Samsung launches red Galaxy S9 for China

Samsung Electronics on Tuesday showed off its red Galaxy S9 smartphones in China as part of its effort to claw back its share in the large Asian market, where the company has been losing ground.

The Korean tech giant first introduced a burgundy red edition of the Galaxy S8 in November last year. The company released the red version of its flagship smartphone after the original launch in an apparent bid to give the series a fresh look.

Industry watchers, however, said the release is also apparently aimed at revitalizing Samsung’s presence in the Chinese market.

According to data compiled by industry tracker Strategy Analytics, Samsung Electronics took up 1.3 percent of the Chinese smartphone market, shipping 1.2 million units. The Korean tech giant had a stake of about 20 percent in the top Asian market in 2013.

Industry watchers cite the price competitiveness of Chinese manufacturers as the major hurdle for Samsung’s business in the country.

Samsung has also lowered the factory price of the Galaxy S9 Plus in Korea.

The price tag of the 256 gigabyte Galaxy S9 Plus is now 1.07 million won ($994), down from the previous 1.15 million won.

It is rare for Samsung to cut the price of its flagship models less than a year after their release date.

The Galaxy S9 series was officially released in March.

Yonhap