Samsung: We're not quitting laptop market

Journos got it wrong

16 May 2008 15:31 GMT / By Katie Scott

Samsung has fervently denied rumours that it is going to pull out of the laptop industry.

The web was alive with rumours yesterday that the electronics giant would have to triple its current world share of the laptop market or quit.

But Samsung, which announced a new laptop concept only this morning, has now released a statement saying that the journos have got it wrong.

Senior manager of overseas sales & marketing, Sukyong Hong, told the press that the company currently holds 1.7% of the worldwide notebook market, competiting against the likes of Sony, Lenovo, Dell, Acer and Toshiba.

But, by 2011, said Hong, the company had set the target of a 5.7% market, selling 11 million units in the process (under which was written "minimum requirement to survive in the market").

Hong admitted it was going to be tough for the company to compete in what is an increasingly tough market, but said he had not signalled an exit, just given the figure of the number of units the division would have to shift to stay profitable.

Today, the manufacturer clarified: "Samsung has no intention of closing its Notebook division in 2011. We do however expect the market to become increasingly saturated and therefore for there to be increased price competitiveness".

Full tags

Biz, Hardware, Laptops, Samsung, Rumours