December 04, 2024

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[THE INVESTOR] With less than a month to go for tech giant Samsung Electronics’ launch event for its new flagship phones, the firm’s mobile chief Koh Dong-jin said he won’t let down customers who have been waiting to get their hands on the innovative foldable phone.

“I will try my best to meet the expectations of consumers who have been waiting for our products,” he told The Investor on Jan. 29.

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Koh, who has led the unveiling events for Samsung’s Galaxy S and Note series since 2016, will take the stage again to take the wraps off the new flagship models at the upcoming launch event to be held in San Francisco on Feb. 20.

At the annual “Unpacked,” event, he will likely introduce three Galaxy S10 models and the long-awaited foldable smartphone, tentatively named Galaxy F.

Koh will also be flanked by the top brass of the tech firm, including his right-hand man Roh Tae-moon, who oversees the smartphone development unit and Choi Seung-eun, retail marketing head of the mobile business unit who took over the marketing chief role from her predecessor and Vice President Lee Young-hee late last year.

Samsung said it cannot confirm whether the top executives will take part in a media interaction during the event.

Some market watchers had speculated that the upcoming event could be the last one led by Koh, who has been short of propping up the falling profits of the mobile business amid fierce competition from rivals like Apple and Huawei.

Late last year, it was rumored that he could step down from his position to take responsibility for the declining profits. The tech giant’s operating profit declined last year from 3.8 trillion won (US$3.49 billion) in the first three-month period to 2.2 trillion won in the third quarter. The smartphone maker is forecast to have posted some 1.2 trillion won in operating income in the fourth quarter, the lowest since the third quarter of 2016 when Samsung earned a mere 100 billion won due to sales suspension of the Note 7.

The S10 variants are anticipated to hit shelves in March while the foldable device will likely go on sale later during the first half.

By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)