Samsung launches new smartphone

Samsung launched a device in its flagship premium smartphone range, the Galaxy S4. It follows the S3, a handset that has sold more than 40 million units. The Galaxy handsets are seen as the closest competitor to Apple's iPhone.

Analysts predict software that tracks where users are looking and automatically scrolls down the page as it is read, without it being touched. There is also a souped-up camera and processor.

But crucial to Samsung's future success, analysts say, is how the South Korean company plans to turn its strong position in the smartphone market into greater success with other devices such as tablets.

Prior to the launch in New York, Samsung unleashed a huge advertising campaign, including a series of videos involving a small boy tasked with looking after a 'top secret' box.

Like the S3, the S4 runs on Google's Android operating system, but analysts are predicting some heavy customisation from Samsung to give the device a more distinctive feel and, crucially, set it apart from its competitors' Android-based handsets.

This is important, said Gartner analyst Roberta Cozza, if Samsung is to gain a higher level of loyalty to its device range. Unlike with Apple, where a large number of iPhone owners gravitate towards the iPad when they decide to purchase a tablet, the same cannot be said of other brands, where customers more likely to mix and match.

-BBC