As Samsung on Tuesday launched the year’s tenth 5G smartphone, the company said its 5G-first strategy is key for growth in the country. But it has not ruled out its focus on smartphone portfolio in other technologies like 4G and below Rs 10,000 range.
“Samsung is a full range player, we have got products from Rs 7,000 onwards. We have the largest portfolio of 4G phones under Rs 13,000. We believe that if we are able to give consumers the right experience at various price points, they will continue to keep upgrading to the next generation (technology) as time passes,” Raju Pullan, senior vice president of mobile business, Samsung India, told FE.
“We would like to be available across all technologies, but our strategy in India is a 5G-first strategy,” Pullan said, adding that the company’s financing scheme is one of the key factors that is driving the affordability of 5G smartphones.
Apart from the ten 5G smartphones, Samsung has also launched five 4G ones this year so far. The company’s latest phone in the 4G segment was Galaxy A14 4G, whereas in 5G, the company on Tuesday launched Galaxy F54 at an introductory price of Rs 27,999.
When asked about whether the market of 4G phones will diminish completely soon, Pullan said, “As India has the world’s largest population, we feel that there is space for all technologies, but contributions can change. Consumers can keep upgrading and that is the route that we are looking at.”
The sales share of 4G smartphones in the country has fallen to 50% in April, from 64% in November last year, according to Counterpoint. On the other hand, sales share of 5G smartphones rose to 50% from 36% in November last year.
“There’s an installed base of 650 million smartphones in the country. We are seeing a lot of consumers upgrading to 5G. Through Samsung Finance Plus and various affordability programmes, we are seeing consumers upgrade to 5G faster than ever before,” Pullan said.
In January-March, Samsung maintained its top position in the smartphone market in India with a 20% share. In 5G, too, the company’s market share at 24% is the highest among all brands.
“We have seen a very strong double-digit growth, which is helping us consolidate our position. Even in 5G, as per analysts, we have had very strong share gains in April as well,” Pullan said.
“Tailwinds are very strong for Samsung, which will help us consolidate our leadership across form factors and across our portfolio,” Pullan said, adding that more product launches and financing schemes are key for Samsung’s growth.
The starting peice of a Samsung 5G phone is around Rs 14,000 at present.
Last year, the company had launched 13 smartphone models of 5G and this year, it has launched 10 smartphones models in just five months.
Samsung is also strengthening its retail stores presence in the country. The company will open 15 experience stores across Delhi, Mumbai, Bengaluru, Hyderabad, Chennai, Kolkata, Ahmedabad, etc.
“We have to invest in India, so that we are able to give better experience to the consumers and upgrade the lifestyle of consumers in India,” Pullan said.
In 2022, Samsung’s smartphone business grew by over 20%, which was the fastest growth in the last four years. For Samsung, 5G smartphones contributed 61% to its overall smartphone business last year, higher than industry average of 56%, the company had said in January.
