Samsung Electronics unveiled four new smartphone models under its flagship Galaxy line to expand it to the mid to low-end segment and grow in emerging markets.
The move beats Apple to the cheap and cheerful market, if Jobs' Mob ever really planned to go there. The move signals intensifying competition with Apple Samsung's biggest competitor and customer, as the Apple is set to launch a lower-cost version of the iPhone 4 and its much-anticipated iPhone 5 soon.
Apple and Samsung emerged as the world's No.1 and No.2 smartphone makers respectively in the second quarter, ending the 10-year reign of Nokia. However Apple's cunning plan is to rid itself of the competition with patent law suits so that people have no alternative but to continue to buy its expensive products.
A Samsung spokesman said the outfit wants smartphone models costing around $200, as those markets have lower smartphone penetration rates compared with advanced markets. Cheap models costing below $200 accounting for more than half the overall smartphone market by 2015 in volume terms, up sharply from last year's 16 percent.
Its new mid-to-high end Galaxy W will have a 3.7-inch screen, while the mid-tier Galaxy M Pro and lower-end Galaxy Y Pro will be Samsung's first Galaxy models with keyboards. The fourth Galaxy Y model is an entry-level product aimed at emerging market consumers.
