There is no shortage of evidence pointing to the fact that Samsung is in some serious trouble. Profits are down, flagship phones are sitting in warehouses and pressure from the competition has never been higher. So the news that Samsung is looking to cut its losses by shuttering non-essential services like its instant messaging app ChatOn should come as no surprise to anyone.
The Korea Times is reporting that Samsung is looking “to streamline its business units” and since “ChatOn isn’t a business that can show improvement in the future” it was on the chopping block within the near future according to an unnamed Samsung official.
ChatOn is a cross-platform IM client that was launched in 2011 with the Galaxy SIII and has shipped on Samsung phones since then creating one of the largest potential user-bases in the game. However, with a largest reported user base of just 100 million in 2013 it pales in comparison to the 600 million users of WhatsApp and the 500 million users of Facebook Messenger.
Samsung has since responded to the Korea Times report, stating that “the recent rumors concerning ChatOn have been false, as ChatOn will continue to be offered to consumers worldwide,” which could either be disinformation from the Korean electronics giant to assuage investors or a legitimate faith that the product is an essential service to its users.
[Source – Korea Times, Via – The Verge, Image – Samsung]
