Samsung Plans to Kill Galaxy J-Series Lineup, New Galaxy M Range in the Offing: Report

Samsung is reportedly planning to kill the Galaxy J-Series range by integrating the entire Galaxy J price points into the Galaxy A family. With the new move, the South Korean giant could get a streamlined range of Android smartphones where the Galaxy A range will majorly include the company's middle to lower-end models. The latest report surfaces just after Samsung came in the headlines for teasing the launch of the Galaxy J4+ and Galaxy J6+ in India. Both new smartphones are expected to debut in the country with price tag between Rs. 10,000 and Rs. 20,000.

According to a report by ET News, citing a person familiar with the development, Samsung is considering a major reorganisation of its mid- and low-end smartphone ranges by killing the Galaxy J lineup. The company is, instead, said to have plans to expand its Galaxy A-series lineup by including the Galaxy J-Series price points. It is also reported that Samsung is set to bring the Galaxy M lineup to replace its online-exclusive Galaxy On-Series family that is majorly competing against the affordable range of Chinese handsets in India. The Galaxy M models are said to come with competitive price tags to make the competition tougher for Chinese smartphones in markets such as India, Latin America, and China.

The expansion of the Galaxy A lineup alongside the death of the existing Galaxy J-Series brand and the arrival of the all-new Galaxy M models could help Samsung increase its market share in price-constrained markets such as India and China. Notably, the Galaxy A-Series models in the current market already offer features like metal body, AMOLED displays, and dual rear camera setups to lure customers. The company also provides its proprietary interface alongside the "Infinity Display" panels to mimic the experience available on the premium Galaxy S-Series models.

As per a recent Counterpoint report, the Galaxy J-Series models helped drive volumes for Samsung in the second quarter of 2018. The South Korean company made a comeback to the leading position in the Indian smartphone market in the last quarter and surpassed Xiaomi with 29 percent share. The Chinese company, on the other hand, managed to capture 28 percent share in the last quarter. "The success of Samsung during the quarter can be attributed to its refreshed J-Series as it launched the most number of models as compared to any brand across multiple price points during the quarter," Karn Chauhan, Research Analyst, Counterpoint Research, had said, as quoted in the report.