Samsung could be targeting an early release for its next-gen flagship Galaxy S7 smartphone, with a recent leak suggesting an early-2016 launch could be on the cards.Tech tipster Evan Blass has taken to Twitter, stating that American telco AT&T has two variants of the S7 in testing.
“AT&T already testing both Galaxy S7 variants (SM-G930A and -G935A), adding weight to rumors of an early- to mid-1Q16 release,” Blass tweeted.
An early release for its next flagship could signal a change in approach from Samsung as it battles rival Apple for market share in the premium smartphone segment. Samsung released its current-generation
S6 and S6 edge at the Mobile World Congress in early March of this year,
subsequently unveiling the S6 edge+, along with its Note 5, in August.
Samsung has been facing increasing pressure in the smartphone market, and may take a different tack in 2016 as it looks to reassert itself.
Gartner found that Samsung’s market share declined from 26.2 per cent to 21.9 per cent year-on-year in the 2015 second quarter, with the tech giant, which still took out the number one vendor spot, recording a 5.3 per cent decline in unit sales.
Gartner noted that Samsung’s premium phones continued to be challenged by Apple’s large-screen iPhones, despite the launch of its S6 models.
It has also been rumoured that Samsung has a foldable smartphone in the works, which could form an important part of its plans for 2016.
