Samsung to renovate Galaxy A phone

Ties up with Snapdeal to max its online channel and with Airtel, where it is offering 30 GB free data over six months on purchase of these smartphones

Samsung is aiming to boost sales in the middle range price segment further this year with the help of its A series of smartphones, which helped the company to climb up the ladder dramatically last year.

In the Rs 20,000-30,000 price bracket, it had almost doubled its market share from 31 per cent in February to 61 per cent in May. Now, the handset maker has rolled out renovated editions of the Galaxy A series.

“We have strong plans for the A series of smartphones in 2016,” Manu Sharma, director of the mobile business at Samsung India Electronics, said.

The new dual-SIM and Exynos processor-powered A series, which is the toned down counterpart of its largely popular S series, offers glass and metal combination in a Rs 29,400 to Rs 33,400 price range.

It has tied up with Snapdeal to maximise its online channel, and with Airtel, which is offering 30GB free data over six months on the purchase of these smartphones.

The company expects to further consolidate its presence in this price bracket this year. In terms of sales, Samsung now has a 45.9 per cent market share in the smartphone segment, while its total share in the mobile phone sector is nearly 43 per cent.

Sharma said the industry will grow by 16-18 per cent in value terms in 2016 which will mean an additional 100-105 million units being sold at an average ticket price of Rs. 10,000.

Further, according to the Korean firm, India currently has a base of 550 million feature phone users which opens up the potential to convert these users to the smartphone platform.

The company is also betting high on 4G technology to push its smartphones sales.

"In the 4G space, we presently have 18 devices and have a 62 per cent market share", he said.

Relying on innovation, Sharma said technologies like ultra-saving mode has helped the company to garner a better sales figure and this year too, Samsung will ride the growth path on innovation.

It claimed that about 60 per cent of its J series owners use the data saving feature which reduces data consumption by compressing the data as well as limit the data uptake of background applications.

"The adoption of 4G will be at a faster pace than 3G", he added.