Galaxy S, Note to help Samsung retain top position: German research firm

NEW DELHI: South Korean handset maker Samsung Electronics said its latest high-end smartphones under the Galaxy S and Note series will help the company sustain the leadership position in India's premium segment, where it competes with Apple, Sony and LG.

Samsung had 45% of the volume market share in the premium segment in July this year, according to GfK, a German market research firm that analyses retail sales in cities and towns with 50,000-plus population. The firm ranks Samsung as the leader in the country's fast-growing smartphone market with a more than 40 per cent market share.

“The overall market is growing rapidly but our own growth rate is outpacing the industry growth rate. With this growth we are further consolidating and growing our market share,“ Asim Warsi, vice president for mobile and IT at Samsung India Electronics, told ET. “We are witnessing double-digit growth across categories, including premium smartphones.“

Devices priced above Rs 30,000 are considered premium. Samsung has 150,000 retail outlets and 2,100 exclusive stores in India, which it claims is the highest in the market.

In the April-June quarter, smartphone shipments in India grew 44 per cent to 26.5 million units from a year earlier, according to research firm International Data Corp. Samsung led with a 23 per cent share, followed by Micromax Informatics with 17 per cent and Intex with 11 per cent.

Samsung has launched 18 smartphones in India since January, with 16 of them 4G-ready.

Asked if the company would introduce more 4G smartphones in the sub-Rs 10,000 category, Warsi said Samsung will bring “more affordable 4G smartphones.“ The cheapest 4G smartphone by Samsung is priced at Rs 9,000.