Samsung unveils its two Galaxy beasts before Apple does

New York: Korean electronics giant Samsung unveiled a bigger Galaxy S6 edge+ smartphone and new Galaxy Note phablet, which it plans to launch globally, including in India, over the next few months. To begin with, the company will roll out the two smartphones, which come with enhanced 5.7-inch screens, in the US and Canadian markets on August 21.

"Today the journey continues in the large screen category," J K Shin, the CEO and President IT and Mobile division Samsung Electronics, said here. Samsung expects curved screen Galaxy S6 edge+ to be the volume driver for the company while with phablet Note 5 it plans to cater to the niche segment. "At Samsung we believed in the promise that large screen smartphones could actively address some major consumer pain points by providing users with the better viewing experience band more productivity on the go," Shin said. "With the launch of the S6 edge+ and Note 5 we are reemphasising our ongoing commitment to bold, fearless innovation that meets the needs of our consumers," he said.

The two smartphones come with various features including 16 MP rear and 5 MP front cameras, 5.1 Android Lollipop operating system and Samsung Pay, a mobile payment solution. Samsung Pay, which the company officially launched today, features magnetic secure transmission (MST), which it claimed as the latest solution for payment through mobiles at points of sale. Samsung Pay will go live in South Korea on August 21 and on September 28 in the US, followed by other markets like China, Spain and UK. Besides, the smartphones come with a broadcast feature allowing users to share moments with family and friends.

The Korean firm has tied up with You Tube for the broadcast feature. While Galaxy S6 Edge+ weighs 153 grams, Note 5 is slightly heavier at 171 grams. The company also announced to unveil Samsung Gear S2 during IFA meet in Berlin in September. Company sources confirmed that the Galaxy S6 edge+ would be launched in India later this month followed by Note 5 in September. When asked about the price range of two smartphones in India, the company officials said, "The smartphones would be competitively priced in the country." Samsung had launched 5.1-inch Galaxy S6 edge in India in March this year at a price range of Rs 58,900 (32GB)-Rs 70,900 (128GB).

Samsung remains the leading player in the smartphone market in India despite challenges from homegrown seller Micromax and new entrants like Xiaomi. According to recent International Data Corporation’s (IDC) report, Samsung remained leader in the Indian smartphone market despite experiencing a quarter on quarter (QoQ) shipment decline. The volume growth for the company on a year on year basis came from phones in the affordable segment such as relatively new Galaxy J1, and older models such as the Galaxy Core. According to IDC quarterly mobile phone tracker, 26.5 million smartphones were shipped to India in the second quarter of 2015 up 44 per cent from 18.4 million units for the same period last year.