Samsung to more than double its CDMA-based phone models

Electronics and home appliances manufacturer Samsung India today said it would more than double the number of its CDMA-based phone models to 15 by end of next year to tap the Open Market Handset segment.

Open Market Handsets (OMHs) are those which are available in the market directly from retailers compared to CDMA phones which were available only with the telecom operators, Samsung India Electronics Vice-President-HHP Division Hendrick Lee told reporters here.

"Currently we have seven CDMA phones. With the launch of these phones it would reach nine by January 2010. We want to take it by 15 by end of 2010," he said.

"The OMH market is expected to reach 30 per cent in 2010. It is currently 20 per cent as compared to five per cent in 2007-08, and with this growth we expect the market size of CDMA mobile phones to expand in future," he said.

The company in 2003 entered the CDMA category bundled with various telecom operators. Since then, it has been launching various CDMA enabled phones. However, with the growth of OMH, the company is hoping to launch more CDMA enabled phones in future, Lee said.

Samsung India launched the CDMA version of its popular selling model Corby Speed here.