Samsung plans cheaper smartphones in India
Samsung said it will launch cheaper smartphones in India to tap the booming consumer segment in the country, but did not give details as to the prices and when these handsets would be launched.
In a report by news daily The Economic Times on Sunday, Ranjit Yadav, country head of mobile and IT at Samsung India, said the lower-priced smartphones will not compromise the user experience. The executive was in Bangkok for a company-sponsored forum.
Yadav however did not disclose any specific details on the pricing or the launch dates of the smartphones, according to the report.
The South Korean phone giant has about 16 smartphone models available in India, starting from 7,000 rupees (US$140), it said.
The company currently owns about 41 percent market share and plans to grow it to 60 percent by end 2012, it added.
However, Samsung has been increasingly taking the heat from Chinese and domestic rivals, which offer smartphones from 3,000 rupees (US$60) to cater to the price-sensitive Indian consumer market, it noted.
While the smartphone segment is booming, tablet adoption is still below expectations and the market remains at its "infancy stage", according to Yadav, who said he expects it to improve this year.
India is on track to be one of the top smartphone markets in the world by 2016, according to figures from IDC.