So What’s Next For Samsung In 2016?

We tackled Apple earlier, and this time around, we take a look into Samsung’s 2016 prospects. First of all, the South Korean tech giant is one of the biggest electronics manufacturing companies in the world, so obviously, Samsung is not just about smartphones. But this year, the world has seen pretty how much the term mobile has expanded in scope way beyond the usual smartphones and tablet devices. With the advent of the idea of the Internet of Things, phones no longer are the most visible gadgets that can go “smart” -- you also have smartwatches, smart television sets, and smart cars. As a company that builds all kinds of electronics stuff, Samsung is in a good position to take advantage of the “smartening” of everything.

Next month, the yearly Consumer Electronics Show will be held in the city of Las Vegas in Nevada. Many expect Samsung to be one of the power players that will be establishing its presence during this annual electronics show. It is a safe bet that the South Korean tech giant will be unveiling or teasing some of its newest devices, and we are not just talking about smartphones, tablet devices, and smartwatches here, but also other gadgets as well that can get connected to a network. The biggest proof of this is SmartThings, the smarthome business that Samsung acquired last year. The technologies that SmartThings have developed (for instance, smartphones that can be used as remote controls for smart products inside homes) have contributed immensely in realizing the full vision of the Internet of Things concept.

But even though Samsung is eyeing to explore new products, services, and features related to the Internet of Things, it does not mean that it is walking away from its most visible products -- smartphones. For several years now, the South Korean company has managed to continue becoming the biggest vendor of smartphones in the planet. Sure, the tech giant has experienced some struggles in the last few quarters, most especially in terms of slowing sales and shrinking market share. But despite constant threats from rival Apple and upstart Chinese phone makers such as Huawei and Xiaomi, Samsung remains the world’s number one when it comes to smartphones.

Samsung has always had a fondness for introducing new smartphone offerings during the Mobile World Congress trade show, which is slated to happen on February next year in the beautiful city of Barcelona in Spain. It is possible that Samsung will be unveiling the new Galaxy S7, and there has been talk that the South Korean phone maker will even release its next flagship device earlier (possibly as early as January) in order to compete with Apple’s current iPhone models, the iPhone 6s and the iPhone 6s Plus, which are sure to be hits during the holiday season.

Outside smartphones, it appears that Samsung will be busy in other areas too. It will surely ramp up its efforts in making its Samsung Pay acquire more support from business establishments and banking institutions. In the wearables area, Samsung will also be introducing new options, especially for those mobile users who are willing to try other smartwatches apart from the Apple Watch.