Mobile chiefs of Samsung Electronics and LG Electronics made their debuts at Mobile World Congress, the mobile industry’s largest gathering held in Barcelona, Spain, this week.
LG has usually launched its new phones after MWC but this year the company went head-on with its local rival Samsung.
As much as their latest phones, presentations made by the mobile chiefs of both companies grabbed a lot of attention from industry people and journalists.
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| Samsung mobile chief Koh Dong-jin |
Samsung’s mobile chief Koh Dong-jin, 55, is an engineer who has been involved in the development of the Galaxy series from the beginning. He took the helm of the company’s mobile business division from his predecessor Shin Jong-kyun late last year.
Unlike previous Samsung CEOs, he opened the speech with his own story, talking about the earlier days when he entered the company 30 years ago and the desperate efforts behind every Galaxy phone.
The latest Galaxy S7 comes with upgraded camera and battery features. Responding to consumer demands, the phone has revived a removable battery slot and is now waterproof.
Due to previously leaked images and rumors, Samsung had little surprises to announce. But it used virtual reality during the whole show to impress the audience.
Samsung’s Galaxy Gear VR headsets were handed out for the attendants to enjoy an immersive VR demo. Then, Facebook CEO Mark Juckerberg made an unannounced appearance to tout the headset that uses Facebook’s technology.
“The Galaxy S7 is a masterpiece. I’m confident its sales will exceed that of its predecessor,” Koh told reporters.
“Facebook considers virtual reality as the next generation communication platform after photos and videos. Samsung also aims to become a pioneer in offering new user experience.”
While the Samsung mobile chief is a tech-oriented industry veteran, LG’s Cho Junho, 57, is more a businessman who has been behind the company’s hit phones.
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| LG mobile chief Cho Junho |
In the early 2000s, LG prevailed Samsung in the handset market. Then the U.S. business chief led the success story of the Chocolate phone, which looked like a chocolate bar, in 2004 and the Shine phone with metal body in 2007.
But LG’s recent smartphones have been struggling, feeling the pinch from high-end Apple’s iPhone and Samsung Galaxy and Chinese budget phones.
In a move to buck the trend, LG, under Cho’s leadership, has come up with the G5, the industry’s first modular phone.
When it comes to innovation, industry watchers are responding more positively to the G5 than the Galaxy S7.
The G5, which has an accessory slot at the bottom, allows users to replace or upgrade functions such as camera and audio independently.
The company also launched a virtual reality headset and other accessories, including a drone controller to work with the G5.
“The G5 is the starting point of LG’s revival. We will create our own fandom and regain the global No. 3 title,” he said at a press conference.
During the unveiling event, representatives from LG’s global partners such as Google, Qualcomm and Bang & Olufsen also joined to show their alliance for the phone’s success.
Admitting that two powerful companies -- Samsung and Apple -- are dominating the market he pledged to break through the competition with the company’s own diverse products.
(
jylee@heraldcorp.com)
Visitors take look at Galaxy S7 smartphones at a Seoul-based shop on Feb. 29, 2016. (Yonhap)
