Samsung unveils Note 9, upgraded watch and home speaker as it looks to battle new iPhones

Samsung Electronics Co. unveiled the Galaxy Note 9 in New York, banking on the larger-screen device to rejuvenate sales of a struggling flagship line and fend off Apple Inc.’s upcoming iPhones over the holidays.

The 6.4-inch screen Note 9 will start at US$999.99 and max out at US$1,249.99 – becoming, at about US$100 above the iPhone X’s upper limit, one of the world’s most expensive consumer phones. It looks similar to last year’s 6.3-inch Note 8 but sports a revamped Bluetooth stylus – a long-time selling point of the Note series – as well as an upgraded camera that takes sharper photos than the S9 released earlier this year, Samsung said Thursday.

Samsung’s latest device enters the ring at a time of slowing smartphone demand globally and a disappointing performance by its cousin, the Galaxy S9. That marquee gadget failed to capture consumers’ imagination or stop Huawei Technologies Co. and Xiaomi Corp. from grabbing market share at the Korean giant’s expense. It’ll also go up against the new iPhones, typically unveiled in September. Samsung’s stock slid more than 3 per cent in Seoul after Eugene Investment & Securities labelled the Note 9 a “transitional product” that wasn’t a game-changer.

“The product was too similar to the S8. It wasn’t distinctive enough for consumers to justify the upgrade,” Bryan Ma, vice-president of devices research at IDC, said. “My worry is that the Note 9 may meet the same fate.”

Samsung is counting on its latest device to lead the charge during the crucial holiday season and revitalise a mobile division where profits almost halved last quarter. After a robust decade of growth, demand is cooling as consumers wait longer to replace devices, even as cheaper Chinese brands flood the market and chip away at Samsung and Apple’s long-standing dominance.