Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd., the world's biggest electronics retailer, projects a large increase in its first-quarter 2013 operating profit due to stronger demand from emerging markets that offset weakening demand from developed markets.

Samsung's Galaxy line of smartphones, which come in 30 models, leading the sales surge for the South Korean company, which is the world's top producer of memory chips, TVs and mobile phones.

Samsung said on Friday that it expects an operating profit of between 8.5 trillion won and 8.9 trillion won ($7.6 billion and $8 billion) for the first quarter, up from its year-earlier level of 5.7 trillion won.