Samsung Aims To Beat Xiaomi In India's Middle-Range Segment

Currently, the smartphone market in India is churning regarding both software and hardware. This month, it’s going to witness another game-changing moment when the Galaxy M series from Samsung may redefine the mid-range price and affordable phone segments that are now dominated by China’s phone makers.

The giant Korean company is ready to launch two new smartphones, the Galaxy M10 priced at about Rs 9,500 with 3,500 mAh battery and the Galaxy M20 priced at almost Rs 15,000 with 5,000 mAh battery, which is the largest ever in Samsung phones. The two phones are expected to feature the Infinity-V screen, which has never appeared on any other middle-segment phone.

Samsung Galaxy M10

Reliable sources in the industry revealed that next month, Samsung is also likely to launch the M30 which will feature three rear cameras. Right now, the first smartphones of the M series that have the industry-first features are being produced at Samsung’s Noida-based plant. The company will launch the phones in India first and offer them to other regions later.

Experts say that Samsung – the most vertically integrated producer in the Indian market – is aiming at taking on the successful Redmi series of Xiaomi within the middle segment. Counterpoint’s Research’s Partner and Research Director Neil Shah explained the Korean phone maker's competitive advantage. Particularly, he said that Samsung can access the latest camera, display, connectivity and memory technologies, and it’s a more global brand than Xiaomi.

According to Shah, the only challenge for Samsung is Xiaomi’s willingness to sacrifice margins and out-price.

Also, Prabhu Ram, Head of Industry Intelligence Group (IIG), CyberMedia Research (CMR), said not only does Samsung want to outrun Xiaomi in the affordable segment but it also wants to consolidate its leading position in the Indian market, especially among millennials.

Faisal Kawoosa, techARC’s Founder and Principal Analyst, said that the phone manufacturer has focused on the luxury and premium segment for a while, it’s time to refresh its business in the highly-saleable segment in India.

Different from its usual humility when talking about growth, this time, the company is targeting more than 700 million users of feature phones, who now have better options to upgrade. Last month, a report from TRA Research indicated that Samsung Mobile is currently the most wanted brand in the country.

Samsung stands out from other phone brands for its diverse offerings, ranging from a cheap as Rs 8,000 to as expensive as Rs 75,000, said CEO N. Chandramouli at TRA Research.