Samsung Q2 2008 Thrives

Samsung today said it prospered in the spring quarter based primarily on its cellphone and LCD businesses. The Korean company says it sold 45.7 million phones between April and June, a 22 percent boost over spring 2007. Many of these phones were also mid-range or premium models, with over one million Soul 5-megapixel cameraphones being sold; sales of pricier 3G phones jumped 41 percent, the electronics creator says.

The average selling price for one of Samsung's phones also climbed slightly from about $141 to $143 and was helped both by the Soul as well as the company's international rival to the iPhone, the F480.

Samsung further adds that the US is becoming an increasingly important part of its audience and that it hopes to push through as many as 30 million phones from US carriers for the rest of the year. Much of this success should come from the BlackJack II Windows Mobile smartphone from AT&T as well as the Instinct for Sprint, both of which are said to be "gaining in popularity," a Samsung representative notes. Sprint itself has said the Instinct has been its fastest-selling 3G phone in company history and has repeatedly touted it as one of the few viable challengers to the iPhone.

Samsung's total sales for the quarter put it at third place in world market share, sitting well behind Nokia's 122 million units but about 65 percent more than fellow Korean firm LG's 27.7 million.

As a whole, Samsung saw its net income spike 51 percent to $2.1 billion, though it disappointed financial analysts that expected as much as $2.33 billion.

By Electronista Staff