Samsung expects demand for premium TVs to keep growing

Samsung, the global leader in TVs, expects demand for premium devices to continue growing at 50 to 60 per cent in the region over the next few years.

“The consumer now in this region is looking for bigger and better and actually going for more premium. Gone are the days when they just wanted to buy just a TV, because so much time is spent to consume all sorts of media on it. Surely in the next five years you will see a double digit growth, especially in the premium TVs where we would upwards of 50-60 per cent growth in consumer demand for premium TVs,” Nikola Aksentijevic, Head of Visual Display Group, Samsung Gulf Electronics, told Khaleej Times in an interview.

On Tuesday night, Samsung Gulf Electronics introduced the Smart House of Entertainment concept in Dubai to showcase how its 2023 TV line-up is suited for the evolving lifestyle needs of consumers. “The TV has become the central piece in every room and especially the living room. Thus a natural state of progression was the Smart Things and having the TV with the Smart Things allowing you to control everything in your house — whether it is Bixby or Alexa, your security cameras, whether it is your tablets — that allows you to seamlessly move between them and then allowing you to control them from the comfort of your sofa while you are enjoying entertainment,” Aksentijevic said.

“Last year alone the trend has moved from lower screen size to now that 65 inch TVs have become the standard. As recently as last quarter, due to major sporting events, we have seen the trend in the UAE and in GCC shifting towards 75 and 85 inches and hence we are now launching the 98-inch,” he added.

Data from research firm Omdia reveals that Samsung again topped the global TV market in 2022, making it the 17th year in a row that the company ranked first in the global TV market. By focusing on bigger, better screens, Samsung is delivering premium entertainment experiences for customers while aligning with customers’ needs. The Omdia report reveals that Samsung dominated the global ultra-large TV market segment in 2022, reporting a 36.1 per cent and 42.9 per cent market share for TVs over 75 and 80 inches, respectively. For the premium TV market priced over $2,500, Samsung retained the largest market share by revenue at 48.6 per cent.

The Smart House concept aligns with the increased interest in smart homes among UAE residents and, more broadly, with UAE’s vision for Smart Cities. By connecting various devices and appliances throughout the house, Samsung demonstrates how users can create a smart lifestyle tailored to their needs.

A major issue for consumers remains the availability of 8K content that matches the screen resolution of the new TVs. “8K content at the moment is growing at its highest pace. We have recently launched the Samsung Galaxy S23 that allows consumers to record in 8K and then play it back. It’s the same as 4K — it took a little while for the industry to come along. This is why we are partnering up with all the major OTT apps, content creators to push 8K content. So I believe in the next couple of years you will see the explosion of 8K content coming to our screens,” Aksentijevic said.

At the Samsung Smart House of Entertainment event, regional and global partners such as STARZPLAY, Anghami, Shahid, OSN, Disney+, YouTube and Microsoft Xbox, and more collaborated with Samsung to showcase their blockbusters.

• Business