Samsung hopes to boost its smartphone business in China with 5G phones

Samsung has been reduced to a fringe player in the Chinese smartphone market with the company’s market share dropping below 1% in recent quarters. The scale of its decline in the world’s largest smartphone market can be gauged from the fact that the Korean company once used to hold around 20% market share there.

Samsung has vowed to improve its performance on many occasions in the past, but none of its efforts have yielded any noticeable results yet. In what appears to be a new strategy, the company is now pinning its hopes on a diverse lineup of localized 5G devices to improve its smartphone business in the country.

The Korean tech giant recently launched the Galaxy Note 10+ 5G in China. It is also expected to release the Galaxy Fold in 5G flavor sometime next month. The company’s China-exclusive premium flip phone will reportedly sport 5G capabilities as well. There are apparently a few other 5G models scheduled to hit the Chinese market this year.

“The Galaxy Note 10+ 5G is just the start for China’s 5G market. We hope our new products will help Samsung reclaim its leading role in China,” a Samsung official is reported as saying during the launch event in China.

It is not clear why Samsung believes 5G will give it an edge over other OEMs in the market. Chinese brands have been quick to adapt to market trends and release devices that compete with the offerings from established players like Samsung and Apple. Many Chinese smartphone companies have already started selling or teasing 5G models.