Focus in selfie age

Focus in selfie age

Samsung's latest smartphones have been improved for better photographs and increased resistance to water and dust.

The new Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones get a dust-resistance test.
The new Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge smartphones get a dust-resistance test.

Believe it or not, Thais post 16.5 million pictures on Facebook a day and another 477,000 on Instagram.

Smartphones now take more photographs than any devices, with 90% of all people who take pictures having only ever done so in their lifetime with a camera phone, according to South Korean handset maker Samsung.

Samsung cited some reports saying that Generation Y -- those born between the 1980s and 2000 -- will snap more than 25,000 pictures of themselves in their lifetime.

More important, most people take photos indoors because they spend 90% of their day indoors. Half of indoor locations are in low-light environments, which limits image quality.

For consumers, particularly young people, who stay connected to the internet at all times when travelling or doing outdoor activities, the preference is for smartphones with the ability to withstand water and dust.

Photographic excellence and durability appear to have influenced the subtle evolution of Samsung's latest duo of flagship smartphones, the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, which hit the stores in Thailand on March 18 after a flashy announcement early this month.

Sasitorn Khoopatanakul, corporate marketing director of Thai Samsung Electronics, says the number of photos posted on social media in Thailand is incredibly substantial. Samsung has worked harder to differentiate its newest phones with innovative features and camera specifications to accommodate changing consumer lifestyles and preferences.

The Android Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 Edge phones boast a big curved screen, a dual-pixel camera that performs well even in low-light settings and focuses faster, improved resistance to water and dust, and a hybrid tray that can take either a dual SIM card or a micro SD card for additional storage of 200 gigabytes.

Samsung has kept the screen size on the Galaxy S7 to 5.1 inches but has upped the S7 Edge to an iPhone 6S Plus-like 5.5 inches.

The S7 Edge is powered by a 1.6-gigahertz octa-core processor and comes with 4GB of RAM. The phone packs 32GB of internal storage that can be expanded to 200GB via a micro SD card. The phone packs a 12-megapixel primary camera on the rear and a 5-megapixel front shooter for selfies.

The Galaxy S7 Edge is dropped into a fish bowl to test the phone's resistance to water. It passed. SRISAMORN POOSUPHANUSORN

Another highlight of the two new Galaxy models is that they measure up to a certification standard known as IP68, which means they can be submerged in water of up to 1.5 metres for up to half an hour.

"Want an image that makes the sky look paradise blue? Or a selfie in low-light conditions that still makes you look good with high-resolution image quality and performance? Samsung's Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge, priced at 23,900 and 26,900 baht respectively, offer perfect alternatives to other smartphones," says Ms Sasitorn.

She says smartphone cameras are approaching the quality of DSLR (digital single lens reflex) cameras. DSLR cameras are not just for professionals; they are also the choice of many intermediate users and even beginners.

Smartphone camera lenses are leading the way in the mobile photography revolution.

Ms Sasitorn says people are constantly on their smartphones. Smartphone users check their phones an average of 150 times a day. They check them an average of 23 times a day for messaging, 22 times for a voice call and 18 times to get the time.

Wichai Pornpratang, a corporate vice-president of Thai Samsung Electronics, says pre-booking for the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge in Thailand was 80-90% higher than for the previous Galaxy S6 model because of the phones' sleek design and high camera specifications.

Cameras are an increasingly important part of smartphones. Samsung has led this market with features such as high megapixel count, laser autofocus and optical zoom to make its handsets stand out.

Mr Wichai says the growth in Thailand's smartphone market now relies on existing subscribers upgrading to 4G smartphones.

Global research and consulting firm Ovum reported that 4G LTE (long-term evolution) has become the fastest-growing mobile technology in history. It will reach the milestone of half a billion subscribers globally this year, just six years after commercial services launched. Its closest competitor is 3G WCDMA (wideband code division multiple access), which took nine years to reach the same milestone.

Smartphone and tablet users globally passed the landmark of 10GB of data consumption per user in December 2014. This included WiFi and cellular usage and was up 51% from 6.9GB per user in January 2014.

The transition from 3G to 4G is driving huge increases in cellular data consumption. Android 4G smartphone users consumed an average of 2.4GB of cellular data in December 2014, more than double the 1.1GB used by those with Android 3G smartphones.

Mr Wichai says sales of smartphone in Thailand are expected to see double-digit growth this year, up from 15 million units sold in 2015 with single-digit growth.

More than half of smartphones in Thailand are still 3G-enabled handsets.

"The growth of the Thai smartphone market should return in 2016 thanks to a massive 4G service boost by major private mobile operators," Mr Wichai says.

Samsung expects to continue to outpace the overall handset market this year. Samsung has been dominant in Thailand with a market share of more than 50%.

"We will bring in new technologies in our latest gadgets soon, but we cannot disclose further details," Mr Wichai says.

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