Samsung Electronics Co. is set to release the flagship Galaxy S8 in China this month, industry sources said Wednesday, amid hope that the device will help revitalize its brand reputation tainted by the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7 in Asia's No. 1 smartphone market.
Industry watchers said the South Korean tech giant will hold an event to showcase the Galaxy S8 and the Galaxy S8 Plus in China on Thursday. The official release is presumed to be slated for May 25.
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(Yonhap) |
The flagship devices already went on sale in South Korea and the United States in April.
In order to target Chinese consumers, Samsung is planning to install its artificial intelligence program on the Galaxy S8, Bixby, which will be available in Chinese by next month.
Industry watchers, however, said Samsung may face hurdles in promoting the Galaxy S8 in China as the company's brand reputation was damaged by the suspended production of the Galaxy Note 7 last year due to problematic batteries.
The latest discord between Seoul and Beijing over the deployment of an advanced US missile defense system in South Korea, which dealt a harsh blow to businesses between two countries, is also anticipated to have an adverse impact on the outlook of the Galaxy S8 there.
While Samsung stands as one of the world's most popular smartphone brands, the company only accounted for 3.3 percent of the Chinese market in the first quarter due to intense competition especially in the Android sector. (Yonhap)
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