Review took the opportunity to talk with Tiberiu Dobre, Head of IM Division Romania & Bulgaria at Samsung, to find out more about the smartphone industry and the latest news on technology.

BR: What does the smartphone industry look like globally in 2019 (in terms of performance, device capabilities)?

Tiberiu Dobre: From the point of view of performance and capabilities, we can say that the smartphone market offers devices suitable for all user needs. The difference is made by flagships, which come with top specifications and are intended for people who use their phone to its full potential.

From a quantitative point of view, in terms of the smartphone market at the European level, we’ve seen a decrease of 1.4 percent compared to the same period last year. The smartphone market in Romania is in line with the European trend, registering a decrease of 1.8 percent compared to the first semester of last year, and the value of local smartphone sales stood at about EUR 240 million in the first half of the year.

What weight do flagship terminals in Romania have in total sales? Are there many things that the high-end phones can do compared to the mid-range ones?

In the first half of 2019, the Galaxy S9 and S10 series had the highest share of sales, followed closely by J4 + and J6 +.

Much of Samsung’s total sales are mid-range phones, precisely because they meet most users’ needs. From this point of view, mid-range phones (if we refer to the recently launched series A, for example) are equipped with some of the top specifications of flagships. The top phones are different in the sense that they offer the best specifications when it comes to cameras, processors, battery life, but also design and access to experiences.

How will the emergence of 5G change the market? When will we see a real launch of 5G services and a drop in costs for 5G phones?

5G technology could bring exponential change to the world and will most likely fuel the fourth industrial revolution. Therefore we are certainly talking about major changes in the way we work, consume content, play games, etc.

As an example, a 5G device allows a speed up to 20 times faster than one that uses a 4G network, which can translate, for example, to downloading a season from a series in seconds, to video games with high-quality graphics, seamless 4K video streaming, but also enhanced AR and VR experiences.

We are also taking important steps in Romania in terms of launching this technology – we are still investing in making the 5G a reality, because we want this technology to be accessible on a large scale as soon as possible.

What market share does Samsung have in Romania and globally? What is the secret behind the company’s leading position?

At the local level, Samsung currently has a market share of about 50 percent, both quantitatively as well as in value, and is growing by a few percentage points compared to the first half of 2018. At the European level, Samsung has a market share of 35 percent.

Our company’s success is due to several factors. On the one hand, it is the fact that everything we have achieved so far was due to the fact that we knew how to listen to our users and, on the other hand, to the fact that we have made every effort to develop significant innovations. We are dedicated to users and constantly invest in research and development, to bring innovative technology closer to people.

What are your expectations for the Note 10 and what are the innovations the device brings that you think will convince customers to buy the phone?

In terms of value, we expect sales to be 30 percent higher than those of the Note9. We are optimistic from this point of view because the phones in the new series (we released two Notes for the first time) bring considerable improvements over the previous generation.

The novelties that come with the two phones are linked to some improvements of the S Pen, the distinguishing element of the Note series, extended functions for Samsung DEX or the application through which the phone can connect with a PC only with a USB cable. What’s new with the camera specifications is that the phone allows users to record videos with superior graphics quality and sound, and multimedia editing can also be done on the phone without the need for additional equipment.

In addition, the Galaxy Note10 integrates the latest AR and 3D capabilities into the room, and for the front camera, with Night Mode, users will be able to take successful selfies regardless of the lighting conditions. One of the absolute novelties is the Live Focus feature, which allows users to add various background effects, including bokeh, to the video so that the main subject is delimited by the background.

Other news comes with the super-fast charging, via a 45W charger, on the gaming side, the AI-based Game Booster feature, which optimizes performance and power consumption based on the game, Wireless PowerShare, a feature that first appeared on S10, and now it also comes on Notes.

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