Samsung Electronics Co. said Wednesday its latest smartphone line, the Galaxy S21 series, posted 30 percent higher sales than its predecessor in South Korea as the tech giant strives to boost its handset sales.

Samsung said sales of the Galaxy S21 family between Jan. 29 and Monday were 30 percent higher than those of the Galaxy S20 series.

By model, the entry-level S21 accounted for 40 percent of the total sales, followed by high-end S21 Ultra with 36 percent.

The S21 was launched with a price tag of 999,900 won ($900) in South Korea, the cheapest price ever for Samsung's flagship 5G smartphone model.

Samsung said sales of unlocked phones made up 30 percent of the total S21 series sales, with their sales volume more than doubling from that of the S20 series. Of the unlocked phone sales, 60 percent were purchased online, the company added.

Samsung, the world's largest smartphone vendor, launched the S21 series on Jan. 29, nearly two months earlier than its usual schedule of new flagship smartphone launches. The company expects sales of S21 smartphones to further rise in March and April.

Samsung said the new design and enhanced cameras of the S21 series apparently attracted more consumers here, with its various marketing programs.

The company earlier said the number of consumers who used its "Galaxy To Go" service, which allows people to rent and use the S21 for up to three days, have more than tripled from the past.

According to market researcher Counterpoint Research, Samsung was projected to sell 2.4 million units of the S21 series in South Korea this year, which is about 40 percent larger than sales of the S20 series in its debut year. (Yonhap)