Telecom Lead Asia: To take on Nokia’s Asha series, Samsung has launched REX series of Smart feature phones in India.
Nokia is betting big on Asha phones – reasonably priced — to play in the volume market.
IHS estimates that there will be 653 million feature and entry-level mobile phones shipped globally in 2013.
Samsung will launch REX series across a number of the world’s fastest growing markets.
Price of Samsung’s REX series in India starts from Rs 4280 to Rs 6490.
Samsung is the number one mobile phone vendor in India. Since India is a price sensitive market, costly smartphones from Samsung, Nokia, BlackBerry, Sony, etc. are unable to create strong presence in growing rural markets.
Samsung REX series includes: REX 90, REX 80, REX 70 and REX 60
“Entry-level smartphones must compete with ever smarter feature phones that offer many of the same social network, games, and mobile Internet benefits as smartphones at a very compelling price,” said Ian Fogg, senior principal analyst, Mobile and Telecommunications Research at IHS.
JK Shin, president and head of IT & Mobile Communications Division at Samsung Electronics, says REX series will allow Samsung to connect with the huge base of young Indians who are looking for Smart Solutions.