Samsung launches Galaxy S20 smartphones in 20 countries

SEOUL, March 6 (Yonhap) -- Samsung Electronics Co. said Friday its new flagship smartphone line has been officially launched globally as the South Korean tech giant hopes its latest handsets can drive the company's mobile business amid the novel coronavirus outbreak.

Sales of the Galaxy S20 series have started in 20 countries, including South Korea, the United States, Singapore and Vietnam, according to Samsung. It added that the new mobile devices will be available in 130 countries by the end of this month.

The Galaxy S20 series, which was unveiled in San Francisco last month, comes in three models -- the S20, S20 Plus and S20 Ultra.

The entry-level S20 is sold for 1.248 million won (US$1,048) in South Korea, while the mid-range S20 Plus has a price tag of 1.35 million won. The high-end S20 Ultra, which boasts a 108-megapixel camera, comes with a price tag of 1.59 million won.

In South Korea, Samsung received preorders for the Galaxy S20 series between Feb. 20 and March 3. Sources here said preorders for the Galaxy S20 series were below those of the phones' predecessors, the Galaxy S10 series, citing downbeat consumer sentiment due to the novel coronavirus and decreased subsidies from local mobile carriers.

South Korean analysts said they expect Samsung to sell between 33 million and 38 million units of the Galaxy S20 series globally.

However, some market watchers said Samsung may also suffer from the novel coronavirus outbreak, with the number of confirmed cases surpassing 95,000 globally as of Thursday.

According to market researcher IDC, shipments of smartphones were projected to fall 10.6 percent on-year in the first half of 2020. For the full year, the market was expected to decline 2.3 percent, with shipment volume at over 1.3 billion, according to IDC.

kdon@yna.co.kr
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