[Concall] Samsung Electronics "Mobile Market to Be Affected by Component Supply"

[Asia Economy Reporter Seulgina Jo] Kim Sung-gu, Executive Vice President of Samsung Electronics' Mobile Communications Business, stated during the 2021 Q1 earnings conference call on the 29th regarding the mobile market outlook for the second half of the year, "There are growth factors such as gradual economic recovery and the spread of 5G, but uncertainties remain due to parts supply issues and the prolonged COVID-19 pandemic."

He explained, "There will be impacts due to parts supply shortages caused by the semiconductor shortage," and added, "There is also a marketing burden to secure awareness of foldable devices." He further mentioned plans to expand the popularization of the foldable category such as the 'Galaxy Z Fold' and 'Galaxy Z Flip,' as well as the Galaxy A series including the Galaxy A72 and A52, and tablet PCs.

Samsung Electronics recorded an operating profit of a whopping 4.39 trillion KRW in the IM division, which is responsible for smartphones and tablets, in the first quarter alone. This accounts for nearly half of the total operating profit (9.38 trillion KRW). This is a 65.7% increase compared to the same period last year, which was severely impacted by COVID-19.

On the same day, Samsung Electronics responded to questions about the semiconductor shortage by saying, "It is expected to mainly affect PCs and mobile devices," and added, "PC demand remains strong based on the one-person-one-PC trend, and mobile demand growth is possible due to the spread of 5G and economic stimulus measures in various countries."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.