Samsung says S23 smartphone sales ahead of S22 with most people buying the priciest 'Ultra' model

BARCELONA, Spain — Sales of Samsung's Galaxy S23 flagship smartphone person outstripped past year's S22 successful a comparative play with the bulk of buyers opting for the astir costly mentation of the device, an enforcement astatine the South Korean exertion elephantine told CNBC.

Samsung launched the Galaxy S23 this month. The bid features 3 models: the modular S23, a somewhat much costly S23+ and the top-of-the-line S23 Ultra. The S23 Ultra starts astatine $1,200.

Patrick Chomet, enforcement vice president astatine Samsung Electronics, told CNBC successful an interrogation that compared to past year, S23 income are overmuch amended truthful acold than the S22. The S23 went connected merchantability connected Feb. 17.

Chomet added that Samsung has committed to "double-digit growth" successful the premium conception of its smartphones successful 2023, which includes the Galaxy S23 bid but besides its latest foldable phones which were launched past year.

"So we are connected the premium segment, contempt the hard economical environment, we spot a dependable accidental for us. And the crushed is we are precise competitive, due to the fact that we person brought a batch of innovation successful that segment," Chomet said successful an interrogation astatine the Mobile World Congress successful Barcelona connected Monday.

Chomet revealed that the astir costly mentation of the flagship phones — the S23 Ultra — accounted for astir 60% of planetary S23 pre-orders.

"We expect, benignant of, a steadfast information of the mix, to beryllium skewed to toward the premium," Chomet said.

The archetypal income of the S23 volition beryllium invited quality for Samsung which had a pugnacious twelvemonth successful the smartphone marketplace successful 2022. Overall smartphone shipments past twelvemonth recorded their worst twelvemonth since 2013, according to probe steadfast IDC. Samsung shipments fell much than 15%, IDC said. The slump was owed to ostentation and a worsening outlook for the economy.

Operating nett successful the company's mobile and networks concern fell 16% year-on-year successful 2022.

But determination is inactive request for costly smartphones. High-end smartphones, those that outgo implicit $800, accounted for 18% of the full handset marketplace successful 2022, up from 11% successful 2020, Canalys information shows.

That's wherever Samsung is hoping to turn its smartphone concern which would connection the institution perchance higher margins and amended profits.

Chomet said the higher percent of S23 Ultra pre-orders is an "indication that adjacent though radical are much careful" successful the premium conception of the smartphone marketplace determination are inactive a batch of radical "who privation the champion of the best."