Samsung launches Galaxy S4 at Rs 41,500

Samsung is set to begin sales of its flagship Galaxy S4 smartphone in India over the weekend at a time when it faces increasing competition from Apple in the high-end phone space. The Korean maker, which managed to topple Nokia from volume leadership in India, has priced the S4 at Rs 41,500, cheaper than Apple's iPhone5 at Rs 45,500.

Samsung has garnered 31.4% share in urban areas in March, surpassing Nokia's 30.1% share, according to GfK-Nielsen data.

The S4, which will be launched across 50 markets over the next few days, comes to India when both Samsung and Apple are engaged in a price war to gain a supremacy among premium buyers. Apart from iPhone5, the S4 will compete with models like HTC One, LG Optimus G and Sony Xperia Z.

Vineet Taneja, country head for Samsung India's mobile business, said the company is confident of maintaining its lead, both in terms of overall share as well as in the high-end smart phone segment. "The leadership is here to stay. If we keep innovating and continue being aggressive, we will be ahead," he told TOI.

The S4 runs on Android's jelly bean operating system and has a 2GB RAM and 16GB internal storage, which is expandable to 64GB. It has a 13 mega-pixel front camera, while having a 2MP camera at the rear. The phone boasts of unique features like smart stay, multi-window view and air gestures.

Regarding increasing competition from Apple, Taneja said new products as well as a bigger and wider retail presence will help Samsung maintain an edge. The Korean company has become the top smartphone maker in the world ahead of Apple, and is aiming to sell 10 million units of the S4 within one month of its launch.

Apple has become aggressive in India, the world's second-biggest cellphone market, as sales slow down in developed countries. The iPhone maker has cut the price of older variants of iPhone and has also launched a buyback scheme that ensures a minimum payback of Rs 7,000 on older smartphones to buyers who migrate to the iPhone 4.

On its part, Samsung has been launching new phones like Galaxy S4 and the Rex series in the lower end of the market. It has also responded to increased competition by offering EMI schemes and 15% cashback offer on the purchase of high-end smartphones like Galaxy Note II, Galaxy S3 and Galaxy Grand.