Samsung Electronics has replaced the head of its mobile business for the first time in six years, as it seeks to reverse a recent trend of falling smartphone sales.

三星电子(Samsung Electronics)六年来头一次更换其移动业务部门主管，试图逆转近期智能手机销量的下跌势头。

Shin Jong-Kyun, who fostered the successful Galaxy smartphone series as Samsung’s head of mobile communications from 2009, will hand the mantle to Koh Dong-jin, head of mobile research and development, the company said on Tuesday.

作为2009年以来的三星移动通信部门主管，申宗均(Shin Jong-kyun)曾在其任内推出了极为成功的Galaxy系列智能手机。周二，三星表示申宗均将把这一重任交给移动研发部门主管Koh Dong-jin。

Mr Shin, 59, will retain his formal position as one of three co-chief executives, to focus on long-term strategy — but he will “step back from day-to-day operations”, Samsung said.

三星表示，59岁的申宗均将保留其作为三名联席首席执行官之一的正式职位，以便把主要精力放在长期战略上，不过他将“退出日常运营”。

The move follows extensive speculation — beginning in the lead-up to last year’s reshuffle — that Mr Shin would be sidelined in response to setbacks in the mobile division.

在三星这一举措前，去年三星的洗牌之前就开始有大量猜测认为，为回应移动部门所遇的挫败，申宗均或将退出该部门。

Samsung remains the world’s leading smartphone producer by sales but its handset profits have fallen since the first half of last year, as it lost share to lower-cost Chinese peers at the low end of the market, and a resurgent Apple at the high end.

三星依然是全球销量顶尖的智能手机制造商，不过自去年上半年以来，随着其市场份额在低端输给成本较低的中国对手，高端输给再次崛起的苹果(Apple)，其手机盈利已经滑落下来。

“In the context of Samsung’s culture, somebody has to be held responsible,” said Daniel Kim, an analyst at Macquarie. “I expected him to resign last year, actually, but he stayed another year and the handset division is still not showing any meaningful sign of improvement.”

麦格理(Macquarie)分析师丹尼尔金(Daniel Kim)表示：“按照三星的企业文化，必须由某个人承担责任。事实上，我本来预计他去年会辞职，然而他却又呆了一年，手机部门仍未显示出任何改善的明显迹象。”

Mr Shin’s retention as co-chief executive seemed a “mark of respect for his contribution in the past”, Mr Kim said, calling his move “one step towards retirement”.

丹尼尔金表示，申宗均留任首席执行官似乎是“表示对其过去贡献的尊重”，并称他的这一变动“离退休更近了一步”。

The Galaxy series achieved huge market success from 2011 onwards, spearheading Samsung’s rise to become the world’s leading smartphone maker. But as competition intensified last year, the bloated portfolio of products that cost more than those of Asian rivals failed to attract consumers.

2011年以来，Galaxy系列智能手机取得了巨大的市场成功，引领三星崛起为全球头号智能手机制造商。然而随着去年竞争加剧，臃肿的产品组合导致成本高于其亚洲对手，不能吸引客户。

This year’s Galaxy S6 flagship won enthusiastic reviews but sales undershot targets.

今年推出的Galaxy S6旗舰手机赢得了热情洋溢的评价，销量却未能达到目标。