Samsung is preparing to launch its Galaxy S21 in early January next year, and previously launched its S20 phone in early March this year.
Samsung Electronics could launch its flagship Galaxy S smartphones more than a month ahead of expectations in an effort to secure a market share from Huawei and protect competition from Apple, three main sources said.
Huawei Technologies once challenged Samsung’s top position in the global smartphone market, but China’s rival is in the survival mode and US limits shutting down its supply of chips for smartphones and telecom devices.
South Korean industry officials are hopeful that President Joe Biden’s position will lower some of those barriers, although they are not at all confident as they expect incoming US officials to continue to stand firm in China.
Samsung is preparing to launch its Galaxy S21 in early January next year, and previously launched its flagship S20 phone in early March this year, sources said, requesting anonymity because the system is not public.
Samsung Electronics declined to comment.
The South Korean company shipped 59% fewer Galaxy S20 5G handsets to the United States in the second quarter compared to the performance of the previous model last year, according to research company Canalys. In contrast, Apple shipped more than 15% of its flagship iPhone 11 than its best-seller last year, the iPhone XR.
Samsung, who lost its No.1 spot to Huawei in the second quarter, also won the third most prestigious American award in Huawei.
A man at a major supplier of smartphone chips said Huawei’s warehouses are expected to expire sometime early next year.
Samsung, however, is facing stiff competition from Chinese rivals such as Xiaomi and Oppo, who are expected to exploit Huawei’s struggle to retain market share.
Apple re-launched its iPhone series in October, about a month after the usual, boosting competition.