‘Consumers will enjoy realistic, yet stunning picture display on the Tab S’

Emmanouil Revmatas is the director of Information Technology and Mobile, Samsung Electronics West Africa (SEWA). In this interview with BEN UZOR, Revmatas talks about smarter ways of optimising communication channels using the Galaxy Tab S, the firm’s latest flagship tablet. In terms of content, he says Samsung, is rewarding its customers with collection of leading premium apps, dubbed, Galaxy Gift bundle, valued at over $1000 to make the Tab S experience enjoyable, and very productive.

Tell us about your latest tablet, the Galaxy Tab S and what sets it apart from other devices in today’s premium tablet market

The Galaxy Tab S is Samsung’s latest flagship tablet. It has the world’s first 2560 x 1600 Super-AMOLED tablet display. It echoes the Galaxy S5’s design with a super slim form and premium perfect finishing. Its feather light weight makes it incredibly comfortable to hold in the hands. The most notable feature is the stunning Super AMOLED display with graphics and images jumping out of the screen in nature perfect colours, which you simply won’t find on any other models in the market.

You mentioned that the Galaxy Tab S is the first and only tablet in the market to feature a Super AMOLED display. What does Super AMOLED mean and how does this feature benefit users of the device

 Galaxy Tab S Super-AMOLED display technology integrates a capacitive touch screen layer directly into the display instead of overlaying it on top of the display, as has traditionally been done. This results in a thinner design that uses less power and reflects less light. As a result end users get to enjoy realistic, yet stunning picture display on the Galaxy Tab S in-doors and outdoors

What about content? Can you give us a snapshot of services that are available on the Galaxy Tab S in terms of applications

 In terms of contents, what we’ve done is to reward our customers with collection of world’s leading premium apps called the Galaxy Gift bundle valued at over $1000 to make the Galaxy Tab S experience more enjoyable, much more fun and very productive. Galaxy Gift apps includes Office Suite, three months LinkedIn premium membership, GQ magazine, Vogue magazine, news & business magazines, entertainment and lifestyle magazines, games, productivity tools and much more.

 Do you think that the content available for mobile platforms and the network experience in Nigeria is world class or is there still some way to go

 There is huge potential, although at this stage I feel many developers are “re-treading” international apps rather than building unique content that is relevant to Nigeria. However, this is where I think the future lies and many have started exploring this.

Do you have any plans of working with local apps developers to incorporate local content and applications, such as games and other entertainment apps, among others, on the device

 For several years we have been sponsors of app development initiatives such as CCHub in Yaba. In fact, many of the apps that have been offered as part of our ecosystem value proposition originated from this relationship.

What do you think are the three most important points a customer should consider when purchasing a premium device like the Galaxy Tab S

 Design, functionality and brand integrity

Talking about the technology of the future, any chance we will get to see Samsung tablets using flexible displays anytime soon

 In a world where technology is revolutionising the future … anything is possible.

 Talking about your range of wearable technology, is the Galaxy Tab S range compatible with the Galaxy Gear Fit and Galaxy Gear 2

 Yes, the Samsung Gear range is compatible with the Galaxy Tab S

 What are the key trends in terms of product design and features that Nigerian consumers are looking for at present?

 Large screen and touch remain key trends with the move now also towards devices that offer their owners the ability to “multitask” i.e. do several different tasks on the same device and preferably at the same time alongside an ecosystem of content and applications

 Due to growing competition and ever-changing technology, product life cycles have been shrinking. Being a market leader, how does Samsung manage this issue locally

 Research and design has always been a major part of our business with local insight as a key factor. This strategy will continue to help us understand, interpret or anticipate the needs of people

 Samsung’s path-breaking innovations in the mobile category have contributed significantly towards its transformation into a premium brand. What has helped change consumer perception of the brand

Very simply … the user experience whether that be the ability to touch and feel our devices during the buying process or smooth user interface and responsiveness or the build quality or after sales support

 What are the marketing strategies you have planned to enhance the market value of your range of premium smartphones and tablets? How does Samsung plan to sustain the excitement in the marketplace

Many have said we have led the way in terms of our marketing whether that is our product launches or our association with music, art, fashion and education through Brand Ambassadors or corporate social investment initiatives. For us creating a link between the passions of Nigerians and our products will always be a goal … how we do this will evolve as the needs of our customers change … whether it is offering superior warranty or a value proposition through an ecosystem of content and apps or partnering with operators

 Will feature phones continue to hold sway in a price-sensitive market like Nigeria or do you see them being replaced by smartphones

As prices for well specced but affordable smartphones drops, the barrier for transitioning from a feature phone to a smartphone is reduced. For this reason I think there will be a trend towards smartphones replacing feature phones.

 Samsung recently unveiled the Galaxy Ace 4 Lite and Galaxy Trend Lite smartphones, both described as entry-level devices. Tell us a bit about these phones and the motivation behind their launch in Nigeria

 As I said before, there is a growing trend of feature phone customers wanting to invest in their first smartphone. Unfortunately, however this means that the market has been flooded with “half smart” or “smart lite” products that have serious limitations which many consumers are not aware of. The introduction of our new Ace 4 Lite and Trend Lite is based on the premise that we want to offer true smartphones that have good technical specifications, latest operating systems, world class build quality but at an affordable price.

 The grey market in Nigeria is said to be quite large. What are your strategies for combating this?

 We have adopted a 360 degree approach that ranges from educating consumers to adding value through an ecosystem that grey products do not offer, as well as engaging with the relevant associations and agencies to combat grey or fake products

 Samsung’s mobile products are often associated with lifestyles. What are the benefits of people embracing this lifestyle technology?

 Technology and certainly Samsung devices have become an extension of people’s lives with the device now being their media player, camera, social media platform, fitness & health monitor, work tool or fashion accessory. Our devices are now used in different ways throughout the day

 What are your benchmarks for 2014 in terms of increasing your smartphone market share in Africa and what category of product will be driving this increase?

 We are very appreciative of the support that consumers have given our brand over the past few years. As I have said many times, the true measurement is when people “vote with their wallets” and invest in your products. Our goal for 2014 is to continue to provide products that positively impact the lives of our consumers and through this retain our market leadership position.

BEN UZOR