[THE INVESTOR] Despite saying it will “slow down,” after releasing the Galaxy S9 series, Samsung Electronics appeared to be already mulling over its next move.



Koh Dong-jin, head of the firm’s mobile division, hinted at the Mobile World Congress that the company may shy away from the current numeric naming scheme when it comes to the so-called “Galaxy S10” that’s expected to be launched in 2019.



There have been such suggestions before, but it marks the first time Samsung has officially indicated -- albeit briefly -- that such a change may be on the cards.



The following are excerpts from a media conference held on Feb.26 (local time) where Koh fielded questions about both the Galaxy S9 and the next version.













Q. Do you have plans to change the naming of the next Galaxy S model?

A. Although Samsung will stick to Galaxy, we have been thinking about whether we need to maintain the S moniker or the numbering system.





Q: What’s the sales goal for the S9?

A: I can’t give you definite figures, but we believe they will fare better than the S8, especially on the back of our wide-ranging marketing campaigns, including the trade-in promotion with hefty cash-back offers for customers trading in previous models for the S9.





Q: Tell us about your plans for the AI speaker.

A: It will come out in the latter half this year. We want to offer a high-performance product that can truly satisfy our consumers. For example, users should be able to control the speaker by talking to a TV or a refrigerator. It will be, in essence, a hub of the Internet of Things services at home while at the same time being a high-performing standalone music device.





Q: When will Samsung unveil the foldable smartphone?

A: We can’t say yet, exactly. We just want to note that before, Samsung used to put more focus on becoming “the world’s first,” or “the first in the market,” rather than on creating meaningful products. Things do not work that way today. Our strategy is to roll out new products worth paying for.



By Kim Young-won (wone0102@heraldcorp.com)