2012 has not quite wrapped up but Samsung is already looking ahead to 2013. The company has set some lofty sales targets for itself according to a report by The Korea Times citing “an executive from one of Samsung’s key suppliers.” It may be looking to ship 510 million mobile phones in the next year. This would be a 20% increase over the estimated 420 million devices it expects to ship this year.
Samsung is looking to ship 390 million smartphones to capitalize on the growing worldwide appetite for such devices. While the company does acknowledge that smartphone growth could slow down compared to past years, it expects “new demand for devices using Long Term Evolution (LTE),” according to company executive Kim Hyun-joon.
Samsung may also diversify its smartphone and tablet portfolio in 2013. Along with the expected Galaxy smartphones (including the Galaxy S IV) and tablets, it is planning to launch Windows Phone 8 smartphones (likely under the ATIV brand) as well as devices powered by Tizen.
Most of Samsung’s mobile phone production will come out of Vietnam where it will also invest US$2.2 billion over several years to build up production capacity. Some 240 million devices will be manufactured in Vietnam with another 170 million to come from China, 20 million from India, and 40 million from its Korean factory in Gumi, North Gyeongsang Province.
Samsung is set to become both the top cellphone and smartphone manufacturer in the world in 2012. Its goals for 2013 are even more impressive when you consider that the company shipped a “mere” 600,000 smartphones only four years ago, back in 2009.
Read more: The Korea Times