Samsung Electronics released Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ simultaneously as part of an effort to regain its leadership in the premium smartphone market from its rival Apple.
Samsung Electronics’ IM division, which is responsible for the smartphone business, enjoyed a boom time in the third quarter of 2013 with its operating profit rising to 6.7 trillion won.
Thanks to the strong performance of the IM division, Samsung Electronics joined the 10 trillion won operating profit club. The glory, however, was shortlived, with the division’s performance sliding rapidly from the second quarter of last year due to its Galaxy S5 flops and the stiffer competition in the global smartphone market.
The division’s quarterly operating profit plunged to 1.75 trillion won in the third quarter of last year. To reverse the situation, the division implemented extreme measures, changing the entire design of its flagship Galaxy smartphones and establishing new low-cost smartphone lineups consisting of Galaxy A, E, and J.
