Yoon Ki-Heung

The company management realizes to the full that a group can’t be a market leader only investing effort in the premium segment. It was decided to do the market segmentation judging by the customers’ actual needs. Each segment will feature a range of offers optimized for the local buyer’s most likely expectations:

Руководство компании осознаёт, что нельзя быть лидером рынка, ориентируясь только на премиум-сегмент. Было принято решение сегментировать рынок исходя из потребностей клиентов. В каждом сегменте покупателю будет предложен набор устройств, оптимально соответствующий потребностям каждого конкретного пользователя.

Below are listed the targeted market segments in the company’s vision:

• Infotainment (представители - i8510 iNNOV8, i7110, i900 Omnia)
• Business (B2700)
• Style (S7330)
• Multimedia (M3510)
• Connected
• Essential

As you see, the Korean i8510 flagship has already come to set the tune in the hi-end segment; Nokia can’t offer a comparable solution, only able to release one by the end of this year or even in the first weeks of 2009. Meanwhile Samsung have scheduled the release of their flagship already in September. Having no competitor in the sense of functionality, it features an exceptionally high price reaching €750-800; still there’s a huge margin for future price reductions so don’t think the price will keep floating above the clouds after the appearance of competitive products. Nevertheless we can’t guarantee an absolute success for this model, the memories of G800 and G810’s failure still being fresh; i8510 may happen to become a niche solution enjoying but a reserved popularity.

Understanding that, Samsung are developing a variety of other smartphones styled after similar Nokia solutions. So if i8510 is a stylized replica of N96 with a better camera, then i7710 is something that used to be a Nokia N79 in a past life. The measurements, functionality and positioning are all the same. Both products are scheduled for release by the end of the year, the price of Nokia N79 won’t exceed  €300, it features dedicated gaming buttons and a good camera (nearly the same with Nokia N82, 6220 classic), a variety of standardized interface slots and so on. Sporting a more compact build than N82 and a comparable starting price, the gadget is going to make a very tempting deal in its segment.

Samsung i7710 is a direct competitor, as we have already mentioned. Its strong sides are a better quality of the materials, a better assembly and, in general, a more appealing design. If the two models cost the same money, Nokia N79 won’t end up being a favorite, more likely vice versa. Here’s a few pics of the new Samsung phone, which were recently featured on a Chinese web site.
 

Samsung i7710 runs the Symbian S60 Feature Pack 2 OS, is equipped with a 5 Mp camera with a diode flash and enjoys an extensive use of metal parts in the casing.