New York (AFP)

South Korean mobile phone giant Samsung unveiled its new line of premium 5G smartphones, the Galaxy S21, on Thursday, offering retail prices several hundred dollars lower than in previous years.

This drop in prices is likely to initiate a return to "reasonable" prices in the smartphone sector where Samsung and Apple have been fighting a battle with technological innovations and overbidding for several years.

The base model of this new generation of cell phone, the S21, will be on sale from January 29 from $ 800, or $ 200 less than the base model of the S20 when it launched last year.

The S21 +, with a larger screen, will be available from $ 1,000 and the S21 Ultra, with the most advanced technological capabilities, will be sold from $ 1,200.

“We live in a world where mobiles are at the forefront,” said TM Roh, director of Samsung's mobile communications division, in a statement.

“With so many of us working remotely and spending more time at home, we want to deliver an experience that meets the heavy multimedia demands of our ever-changing routines,” Roh continued.

The South Korean group has highlighted the technical photo and video characteristics of these new smartphones as the main selling point.

The S21 have a lens block better integrated into the phone, state-of-the-art optical and digital zooms, and a supposedly defiant night mode.

The Ultra model is thus equipped with a zoom x100.

Samsung has emphasized the range of possibilities that must be offered to video enthusiasts.

For example, they will be able to film both with the sensors on the back and on the front of the device, to simultaneously display what is happening in front of their eyes and their own head if they want to comment on the live action. .

The three new models, available for pre-order from Thursday, are each available in several colors.

- Competition with Apple -

The tech and home appliance giant is the world's leading seller of cellphones.

In the third quarter of 2020, it sold more than 80 million devices, far ahead of the Chinese Huawei and Xiaomi (51 and 47 million) and almost double the American Apple (43 million), according to the research office Canalys .

The sector went through a difficult period due to the pandemic in the first half of last year, before rebounding.

By offering lower prices than in previous years for its high-end smartphones, Samsung is sending a clear message to the iPhone maker, which dominates the US market.

The Cupertino (California) group launched its first models compatible with 5G technology in October with base prices ranging from $ 699 to $ 1,099.

In direct competition with Apple's AirPods Pro, Samsung also unveiled its Galaxy Buds Pro wireless earbuds on Thursday with active noise canceling and rain and sweat resistance.

They are marketed for $ 200 and come with the purchase of a Galaxy S21 Ultra.

Bob O'Donnell, of Technalysis Research, believes that Samsung's strategy should lead to a "return to more reasonable prices" in the mobile telephony market.

"The era of overpriced smartphones is probably over (...) The high-end smartphone market is in the reset phase, it was long overdue," adds the expert.

However, recalls Techsponential's Avi Greengart, "Samsung has not forgotten about the early adopters, who are not price sensitive and are willing to pay over $ 1,000 for the larger, more capable model."

"Any customer with a phone two or three years old will find the improvements in the camera, display and battery sufficient to justify the purchase of a new model," said the expert.

© 2021 AFP