Samsung aims to tap deeper into Chinese premium marketSeoul, March 7 (AZINS) Samsung Electronics Co said on Wednesday it plans to take a larger slice of the Chinese smartphone market with the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ by focusing on consumers seeking premium models.

"Samsung has been growing as a truly localised Chinese company," Koh Dong-jin, Head of Samsung's IT and Mobile Communications Division, said during a showcase event in China.

He added that the firm will continue to make efforts to deliver new value to Chinese consumers and the country's economy.

The company said it has been joining forces with various Chinese firms including Baidu, Alibaba, Wechat, Mobike and Jingdong to provide optimised Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Internet-of-Things (IoT) solutions to consumers, Yonhap News Agency reported.

Samsung claimed the Chinese-language edition of Bixby, its voice recognition platform, is popular among Chinese consumers. The platform also provides services in Korean and English.

The company plans to start sales of the Galaxy S9 and Galaxy S9+ in China on March 16.

The South Korean tech giant has been losing ground in the Chinese market due to local rivals that have launched competitively priced models.

The new camera maintains much of its predecessor's design, but its camera now has a variable aperture that can switch between F1.5 and F2.4. The addition improves the phone's overall user experience.