Growth potential of Vietnam’s high-end mobile device market

**In the context that the smartphone market is gradually becoming saturated, researching and finding new directions is becoming the task of leaders like Samsung.** The smartphone market is witnessing a general difficult period. since the end of 2022. According to *Counterpoint Research*, the global smartphone market shrank 14% year-on-year in the first quarter. Recently, Samsung’s global and regional smartphone business leaders acknowledged the difficulties. that this brand encounters in the general situation. However, the success of Galaxy S23 still brings positive hopes in the near future. ## Samsung Galaxy S23 Series continues the Note series experience As noted by Samsung, global sales of the Galaxy S23 series have surpassed the previous generation. In some regions, growth is as little as 10%, in some markets the numbers are even more impressive. “From the second half of last year to the first half of this year, the mobile market faced many global economic problems and uncertainties. However, our Galaxy S23 series has performed very well and lived up to expectations,” said TM Roh, President and Head of Mobile Experience at Samsung. Vietnamese users love the Ultra line, so the most advanced S23 Ultra has a sales that surpasses the other two versions, and is also higher than the global average. However, Mr. TM Roh said that the S23 and S23+ are selling better than Samsung expected in the global market. The Galaxy S23 Ultra model possesses many special features such as an upgraded photography experience, especially the ability to shoot night and record video. The performance and battery life of the device have also been strongly upgraded to better meet user needs. Inheriting the experience from the Note series and combined with the best camera in the Galaxy S series, the Galaxy S23 Ultra becomes a more complete product. Mr. TM Roh said that with the latest product line from Samsung, users can enjoy an “upgraded” Note experience. ## “There are still a lot of people who don’t have access to smartphones” In addition to high-end product lines like the Galaxy S23, devices in the lower price range are also a growth engine for Samsung. *Counterpoint Research* said that the Galaxy A series played an equally important role in Samsung’s sales last quarter. Mr. TM Roh thinks that the Galaxy A product line is a differentiator, giving users more options. Specifically, while the Galaxy S series and folding devices offer a high-end mobile experience, the Galaxy A offers a good experience at a reasonable price, especially the ability to support 5G. Although the smartphone market is gradually saturated, Samsung’s President of Mobile said that there are still many consumers who do not have access to smartphones. That’s why Samsung launched the financial support platform Samsung Finance+ to diversify the access to capital for customers at stores in Vietnam. By providing the registration process, completing the procedure right on the tablet at the stores, Samsung Finance+ allows customers to quickly access and own a Samsung device immediately with an upfront cost. can reach 0%. ## “We will keep busy bringing new innovation to the mobile industry” One of the reasons why the mobile market slows down is that innovation in the smartphone industry tends to go downhill. This is the time when companies with strong technology platforms and extensive device ecosystems break through. Mr. TM Roh said that users, especially in Vietnam, are no longer just waiting for a good experience on smartphones, but they want features that are integrated on many devices in an ecosystem. “I think enhancing the cross-device experience is the biggest strength that sets Galaxy apart from the competition. We will strengthen and develop this further, especially focusing on localization efforts to optimize the experience for Vietnamese consumers,” shared Mr. TM Roh. At the same time, Mr. TM Roh also did not forget to hint that the XR experience will be an important part of mobile innovation, when talking about the collaborative efforts for virtual reality products with the leaders of Google and Qualcomm. Summing up the interview, President of Samsung Mobile Experience said: “I see that I will be busy for a while to bring new innovation to the mobile industry. Smartphones and the mobile industry in general will continue to grow further into the future.”