Samsung has a new “Tiger” plan to take on Apple in the US. A report claims that the company’s executives convened in Las Vegas, Nevada, ahead of CES 2022 to discuss the strategy to compete against the iPhone maker in the North American market.

The Korea Herald reports that the 40 executives agreed to a plan summarized by the acronym “Tiger.” The individual letters reportedly stand for:

• “True number one in all categories.”
• “Improve flagship market share.”
• Narrow the “gap between Apple.”
• “Expand” the presence of products like wireless earphones.
• Aim for a “record year.”

2022 is the year of the Water Tiger for the Chinese, and Samsung’s acronym appears to have drawn inspiration for naming the strategy. At the meeting, the Korean company’s mobile experience chief Roh Tae-Moon was quoted saying, “Our MX (mobile experience) vision is to shift from a smartphone vendor to an intelligent device company. We will not be a tech brand, but a brand beloved by young generations, providing innovative experience (sic).”

Tae-Moon’s words at the closed-door meeting appear to be concrete calls for action, considering Samsung’s recent forays into the fashion and design industry with customizable devices like the Galaxy Z Flip3 Bespoke Edition.

The report speculates that Samsung’s resolution to dominate the flagship smartphone segment is its reaction to losing its stronghold on the budget-oriented smartphone segment. Customers worldwide are increasingly favoring Xiaomi and Oppo devices instead of the Korean giant’s offerings in the budget segment.

Our Take

That said, Samsung’s plan to catch up to Apple is ambitious, and it could achieve its objectives if all goes to plan. However, Samsung is currently plagued by the same supply chain issues affecting smartphone manufacturers the world over. If it irons out these issues, do you think it would be able to beat Apple’s business performance? Tell us in the comments section below.