Samsung Electronics Co is deploying a new strategy that’s being credited for making the Galaxy S7 smartphone a surprise hit since its debut in March: releasing it sooner and pricing it cheaper.
Sales of the company’s top-end lineup are estimated to reach nine million units during their first month on the market — or triple those of the S6 models in the same time frame last year. That’s prompting analysts to raise their projections for operating profit and revenue when Samsung reports preliminary first-quarter earnings tomorrow, even as its marquee device with a wraparound screen is as much as 8 per cent cheaper than last year’s version.
The world’s biggest smartphone maker scrapped its practice of raising prices with each new model, a ploy long used by Apple Inc, as it tries to counter flattening sales growth. While Samsung’s chip and display businesses probably will suffer as a result, sales of the S7 devices are being energised by critical praise, a lull in new models from Chinese makers and the lack of an iPhone 7 to sway upgraders and first-time buyers.
“With the high-end smartphone market largely stagnated, the issue is no longer about what ‘Wow’ features the new phone has,” said Claire Kim, a Seoul-based analyst at Daishin Securities Co. “Rather, it’s about who can bring out the phone quicker.”
----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------Xiaomi launches new smart rice cooker
Chinese tech giant Xiaomi is perhaps best known for its smartphones, tablets, TVs and fitness trackers but it also produces its own range of home appliances.
In addition to its water purifiers, air purifiers, security sensors and a whole load more home appliances, the company has just announced the launch of the Mi Induction Heating Pressure Rice Cooker.
Xiaomi markets its products as being high quality and well designed, yet affordable.
Xiaomi’s new smart rice cooker, which is priced around 5,000 Baht, works with an app that enables you to scan the barcode of a packet of rice in order to tell you how long you should cook it for and at what temperature.
Xiaomi has said that the accompanying app has information on cooking instructions for over 200 brands of rice and more than 2000 different cooking methods.
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