Samsung has announced the launch of its much-awaited flagship Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones in India, within three weeks of the global launch, as the Korean electronics giant looks to compete with rival Apple’s iPhone6. The company said it will also manufacture the sixth edition of the flagship devices at its Noida facility in the first half of the year.
“India is among the select 20 countries for the first phase of launch of Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. The Indian R&D team has made a valuable contribution in making these smartphones. .. We also plan to begin manufacturing these devices in India in the first half of this year,” said Samsung India Vice President Marketing (Mobile and IT) Asim Warsi
He added that India-manufactured devices will be primarily targeted at the domestic consumption. Warsi said the pre-booking for the devices is open from today and would be up for sale from April 10. Samsung, which is the world’s as well as India’s largest smartphone player, had unveiled the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge at the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona earlier this month.
The company’s facility at Noida has a capacity of producing over four million mobile phones a month and manufactures both affordable and high-end devices. The Galaxy S6 will be offered in three storage options -- 32 GB (Rs 49,900), 64 GB (Rs 55,900) and 128 GB (Rs 61,900). The Samsung Galaxy S6 edge is priced at Rs 58,900 (32 GB), Rs 64,900 (64GB), and Rs 70,900 (128 GB). In the past years, Samsung’s global competitor Apple has made inroads in the Indian smartphone market.