Federica Laricchia
Research expert covering the global consumer technology industry
From smartphones to laptops, from tablets to wearables, Samsung offers a wide variety of mobile devices. Being the smartphone Samsung’s most popular mobile device, the Korean tech giant has consistently been one of the world‘s leading smartphone manufacturers, jostling with Apple for the top spot. While the Samsung S series of phones compete directly with Apple’s iPhone, the company gives itself an advantage in the market by also placing significant emphasis on mid-range smartphones, offering flagship-like features with a much lower price tag.
Samsung launched the first Samsung Galaxy S in June 2010, running TouchWiz, their own customised version of the android operating system. Featuring a 4.0” Super AMOLED display, expandable storage, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera, consumers and industry media received the phone favourably. The Galaxy S was able to find its footing against competitors such as HTC, Experia, the Nexus One, and the iPhone 4, creating a strong foundation for future Galaxy S models.
Since then, Samsung’s mobile business has grown significantly. In the first quarter of 2010, Samsung shipped just around 2.5 million smartphones. As of the first quarter of 2023, that figure reached over 60 million units, recovering from events of the past couple of years. Mobile experience (MX) is Samsung’s largest revenue segment, generating revenues of around 25 billion U.S. dollars in the first quarter of 2023.
The company has gone on to become the second-largest force in the tablet market, shipping roughly 30 million units in 2022. While Samsung outsells any other android-based tablet, Apple remains the clear market leader, shipping over 60 million units throughout the same year. Although Apple retains its strong footing, Samsung has gained significant ground in terms of tablet market share, rising from around seven percent in 2011 to about 23 percent in the first quarter of 2023. Last but not least, in early 2023, Samsung announced its Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, a new addition to the company’s laptop line up.
Growing a smartphone business
Samsung launched the first Samsung Galaxy S in June 2010, running TouchWiz, their own customised version of the android operating system. Featuring a 4.0” Super AMOLED display, expandable storage, a 5-megapixel rear-facing camera and a 0.3-megapixel front-facing camera, consumers and industry media received the phone favourably. The Galaxy S was able to find its footing against competitors such as HTC, Experia, the Nexus One, and the iPhone 4, creating a strong foundation for future Galaxy S models.
Since then, Samsung’s mobile business has grown significantly. In the first quarter of 2010, Samsung shipped just around 2.5 million smartphones. As of the first quarter of 2023, that figure reached over 60 million units, recovering from events of the past couple of years. Mobile experience (MX) is Samsung’s largest revenue segment, generating revenues of around 25 billion U.S. dollars in the first quarter of 2023.
Taking on the tablet market
Samsung entered the tablet market in September 2010, with the Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.0, the first tablet to be sold with the Android operating system. The industry is lucrative, with the global tablet market expected to be worth almost 55 billion U.S. dollars in 2023.The company has gone on to become the second-largest force in the tablet market, shipping roughly 30 million units in 2022. While Samsung outsells any other android-based tablet, Apple remains the clear market leader, shipping over 60 million units throughout the same year. Although Apple retains its strong footing, Samsung has gained significant ground in terms of tablet market share, rising from around seven percent in 2011 to about 23 percent in the first quarter of 2023. Last but not least, in early 2023, Samsung announced its Galaxy Book 3 Ultra, a new addition to the company’s laptop line up.
