SAMSUNG GETS BUSIER IN INDIAN SMARTPHONE MARKETPLACE

SAMSUNG INDIA HAS AGGRESSIVELY OPENED ITS SMARTPHONE FLOODGATES WITH ALMOST FIVE LAUNCHES IN THE LAST SIX MONTHS.

ITS LATEST INTRODUCTION NOW ENSURES THAT THE COMPANY'S SMARTPHONE PORTFOLIO RANGES FROM THE MINIMUM 3.5 INCHES IN SCREEN SIZE TO 6.3 INCHES.

THE COMPANY, WHICH HAS 47 PER CENT MARKET SHARE IN THE DOMESTIC SMARTPHONE SEGMENT, IS FACING GROWING COMPETITION FROM LOCAL PLAYERS SUCH AS MICROMAX WHILE INTERNATIONAL RIVALS SUCH AS APPLE AND HUAWEI HAVE ALSO SLOWLY INCREASED THEIR PRESENCE IN INDIA.

ON TUESDAY, THE KOREAN SMARTPHONE GIANT ANNOUNCED YET ANOTHER ENTRY TO ITS 'GALAXY' SERIES-THE MEGA- A SHARP SIGNAL THAT THE COMPANY WILL CONTINUE TO BLUR THE LINES BETWEEN SMARTPHONES AND TABLETS.

"WHAT CAN I SAY? CLEARLY THE REPLACEMENT CYCLE IS BECOMING MUCH SHORTER. IN A COUNTRY LIKE INDIA, WE NEED TO BE PRESENT AT ALL PRICE POINTS, AND OUR LAUNCH CYCLE INDICATES THIS," SAID VINEET TANEJA, COUNTRY HEAD, SAMSUNG MOBILE AND DIGITAL IMAGING BUSINESS, WHILE ADDRESSING REPORTERS HERE.

"WE ARE FOLLOWING AN AGGRESSIVE PORTFOLIO APPROACH. WE'VE RECEIVED A LOT OF CUSTOMER FEEDBACK WHICH BASICALLY SAYS THAT MOST CONSUMERS PREFER LARGER SCREEN DISPLAYS. AND WE'VE DELIVERED ON THAT AS YOU CAN SEE TODAY," HE ADDED.

THE TWO MODELS, UNDER THE GALAXY MEGA SERIES, UNVEILED HERE COME IN 5.8 AND 6.3 INCHES IN SCREEN SIZE, WITH BOTH OF THEM RUNNING THE LATEST ANDROID 4.2 OPERATING SYSTEM ANSWERING A RANGE OF QUESTIONS, MR. TANEJA SAID, "IT'S NOT AS IF WE ARE TRYING TO GIVE OUR COMPETITORS NO LEEWAY, THIS IS MERELY RESPONDING TO CUSTOMER DEMAND. WE WILL RAMP UP OUR SERVICE NETWORK."

WHILE THE 5.8 INCH MODEL WILL BE PRICED AT RS. 25,100 AND WILL BE AVAILABLE IN THE MARKET BY NEXT WEEK, THE 6.3 INCH MODEL COMES WITH A PRICE TAG OF RS. 31,490 AND WILL BE ROLLED OUT IN THE NEXT TWO WEEKS.