Just hours after Samsung announced its latest product line, T.M. Roh, the head of Samsung’s mobile division, is reflecting on the launch.
The run-up to the company’s big shindig in Seoul, where Samsung launched no fewer than seven products (two foldable phones, two smartwatches and three tablets) has affected the man in charge of all Samsung’s mobile devices.
“As we were getting ready for the event in Seoul, I found myself more nervous and excited than ever before,” Mr Roh, who serves as Samsung’s president and head of Mobile eXperience Business.
“I hoped that everyone coming to Seoul would be able to experience the energy in the city and the passion and innovation by Samsung.”
No wonder: it was a big day, with drop-in appearances by K-Pop stars Stray Kids, followed by an in-person endorsement by Suga, a lead rapper from BTS. Enough to turn anyone’s head.
Meanwhile, Samsung planted a flag with its products to say that its investment in foldable devices will only grow. “The Galaxy Z Fold5 and Flip5 offer an innovative experience, and diverse features based on our innovative know-how across five generations of foldables.”
Folding phones are essential to Samsung. Roh says that the company is targeting 1.8 million sales of foldable devices in Europe this year. In contrast, global cumulative sales could reach 30 million, showing that though foldables may still be a niche, it’s growing strongly.
Roh then drops a quiet bombshell: “Foldables will expand to other categories like the tablet and PC and continue to develop after that.”
Roh didn’t provide any time frame for the release of these new products, but a foldable tablet and a folding laptop are certainly intriguing.
Roh seems doubtful. “One of the biggest characteristics of the smartphone is that you can have it anywhere, any time, and can instantly access the information you want. People need more and more information and they want to satisfy their growing needs. And I believe there will be even more emphasis on the characteristics of the smartphone. Meaning that even if there are new companion devices and new form factors or other specific devices that are to be invented, but these other devices will need to be connected seamlessly and interact together, so the smartphone will continue to play a role.”
It seems that it’s about recognising each device category clearly. “What is important is to get a really clear understanding about the key elements and characteristics of each device and each category. Then we can keep developing.” For a tablet, then, the characteristics include a screen large enough to be easily used, in a thin form factor. Roh mentions a product he’s just launched, the Samsung Galaxy S9 Tab Ultra with a 14.6-inch display. “It still needs to be thin and light to be highly portable. But it has to be strong to be used without worry. We have set a new standard for a premium tablet.”
