Why Samsung sees its new Galaxy A-series broadening the ‘premium’ mid-range smartphone segment in India

Babbar says every smartphone series Samsung offers in the market cater to a specific use case and therefore are priced accordingly. For instance, the Galaxy S22 Ultra has a core audience who want an S-Pen and the best cameras on a flagship smartphone. The Galaxy M-series is all about the big battery and the price. The Galaxy A-series combines a lot of features you would get on a flagship Samsung smartphone, like a high-refresh screen and multiple cameras but at a slightly lower price point. 

Babbar says the idea behind the updated Galaxy A-series is to offer a lineup of smartphones that centers around premium features at a lower price point. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

“The demand for the ‘best’ is increasing,” he said, adding that the way an average consumer sees a smartphone has changed and it’s making Samsung rethink how to trickle down premium features that were previously limited to its flagship smartphones to more accessible price points. 

For Samsung, the Galaxy A-series exists because there is potential to grow and the company’s confidence is backed up by the way Indian consumers are willing to shell out more for a smartphone. “The demand cycle is very positive in terms of consumer adoption and going higher on the ASP,” he said. Samsung hopes to grab 40 per cent of the market share in the premium mid-range segment with the latest Galaxy A-series. According to Counterpoint Research, Samsung led the smartphone segment ranging between Rs 20,000 and Rs 45,000 with a market share of 28 per cent in India in 2021. 

Out of five new Galaxy A-series smartphones, the star of the show is the Galaxy A53 5G, a phone that has the potential to become a popular offering in the smartphone marketplace in India. Design-wise, it is hard to distinguish between the Galaxy A53 and Galaxy S21 FE, the latter costing in the vicinity of Rs50,000. Starting at Rs 34,499, the Galaxy A53 has a screen that is nearly edge-to-edge with a punch hole cut out for a selfie camera. The screen boasts a 120Hz high refresh rate, a mid-range Exynos 1280 chipset powers the device and you will find four cameras on the back. It also supports 5G, which makes it future proof. Samsung will also market the Galaxy A73 5G, a smartphone that comes with a 108MP camera and intelligent software features like RAM Plus, object eraser and AI Photo remaster. 

Samsung Galaxy A53 5G starts at Rs 34,499. (Image credit: Anuj Bhatia/Indian Express)

Samsung’s biggest rival in the smartphone space, Apple, is also taking the premium mid-range phone space seriously with the third-generation iPhone SE. But the Cupertino tech giant and Samsung have a different vision for a premium mid-range smartphone. While the iPhone SE is designed for the first time iPhone users who want a smartphone for basic tasks and have no budget for a flagship iPhone,  the Galaxy A53 5G will appeal to those who want a smartphone that feels like a flagship but is priced like a mid-range phone. The iPhone SE, by comparison, neither has a cutting-edge 120Hz display nor multiple cameras. Though it does have the latest A15 Bionic chipset, the same processor that powers flagship the iPhone 13 series and supports 5G. 

Even though Samsung and Apple have distinguished strategies to go after aspirational consumers, one thing is clear: both see the demand for an “affordable flagship” in the market. Babbar says at the end “everything has been thought of keeping consumers in mind and helping them make the decision of buying a smartphone easier.”