Samsung Galaxy A8 Star is now available in India at Rs 34,990 via Amazon.
Everyone is trying to aggressively push premium smartphones at affordable prices in India and hence Samsung’s recent release, the Galaxy A8 Star, is no real surprise. This is not the first Samsung smartphone to launch at Rs 34,990. The South Korean company has had phones in that price segment before as well. But this is the first time Samsung has launched a phone in the market that aims to compete with offerings from rival brands Xiaomi and OnePlus. There’s a lot of chatter around why Samsung launched the Galaxy A8 Star, coming just a few days after the launch of Poco F1. We tried to come with four possible reasons behind the launch of the Galaxy A8 Star.
Also read: Samsung Galaxy A8 Star sale in India via Amazon begins today: Price, specifications
Astounding success of OnePlus 6
OnePlus 6 is a massive success in India and perhaps the reason behind the very existence of the Galaxy A8 Star. OnePlus is known for its aggressively priced phones and its latest OnePlus 6 takes care of everything a user might expect from a flagship phone: good design, impressive build quality, a Snapdragon 845 processor, decent dual rear-facing cameras, clean user interface with no bloatware, and high-end specifications.
OnePlus 6 starts at Rs 34,999 for the base version. According to Hong Kong-based research firm Counterpoint, OnePlus has surpassed Samsung in premium smartphone sales in the second quarter of 2018. That landmark is the result of an extraordinary success of the OnePlus 6.
Xiaomi’s Poco F1 kicks off price war
After many failed attempts, Xiaomi is once again entering India’s premium smartphone market, but with a whole new approach. This time though the Chinese start-up wants to disrupt the premium smartphone segment with a new sub-brand Poco — and the Poco F1 is the first step at achieving the goal.
While the phone doesn’t bring anything new to the table, but it’s claim to fame is its price. In that segment, the Poco F1 is the only device that runs a Snapdragon 845 at Rs 20,990, and there’s no phone with that mobile processor with 8GB RAM/256GB storage at Rs 28,999.
Also read: Why did Xiaomi launch Poco and other questions you were itching to ask
Premium mid-end segment is expanding in India
More buyers in India are now attracted towards premium smartphones, the market segment which will continue to grow. According to Counterpoint, the premium segment in India grew 19 per cent YoY and 10 per cent sequentially during the second quarter of 2018. The growth is primarily in the sub-Rs 40,000 price segment where brands like OnePlus have positioned their phones. Over the last few months, that segment saw a number of high-profile launches from Huawei and Asus.
Also read: OnePlus tops India’s premium smartphone market above Apple, Samsung
Samsung has done reasonably well in the last quarter, but the company didn’t have any best-seller, particularly in the premium mid-end space. A lower price point would no doubt make the Galaxy A8 Star affordable for many users who have yet to upgrade from older devices.
Imminent release of next Apple iPhone
Later next month, Apple is rumoured to launch three iPhone X-style smartphones, including a larger 6.5-inch model and a cheaper 6.1-inch LCD variant. A large chunk of potential buyers, especially in India, would like to get their hands-on a cheaper iPhone X-style handset. The entry-level iPhone will reportedly have an LCD display, slightly thicker bezels around the display and a single camera on the back.
Also read: Apple iPhone 6.1-inch LCD variant could be delayed, demand for 2018 iPhones will be high: Report
The 6.1-inch iPhone won’t be cheap, but compared to the iPhone X 2018 and X2 Plus, it will be a lot cheaper. Many believe the 6.1-inch iPhone might cost $600 (or approx Rs 42,021) when it hits the market. While the phone’s price is unknown, chances are, it might cost in the vicinity of Rs 45,000.