The big dates that mark the annual technological calendar are very routine. After CES, the next date was undoubtedly February 1st when Samsung held its Galaxy Unpacked event. And the interpretation in the media is always the same: rumors and leaks, confirmation of the date and the event itself. Subsequently, reviews of new devices and the reaction of users when they fall into the hands will be published.
However, in the past, many users dreamed of quickly upgrading to the latest smartphone, tablet, or laptop. But these days, that enthusiasm is hindered by several factors. Chief among them is the recent global economic downturn, which is leading to a drop in demand for new devices.
In 2022, global smartphone shipments fell 12% to 1.2 billion units, the lowest level in 10 years, according to Canalys. While Samsung retained its No. 1 spot with 22% of the market, the company experienced a sharp 17% year-over-year drop in shipments in the fourth quarter.
The Sustainability Argument
Despite this very bleak overall picture, Le Xuan Chew, an analyst at Canalys, notes that “Samsung is maintaining its profitability goal by strengthening its high-end product portfolio and creating a high-end niche segment with its Fold series.” This view is shared by Samsung Mobile Experience Business Director T. M. Ro. He told reporters at the Galaxy Unpacked event that demand for high-end models — the Galaxy S23 series and upcoming Fold devices — is expected to grow by 10% this year.
According to Canalys, the global PC market also contracted by 16% in 2022 to 285.1 million units and by 29% in the fourth quarter to 65.4 million units. Laptops are particularly bad, falling 19% year-on-year and 30% in the fourth quarter. “As expected, the global PC market will face new headwinds in the fourth quarter, which will end a challenging 2022,” said Ishan Dutt, principal analyst at Canalys.
Of course, consumers and businesses may well start buying new devices again when the economic situation improves, likely from late 2023 to 2024. However, another factor is likely to have a lasting impact on buying behavior: sustainability.
Reworked materials and OS support
Events like Galaxy Unpacked naturally tout the benefits of new designs, faster processors, smarter, higher resolution cameras, and more. But buyers are also increasingly interested in maximizing the life of their devices for depreciation reasons, as well as responsibly disposing of end-of-life devices. On the other hand, many people hold on to their smartphones until accumulated damage, poor battery health, and lack of operating system or security updates force them to upgrade.
The Galaxy S23 Ultra uses more recycled materials than its predecessor and uses Corning Gorilla Glass Victus 2, which is 22% recycled glass. But above all, it will benefit from four generations of operating system updates and five years of security updates.
You might not want to shell out over $800 for a Galaxy S23 smartphone or over $1,350 for a Book 3 series laptop right now. But Samsung is doing its best to reassure you by telling you that when you do, it will also help you feel better. to the environment. And with confidence that the operating system will be quiet.
Pictured: Samsung.
Focus on the builder ecosystem
Another key message from manufacturers with a large portfolio is the value of buying in their ecosystem. You may not want to buy the Galaxy Book 3 right away, but when you do, there are a number of other products and features that can boost your productivity at work or at home. Samsung calls it a “multi-device connection experience.”
For example, if you have installed Link to Windows on your Galaxy phone and Microsoft Phone Link on your Galaxy Book laptop, you can use this feature Recent websites to transfer web browsing sessions (Samsung Internet Browser only) from your phone to your PC, or use Instant Hotspot to access your phone’s Internet connection from your laptop with one click.
Samsung Multi Control lets you control Galaxy tablets and phones (with the correct version of One UI installed) via the Book 3 keyboard and touchpad with support for copy/paste and drag and drop, while Second Screen lets you use your Galaxy Tab S7 or S8 as a secondary display for your Book 3 laptop. And by installing Expert RAW on your Galaxy smartphone, you can automatically transfer RAW images taken with your smartphone to your laptop for editing with Adobe Lightroom.
Samsung is far from alone in promoting its principles of sustainability and value-added shopping across its device ecosystem. And in the future we will see more such announcements from major manufacturers. Just watch the next major product launch event to get a feel for it.
Source: .com