Samsung Foldable 'Fever'... Apple and Xiaomi New Products 'Counterattack'

Apple to Unveil iPhone 13 on 14th with Few Changes... Possible Price Cut
Xiaomi to Launch on Same Day as Apple with Aggressive T11 Series
Samsung to Soon Introduce Galaxy S21 FE

[Asia Economy Reporter Eunmo Koo] Samsung Electronics, leading the market success with its 3rd generation foldable smartphone launched last month, faces direct competition this week as Apple and Xiaomi consecutively unveil their new smartphones.

Apple to Unveil ‘iPhone 13’ on the 14th

According to industry sources on the 13th, Apple will hold an event at 10 a.m. local time on the 14th (2 a.m. KST on the 15th) at Apple Park in Cupertino, California, to reveal the iPhone 13 series. The iPhone 13 series is expected to consist of four models, including the base model ‘iPhone 13’, ‘iPhone 13 Mini’, ‘iPhone 13 Pro’, and ‘iPhone 13 Pro Max’, similar to its predecessor. Apple is also expected to unveil the ‘Apple Watch 7’ and ‘AirPods 3’ at the event. In first-release countries such as the U.S. and Japan, pre-orders will begin on the 17th, with official release on the 24th, and the domestic release in Korea is anticipated on the 1st of next month.

The iPhone 13 is expected to see relatively minor changes compared to its predecessor. In terms of design, analyses suggest the notch size will be reduced or possibly removed. Functionally, it is anticipated to support low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite communication, enabling emergency satellite communication in areas with poor cellular network coverage, and camera performance is expected to improve with the addition of an ultra-wide-angle lens. Additionally, it is predicted that the Pro and Pro Max models will introduce, for the first time in iPhone history, a 1-terabyte (TB) storage option.

Since launching the iPhone in 2007, Apple has raised prices annually for new models, but this year it is expected to maintain or slightly reduce prices. This strategy shift is due to relatively fewer differentiating features and Samsung Electronics’ aggressive pricing policy introduced this year. IT media outlet PhoneArena predicts the prices for this series will remain the same as the previous generation: Mini at $699 (approx. 820,000 KRW), iPhone 13 at $799 (approx. 930,000 KRW), Pro at $999 (approx. 1,170,000 KRW), and Pro Max at $1,099 (approx. 1,290,000 KRW).

Expected image of Apple 'iPhone 13'.

Xiaomi Steps Up to ‘Steal Apple’s Thunder’

Chinese company Xiaomi continues its recent aggressive moves by unveiling a new smartphone. Xiaomi will reveal the ‘Xiaomi 11T’ series at 8 p.m. China time on the 15th. This event draws attention particularly because it is held on the same day as Apple’s iPhone 13 announcement. Apple’s event is at 10 a.m. local time on the 14th in California, which corresponds to early morning on the 15th in Beijing time.

Xiaomi’s move is interpreted as an attempt to divert the spotlight from the iPhone 13 while establishing itself as an equal competitor by being mentioned alongside Apple. Last month, Xiaomi also surprised the market by unveiling the premium smartphone ‘Mi Mix 4’ just one day before Samsung Electronics’ Galaxy Unpacked event.

Xiaomi is rapidly growing by absorbing Huawei’s customers, who are affected by U.S. sanctions. According to market research firm Canalys, Xiaomi ranked second in the global smartphone market in Q2 with a 17% market share, surpassing Apple’s 14%. Samsung Electronics held the top spot with 19%. Xiaomi Chairman Lei Jun declared, "We will become the world’s number one within the next three years."

The Xiaomi 11T series is the first product launched after the brand strategy revision last month. In August, Xiaomi rebranded from ‘Mi’ to ‘Xiaomi’ as its official brand name. The upcoming models are the ‘Xiaomi 11T’ and ‘Xiaomi 11T Pro’, with the Pro model reportedly featuring a 100-megapixel camera and ultra-fast charging capability up to 120W.

Xiaomi 'Xiaomi 11T' Expected Image (Source: GSMArena)

Samsung Electronics is targeting the premium market with foldable phones while continuously releasing mid-to-low-end products to maintain its top position. Earlier this month, Samsung launched the ‘Galaxy A52s 5G’ smartphone priced around 500,000 KRW domestically, and it is expected to soon unveil the ‘Galaxy S21 Fan Edition (FE)’, which lowers some specifications from the S21 to reduce the price burden. Recently, there are also forecasts that Samsung will advance the release of its next flagship model, the ‘Galaxy S22’, to the end of this year to respond to the intensifying market competition.

With flagship model releases from major manufacturers such as Samsung Electronics, Apple, and Xiaomi continuing, the domestic smartphone market, which saw a decline in the first half of the year, is expected to rebound in the second half. According to market research firm Korea IDC, domestic smartphone shipments in the second half are estimated to reach 8,551,000 units, driven by the launch of foldable phones and major flagship models. This represents a 3.7% growth compared to the same period last year.

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