Samsung Galaxy S6, Galaxy S6 Edge to Be Manufactured for India at Noida Plant

Samsung on Monday launched the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge smartphones in India as the Korean electronics giant looks to compete with rival Apple's iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus. The Galaxy S6 will be offered in three storage options with prices as follows - 32GB (Rs. 49,900), 64GB (Rs. 55,900) and 128GB (Rs. 61,900). The Samsung Galaxy S6 Edge is priced at Rs. 58,900 (32GB), Rs. 64,900 (64GB), and Rs. 70,900 (128GB).

The company had at the event said it will also manufacture both the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge 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," Samsung India Vice President Marketing (Mobile and IT) Asim Warsi told PTI.

He added that India-manufactured devices will be primarily targeted at the domestic consumption. Warsi said the pre-orders for the smartphones had opened on Monday, and they will be available for purchase 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.

In the past years, Samsung's global competitor Apple has made inroads in the Indian smartphone market. Its latest offerings - the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus - were launched in India in October 2014 with prices starting at Rs. 53,500, though prices have gone up since to now start at Rs. 56,000. Both iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are available in 16GB, 64GB and 128GB versions.

The Samsung Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge will compete in the premium category, which accounts for less than a percent of sales in volume terms but about 20 percent in value terms.

According to IDC, about 22.5 million smartphones were shipped in India in the October-December 2014 quarter with Samsung accounting for 22 percent share.

The Indian market, which is driven primarily by affordable devices, saw domestic firms like Micromax and Intex following in the tally with 18 percent and 8 percent share, respectively in the reported quarter.

Written with inputs from PTI