Samsung expects the sales of the Galaxy S23 Ultra smartphone to account for over half of the total sales for its newly unveiled Galaxy S23 series, according to the company's head of smartphones.

This is because while the smartphone market as a whole faces uncertainties from the global economic downturn and the contraction of consumer demand caused by this, the demand for premium models is expected to grow, Samsung president and head of Mobile Experience Business TM Roh told South Korean reporters at a press conference on the sidelines of Unpacked 2023 held at San Francisco.

Therefore Samsung is planning to, starting with the Galaxy S23 series, focus on expanding its high-end customer base across all its products from smartphones, tablets, and PCs, Roh explained.

The Samsung president also said the South Korean tech giant was aiming for over 10% growth in terms of annual sales when it comes to the Galaxy S23 series compared to its predecessor the Galaxy S22 series.

This goal to sell 10% more also applies to the company's new foldable smartphones that will launch later in the year, Roh said.

To back up these claims, the Samsung smartphone boss said despite the "difficult circumstances" last year, the company's sales of the Galaxy S22 series also showed double-digit growth compared to the Galaxy S21 series of a year prior.

While the Galaxy S23 series was just unveiled, the reception from Samsung's sales partners __ global telcos and retailers __ have also been very positive, he added.

During Unpacked, Samsung touted that it used more recycled materials than ever before in the Galaxy S23 series. "We recognize that customers who buy premium smartphones take into consideration not only product specifications but a brand's image and direction," Roh said. "This is why the Galaxy S23 series was designed to be the most sustainable smartphone we have launched so far."

The key direction in designing the Galaxy S23 series was "essential design", the president said, and the company will continue to reflect only the essential components of a product when it comes to design going forward.

On Tuesday, Samsung reported a 70% year-on-year drop in operating income for the fourth quarter of 2022 due to sluggish demand for chips and smartphones. The tech giant said it expected demand for chips to recover starting in the second half of 2023, while the smartphone market was becoming polarized between high-end and low-end smartphones.

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