Samsung Smartphones Take On iPhones, BlackBerrys

from Businessweek:

>>With more than 20 new models due this year, South Korea's Samsung Electronics rushes to catch up in the fast-growing smartphone market

More Than 20 Smartphone Models Due

Samsung's approach is starkly different from Apple's. While the real beauty of the iPhone and its latest successor, the iPhone 3G S, lies in the creative use of the iTunes Store to inspire a myriad of third-party developers to write applications for the phones, Samsung's emphasis is more on hardware. To expand its presence, Samsung plans to keep rolling out new lineups of smartphones—more than 20 different models this year alone—to cater to different consumer segments.

Samsung isn't following Apple's initiative to set business direction in partnership with mobile carriers, either. Instead, Samsung lets service providers call the shots as a way to increase its handset market share. "We will continue strengthening our relationship with key operators and work closely with them to develop smartphones meeting their specific needs and to help their business," says Hong.

Such tactics have started to pay off in the U.S., where Samsung has steadily increased its presence. In the first three months of this year, Samsung was the No. 1 handset brand in North America with a market share of 26.3%, vs. Motorola's 18% and Nokia's 7.9%, according to Strategy Analytics data.