By Damian Koh
24/10/2008
URL: http://asia.cnet.com/reviews/mobilephones/0,39050603,62047625,00.htm

When it comes to commanding a presence at international tradeshows, Samsung has never shied away, from the scale of its booths to nabbing a number of world's first claims. From its early days as a home appliance and radio manufacturing company to laying telecommunications lines after the Korean War in the 1950s, the Korean chaebol has grown to be one of the largest handset manufacturers globally.

Earlier this year in February at the Mobile World Congress, the company revised the product portfolio for its mobile communications division. Based on the new user-profile model, a total of 15 customer segments were identified and these were subsequently classified into six macro categories: Style, Infotainment, Multimedia, Connected, Essential and Business.

In order to make it easier for users to identify these categories, subsequent handsets will have matching prefixes to identify the categories they are in. For example, a device under Style will be indexed with the letter S.

Style

Unique design, trendy and eye-catching

I am... someone who wants a fashionable phone to match my outgoing lifestyle, but the handset mustn't be too skimpy on features, either.

Handsets that fall into this category have a certain unique design or feature that makes it stand out from the competition. One of the most successful series was the Ultra Edition line which had a total of three updates. The first batch of Ultra Edition models were runaway successes with their ultraslim profiles. The second generation didn't have as much impact as the first. But the final installation, Soul, carried on the sleek tradition with a customizable thematic user interface. The latest in this series are the Ultra Touch, Ultra b and Ultra s that were announced at the Mobile World Congress in 2009.

On the style front, Samsung has also collaborated with names like Bang & Olufsen and Giorgio Armani, which spun off the Serene and Serenata for the fomer and the Giorgio-Armani models for the latter. Taking cues from the fashion house, the SGH-F480 touts a full touchscreen display in a simple candybar form factor. It is also the first model that uses Samsung's own TouchWiz user interface which features a drag-and-drop widget platform.

In this category:

Soul The final installation of the Ultra Edition series, this is dubbed the "Spirit of Ultra". The 12.9mm-thin phone features a customizable thematic user interface. For slightly less features in a candy bar, users can turn to the Soulb with a similar design language.	SGH-F480 The first handset that uses Samsung's own TouchWiz system which features a drag-and-drop widget user interface. Design-wise, it took a lot of cues from the Giorgio Armani-Samsung collaboration, but has a slightly different target market with a better feature set.	Giorgio Armani-Samsung The petite touchscreen handset looks attractive. That's perhaps the most important criteria for a stylish phone and it's really just that. Users looking for a feature phone will have to look elsewhere.

Infotainment

Well-connected and strong multimedia-handling capabilities

I am... someone who needs to stay connected, have instant access to information and enjoy multimedia on-the-go.

Handsets in this segment have an array of connectivity features and strong multimedia-handling capabilities. However, it is not to be confused with the Multimedia category which is split into two main camps--imaging and music--and have more specific target groups. You can expect most of the current wireless features such as HSDPA, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth stereo A2DP and in-built GPS chips for navigation to be available on the Infotainment handsets. The latest model in this category is the Omnia HD that runs on the Symbian S60 5th edition software.

In this category:

INNOV8 (i8510) One of the most successful and all-rounded S60 devices from the Korean chaebol with a full suite of connectivity features that can rival any of the Nokia Nseries models.	SGH-i550W The i550W was one of the earlier S60 devices, but was mostly let down by a quirky trackball that tried to emulate the ones on the BlackBerrys. The i550W was also one of the first models to sport an onboard GPS chips for navigation.	Omnia SGH-i900 Touted as one of the iPhone "killers" armed with an arsenal of connectivity features which the famed Cupertino touchscreen handset can't match.

Multimedia

Camera-phones and music-enabled phones

I am... someone who likes to take pictures and listen to music on the move, but I also want to be able to share them with my friends.

Imaging- and music-focused handsets dominate this category and we should be able to see a clearer distinction between the two multimedia-type devices moving on. Taking the lead currently for the imaging category is the Pixon with its 8-megapixel camera module and some pretty nifty features such as a scrapbook tool and face-tagging which can be hot-linked to a phonebook entry. Expect these imaging devices to have a suite of related features such as enhanced shooting modes and social-networking capabilities.

On the music front, you'll probably be able to identify handsets in this category with their dedicated audio-processing technology, support for most common formats and dedicated music controls. Unlike Nokia and Sony Ericsson which have music download portals, Samsung doesn't have something similar, yet. Two new models, Beat DJ and Beat Disc, were added to the music lineup at the Mobile World Congress 2009.

In this category:

Pixon (M8800) This slim, full-touchscreen camera-phone hosts an 8-megapixel image sensor and a suite of imaging features such as geo-tagging, face-tagging and a built-in scrapbooking tool.	SGH-i450 (Live Loud Music Edition) One of the few phones with a dual-slider form factor, the i450 comes with the Bang & Olufsen audio technology (ICEpower) and a 3.5mm audio jack. Its S60 software under the hood means it can pass off as a smart phone, too.	SGH-G810 One of the earlier feature-packed, imaging-heavy S60 devices that has a built-in 3x optical zoom from Samsung. The company almost got it right with the G810, but was mostly let down by its lackluster design.

Business

Strong connectivity and personal information management features

I am... someone whom my company cannot live without, so I'll need to be able to access my work documents, emails and files wherever I go.

A well-connected phone and robust operating system are two key features mobile professionals would look for in a handheld. Which is why most of the devices in this category are either based on Windows Mobile or Symbian S60. Although Samsung is not new to both operating systems, it's only in recent years that the company is dedicating more resources toward developing these two platforms. It's not alone, though.

HTC has been blanketing the market with its WM handhelds and the strong Nokia/S60 bond which has been forged over the years. Sony Ericsson has also joined the fray recently with its Xperia model. So Samsung will probably have to fight an uphill battle here. In this category, you can also generally expect the devices to support push email and synchronization with Microsoft Exchange over-the-air.

In this category:

SGH-i780 One of the first handhelds to sport an optical trackpad and an unconventional 320 x 320-pixel touchscreen display.	Ultra Messaging SGH-i600 The i600 was the first smart phone from Samsung to support HSDPA connectivity. It was a winner during its time with a sleek design and innovative user interface on the "has-been" Windows Mobile 6.0 Standard software.

Connected

For those who can't live without a phone and just need one for daily use

I am... someone who would use a phone simply because it's there.

Connected in this category doesn't have the same implications as connectivity in Infotainment. Instead, handsets in this category are aimed at users who can't live without a phone and who also need one for personal information management (PIM), tools or organization. These may not have the most impressive feature set, but pack enough punch for the average consumer.

In this category:

SGH-Z240 Besides 3G connectivity, the Z240 allows users to personalize this phone with changeable faceplates.	SGH-L600 The L600 was specifically targeted at women with a built-in pedometer and an etiquette pause mode to mute the phone when it is turned over.

Essential

Minimal features, but affordable

I am... someone who doesn't care about all the hype on the latest and trendiest phones. I just need one to make calls.

Addressing the lower end of the market segment is Essential. Phones in this category are simple, durable and focus on ease of use. You would most likely associate users in this category to be the elderly who are probably more resistant to technology and need only the most primary function of a communication device, that is make calls. In terms of price, Essential phones are the most affordable compared with the other categories. Likewise, you will get only minimal features on these handsets, too.

In this category:

SGH-B100 The B100 may not be an exciting model to most, but it underscores the importance of the budget handset market to Samsung's business when the cellular was announced at the Mobile World Congress earlier this year.	SGH-M150 The M150 proves that budget phones can be stylish, with a 12.7mm slim chassis and metal-like finish.