Which Samsung devices are you buying?

Demand for smartphones and tablet devices in South Africa has been snowballing – much to Samsung’s delight.

The electronics company, which has been facing several lawsuits internationally, is fast gaining ground on the local front with its Android tablet and smartphones devices.

According to Vodacom’s interim results published in September last year, the provider had more than 4.1m smartphone users in the country. MTN had 3m smartphones.

Samsung’s three tablet models, the Galaxy 10.1, the 8.9, as well as the Galaxy 7-inch tablet, are gaining popularity with the local market, said Samsung’s Paulo Ferreira, head of mobile product and software solutions.

“The 8.9 Galaxy Tab is particularly popular in the enterprise market and the 7 having renewed interest due to it being smaller in size, lighter and running on the latest Honeycomb 3.2 operating system as well as the voice calling feature,” he said.

These tablet devices compete with Apple’s iPad, Motorola Xoom and Huawei S7 slim tablet.

Ferreira however declined to give figures on just how popular these devices are.

Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

Samsung’s smartphones, particularly the Galaxy SII, part of the company’s flagship Galaxy S range, contributed significantly to its success in 2011, adds Ferreira.

The company recently celebrated 300m global handset sales and it is looking to lead the path in a new category of devices with the recent launch of its Galaxy Note device.

Ferreira believes the Galaxy Note “is an innovative device that has been positioned between the smartphone and tablet segment and has been well received locally due to its form factor and pressure-sensitive stylist which distinguishes it from other devices”.

With the uptake in its devices, Samsung says it hopes to dominate the South African market by ensuring its product portfolio meets the demands of the premium, mid-tier and mass markets here and in Africa.

“By ensuring our devices are differentiated through our hardware and software features…, Samsung are [sic] confident we will be able to achieve greater success and reach our aspirations for 2012 and beyond,” said Ferreira.

BlackBerry is the current market leader of smartphones in the country, with over a million devices.

Source: Moneyweb