Samsung steps up mid-range competition against Chinese rivals

Galaxy J2 2016 and J Max, priced at Rs 9,750 and Rs 13,400 respectively, will go head on with best-selling devices such as Motorola's Moto G and Xiaomi's Redmi Note

Smartphone major Samsung on Friday launched two new mid-range devices, the Galaxy J2 2016 and J Max, to take on Chinese rivals Xiaomi and Lenovo-owned Motorola which have dominated the Rs 10,000-15,000 smartphone segment in India.

The Galaxy J2 2016 and J Max, priced at Rs 9,750 and Rs 13,400 respectively, will go head to head with best-selling devices such as Motorola's Moto G and Xiaomi's Redmi Note. In India, the fastest growing smartphone market in the world, nine out of ten smartphones sold cost less than Rs 15,000.

Chinese brands Xiaomi, LeEco, Oppo and others have seen a big spurt in market share during the first quarter of 2016. While Samsung's market share remained largely flat at 26.6 per cent during the first three months of the year, these companies ate into the pie controlled by Indian brands Micromax and Intex.

 

Samsung says its two new J-series devices were designed, developed and manufactured locally, making them price competitive with Chinese vendors. Moreover, the company is also consolidating its lineup which has been accused of being bloated in the past.

We are always looking for ways to enhance user experience and drive consumer delight. With the advent of 4G, exponential increase in app usage and ensuing need for multi-tasking, consumers are on the lookout for high performance device," said Manu Sharma, Vice President of Mobile Business at Samsung India, in a statement.

Following in the footsteps of Samsung globally, the Indian arm of the company is focusing all of its efforts on releasing devices under three monikers. The J Series is the low to mid range devices, while the A series offers more premium finishes and better specifications, while devices launched under the S series go head to head with high-end devices such as the iPhone.

Samsung remains to be the largest sellers of 4G devices in the country, with the technology taking off in a big way. Two-thirds of all smartphone shipments in the country are now 4G devices, and Samsung says its sales reflect that number.

However, given bad mobile data connectivity, the company says it is innovating on ways to reduce data consumption and new features such as Data Saver are finding many takers. The company says its India R&D centre is also working on ways to make apps run better on low-end hardware, improving the experience of using ultra-low cost smartphones too.