SEOUL, South Korea — When Samsung dubbed development of its latest smartphones “Project Zero,” it was sounding a note of desperation as sales tumbled and it lost pole position in the crucial Chinese market to rivals Xiaomi and Apple.
The results of its overhaul, the flagship Galaxy S6 smartphone and the S6 Edge, go on sale Friday in 20 countries, including the U.S.
Samsung, which said “Project Zero” signified starting from scratch, is hoping a revamped design, a more intuitive interface and less clutter will help claw back lost market share.
They are Samsung’s first flagship products to hit shelves since its mobile business suffered a 40 percent slump in earnings last year.
It retained its position as the world’s top-selling smartphone maker last year but was the only top-five smartphone maker to sell fewer phones.
Consumers and journalists were head over heels over Apple’s new iPhones, which had bigger screens, while the plastic foundation of Samsung’s Galaxy models was derided as looking cheap.
Pre-launch reviews praised Samsung’s decision to ditch a plastic body and replace it with glass and metal for the new phones. The company also seemed finally to heed persistent complaints that its phones are too complicated, and it trimmed the dauntingly long list of apps that cluttered screens.
