2014 was a rocky year for Samsung as it saw sales decline and then inevitably profits slipped too. On these pages, we have always argued that it was not a terrible year per say, but it was being compared to other years where Sammy enjoyed a level of unprecedented dominance. That kind of winning cannot go on forever, especially when rivals are clawing back ground.

We have heard it all recently, such as the company pulling out of the smartphone market entirely within five years. Samsung itself largely admits that sales will likely continue to fall as the market evens out to allow more competitors. However, the restructuring of the Galaxy smartphone division will continue into 2016 says Kwon Oh-hyun, CEO of Samsung Electronics. He points out that the company wants to be an innovator and not just one of the crowd.

"We should adapt ourselves to the new environment instead of sticking to our success in the past. I believe now is the time for us to turn ourselves into a first mover from a fast follower."