Samsung Electronics: ‘We welcome Apple’s foldable phone’

“If Chinese companies or Apple releases a foldable phone, it’s always a ‘welcome.’ Because it means that Apple recognizes the value of the foldable phone that Samsung has pioneered.”

Choi Won-joon, executive vice president of Samsung Electronics, said at a media briefing on Monday in Barcelona, Spain, where the Mobile World Congress (MWC) 2023 convened. With Chinese companies such as Huawei unveiling a series of foldable products at this year’s MWC, Samsung Electronics is geared up for a competition by perfecting its Galaxy products.

Choi described the Galaxy S23 series, launched last month, as a “product that sticks to the basics.” Mr. Choi was appointed the head of Development in the MX (Mobile Experience) Division last December and was responsible for developing the Galaxy S23 series.

The Galaxy S23 series is equipped with its custom processor, Snapdragon 8th Generation Mobile Platform, which has improved power efficiency and enhanced gaming capabilities. The size of the vapor chamber, a component to reduce heat, is about 2.7 times larger than its predecessor, with improved cooling efficiency. “To ensure that various games run well on the device, we used machine learning to develop and apply algorithms that can provide the right environment for each game,” Choi said.

Battery capacity also increased. Optimizing the internal design structure has increased the battery capacity by 200mAh compared to the previous model while maintaining the same thickness. Despite having a bigger camera, the S23 Ultra model has the same 5000mAh battery as its predecessor. “We are aiming for perfection rather than making changes for show,” Choi said when asked about a future development plan for the next model.


jwchoi@donga.com