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Galaxy S4 all the rage?

March 15, 2013

South Korean consumer electronics giant Samsung has unveiled its new Galaxy S4 which comes with a wealth of new features. The company aims to cement its smartphone market dominance over US rival Apple.

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A man holds up Samsung Electronics Co's latest Galaxy S4 phone during its launch at the Radio City Music Hall in New York REUTERS/Adrees Latif
Image: Reuters

Following the presentation of Samsung's brand-new Galaxy S4 smartphone on the stage of New York City's Radio City Music Hall, the South Koreans' shares fell by 2.63 percent in Seoul on Friday on profit-taking predominantly by foreign investors.

However, the dip was not because Samsung's new flagship phone failed to grab the publics' attention. "It's not because the Galaxy S4 failed to meet expectations; it's just that investors feel technical smartphone upgrades are flattening out" said Bae Seung-Young of Hyundai Securities.

Nonetheless, it's the technological innovation in Samsung's new smartphone, due to be rolled out globally in April, that is bound to lead to a new round of rivalry with US competitor Apple.

Samsung reports record profits # nifsamsung10f # 25.01.2013 10 Uhr # Kuna # Journal # englisch

Fierce competition

The Galaxy S4 comes with groundbreaking eye motion technology, letting users control a number of functions at a glance. Sensors detect when a person looks away from a video and then pauses it until the distraction has passed and eyes are directed at the screen again. The same technology makes it possible to screen through emails.

Other main features such as new picture-taking capabilities and the capacity to translate to and from nine languages look certain to resonate with consumers worldwide.

Samsung has become the world's largest smartphone maker with a market share of 29 percent. In the US market, though, Apple remains the king and sells more than one in every three mobile phones. Apple, which has a habit of keeping its plans private, is believed by analysts to be working on its own upgrades to include a new version of its iconic iPhone.

hg/hc (AFP, dpa)