By   www.thenational.ae

Samsung unveiled to the region its Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge last night, as it attempts to beat back the onslaught from the Apple iPhone 6 and 6 Plus.

A row of Galaxy S6 edge smartphones are seen on display at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event at the Mobile World Congress. Albert Gea / Reuters
A row of Galaxy S6 edge smartphones are seen on display at the Samsung Galaxy Unpacked event at the Mobile World Congress. Albert Gea / Reuters

The unveiling, set in the Armani Hotel in Dubai’s Burj Khalifa, saw a spectacular audio and video show with a score similar to Lord of the Ringswith a dash of James Bond. This was the aperitif before the main event which saw 100 women dressed in white dresses file through the tables ant-like bearing the new devices.

Samsung is still the world’s biggest smartphone seller but last year’s premium phone, the Galaxy S5, saw underwhelming sales and compelled the South Korean giant to rethink its offering.

The UAE and the Middle East is a key region for the premium priced offerings.

“Figures from January show that we have 44 per cent of the smartphone market in the UAE and 30 per cent of what we sell in the UAE costs below $300,” said Hayssam Yassine, head of telecommunications group at Samsung Gulf Electronics. More info