Samsung eyes 65%market share of India’s premium smartphone market

Samsung bets big on its premium Galaxy Note 10 series as it aims to increase market share in the premium market.

Samsung unveils Note 10, Note 10+ (REUTERS)

Tech giant Samsung on Tuesday said it is confident of cornering 65 % market share in the premium smartphone segment ( ₹30,000 and above) with the launch of its flagship Galaxy Note 10 and 10+ in India. The company, which competes with the likes of OnePlus and Apple, in this segment, said in the first half of 2019 (January-June), its market share was at 63 % in value terms in the premium category (as per GfK data). "We had 52 % value market share in the premium segment in 2018. This rose to 63 % in H1 2019," Samsung India Senior Vice President and Head of Marketing, Mobile Business Ranjivjit Singh told PTI.

He added that by the year-end, the company is confident of expanding this share further to 65 % and above. "The premium category, estimated to be about ₹15,000-20,000 crore, is growing at about 9-10 %. We are growing at strong double digits and expect to grow at over 20 %," he said. Apart from the Note series, the company's lineup in the premium category includes Samsung Galaxy S series and A80.

He said the Note 10 series has powerful flagship devices that will take the productivity and creativity of millennial users to the next level.

"For the first time ever, Galaxy Note10 comes in two sizes, so consumers can find the Note that's best for them. It has an enhanced S Pen that converts handwriting to digital text, and enhanced Samsung DeX for PC and link to Windows for all meeting productivity needs of the customers," Singh added. Engineers at Samsung R&D Institute in Bengaluru have worked on several of the innovative features of the Galaxy Note10.

From August 23, Galaxy Note10+ will be available for ₹79,999 onwards, while Galaxy Note10 is priced at ₹69,999.

Galaxy Note10+ will be available in two variants - 12GB RAM and 256GB memory, and 12GB RAM with 512GB memory. The Note 10 has 8GB RAM with 256GB internal storage. The Note 10 features 6.3-inch display, triple camera setup (16MP+12MP+12MP) and 3500 mAh battery. The Note 10+ has 6.8-inch display, quad camera setup (16MP+12MP+12MP and VGA) and 4,300 mAh battery. Both devices have 10MP front camera. The S Pen has been equipped with gesture control. By opening up the Air actions SDK, developers can create customised controls that give users the ability to play games or use their favorite applications using gestures.