Samsung registered a 46 per cent increase in pre-orders for its newly-launched Galaxy S21 phone series in the Gulf region compared to last year's S20 line-up, a senior company official said.
The premium model in the series, the S21 Ultra, attracted the most interest with more than 65 per cent of total pre-orders, Osman Albora, senior director of Samsung Gulf Electronics' mobile division, told The National.
“Orders were even higher in the UAE … 56 per cent more than the S20 series,” said Mr Albora, who did not disclose the exact number of orders.
The consumer electronics giant began sales of three new models – the S21, the S21+ and the S21 Ultra – across the GCC on Sunday. It began taking advance orders for the devices on January 14, when they were launched globally.
The S21 Ultra starts from Dh4,899. The S21+ and S21 start from Dh3,799 and Dh3,199, respectively.
Samsung said it sold 45.2 per cent of 5G phones in the UAE, the second-largest economy in the Arab world, in 2020, and Mr Albora predicts this will increase.
“5G enhances the overall mobile experience … its share will continue to grow … Samsung has democratised the technology by offering it across [a] different range of portfolios,” Mr Albora said.
Last year, Samsung’s business in the premium phone segment – which includes handsets priced at $600 or above – grew in double digits in the UAE, Mr Albora said, citing data from German research company GFK's UAE market report.
“In the premium segment, we held 34.1 per cent market share in the UAE – nearly 12 per cent more than 2019 … we experienced a similar growth in other parts of the Gulf region.”
Samsung is adding a stylus to the S21 Ultra – a first in the series. Users can either opt for an existing S Pen from a Note device or buy one separately.
As with its US rival Apple, Samsung has also stopped shipping wired headphones and in-box chargers with the S21 series, citing sustainability reasons.
Mr Albora is optimistic about growth in 2021.
“2020 was the year of change and technology helped us to stay connected throughout the unpredictable time.
“It also accelerated the mobile-first world as people have started using their smartphones much more. This trend is here to stay in the post-Covid world and 5G will be one of the main driving forces,” he added.
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Hotel Silence
Auður Ava Ólafsdóttir
Pushkin Press
THE SPECS
Engine: 3-litre V6
Transmission: eight-speed automatic
Power: 424hp
Torque: 580 Nm
Price: From Dh399,000
On sale: Now
The UN General Assembly President in quotes:
YEMEN: “The developments we have seen are promising. We really hope that the parties are going to respect the agreed ceasefire. I think that the sense of really having the political will to have a peace process is vital. There is a little bit of hope and the role that the UN has played is very important.”
PALESTINE: “There is no easy fix. We need to find the political will and comply with the resolutions that we have agreed upon.”
OMAN: “It is a very important country in our system. They have a very important role to play in terms of the balance and peace process of that particular part of the world, in that their position is neutral. That is why it is very important to have a dialogue with the Omani authorities.”
REFORM OF THE SECURITY COUNCIL: “This is complicated and it requires time. It is dependent on the effort that members want to put into the process. It is a process that has been going on for 25 years. That process is slow but the issue is huge. I really hope we will see some progress during my tenure.”
Our family matters legal consultant
Name: Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
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The National's picks
4.35pm: Tilal Al Khalediah
5.10pm: Continous
5.45pm: Raging Torrent
6.20pm: West Acre
7pm: Flood Zone
7.40pm: Straight No Chaser
8.15pm: Romantic Warrior
8.50pm: Calandogan
9.30pm: Forever Young
Zayed Sustainability Prize
Avatar: Fire and Ash
Director: James Cameron
Starring: Sam Worthington, Sigourney Weaver, Zoe Saldana
Rating: 4.5/5
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
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What is the FNC?
The Federal National Council is one of five federal authorities established by the UAE constitution. It held its first session on December 2, 1972, a year to the day after Federation.
It has 40 members, eight of whom are women. The members represent the UAE population through each of the emirates. Abu Dhabi and Dubai have eight members each, Sharjah and Ras al Khaimah six, and Ajman, Fujairah and Umm Al Quwain have four.
They bring Emirati issues to the council for debate and put those concerns to ministers summoned for questioning.
The FNC’s main functions include passing, amending or rejecting federal draft laws, discussing international treaties and agreements, and offering recommendations on general subjects raised during sessions.
Federal draft laws must first pass through the FNC for recommendations when members can amend the laws to suit the needs of citizens. The draft laws are then forwarded to the Cabinet for consideration and approval.
Since 2006, half of the members have been elected by UAE citizens to serve four-year terms and the other half are appointed by the Ruler’s Courts of the seven emirates.
In the 2015 elections, 78 of the 252 candidates were women. Women also represented 48 per cent of all voters and 67 per cent of the voters were under the age of 40.
England ODI squad
Eoin Morgan (captain), Moeen Ali, Jonny Bairstow, Jake Ball, Sam Billings, Jos Buttler, Tom Curran, Alex Hales, Liam Plunkett, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Jason Roy, Ben Stokes, David Willey, Chris Woakes, Mark Wood.
The rules on fostering in the UAE
A foster couple or family must:
- be Muslim, Emirati and be residing in the UAE
- not be younger than 25 years old
- not have been convicted of offences or crimes involving moral turpitude
- be free of infectious diseases or psychological and mental disorders
- have the ability to support its members and the foster child financially
- undertake to treat and raise the child in a proper manner and take care of his or her health and well-being
- A single, divorced or widowed Muslim Emirati female, residing in the UAE may apply to foster a child if she is at least 30 years old and able to support the child financially
MATCH INFO
Syria v Australia
2018 World Cup qualifying: Asia fourth round play-off first leg
Venue: Hang Jebat Stadium, Malayisa
Kick-off: Thursday, 4.30pm (UAE)
Watch: beIN Sports HD
* Second leg in Australia on October 10
Dr Amal Khalid Alias revealed a recent case of a woman with daughters, who specifically wanted a boy.
A semen analysis of the father showed abnormal sperm so the couple required IVF.
Out of 21 eggs collected, six were unused leaving 15 suitable for IVF.
A specific procedure was used, called intracytoplasmic sperm injection where a single sperm cell is inserted into the egg.
On day three of the process, 14 embryos were biopsied for gender selection.
The next day, a pre-implantation genetic report revealed four normal male embryos, three female and seven abnormal samples.
Day five of the treatment saw two male embryos transferred to the patient.
The woman recorded a positive pregnancy test two weeks later.
The Vile
Starring: Bdoor Mohammad, Jasem Alkharraz, Iman Tarik, Sarah Taibah
Director: Majid Al Ansari
Rating: 4/5
Real estate tokenisation project
Dubai launched the pilot phase of its real estate tokenisation project last month.
The initiative focuses on converting real estate assets into digital tokens recorded on blockchain technology and helps in streamlining the process of buying, selling and investing, the Dubai Land Department said.
Dubai’s real estate tokenisation market is projected to reach Dh60 billion ($16.33 billion) by 2033, representing 7 per cent of the emirate’s total property transactions, according to the DLD.
Match info:
Wolves 1
Boly (57')
Manchester City 1
Laporte (69')
