Samsung Making Budget Android KitKat Phone to Compete With Moto E: Report

Samsung might not be making headlines in the sub-Rs. 10,000 category these days with its Galaxy Android smartphones, but that doesn't mean that the top handset maker is out of the competition completely without putting up a fight.

An import/ export data website listing seems to indicate that the South Korean major is gearing up to launch its new budget smartphone with model number SM-G350E in India.

Notably, few days ago, Sammy Today spotted a Samsung handset on the company's Swedish support page, which listed a device with model number SM-G357F. Sammy Today reported that the alleged handset spotted at company's support listing has three variants - SM-G357M, SM-G357F and SM-G350E (dual-SIM).

The report also leaked some of the specifications of the alleged Samsung SM-G357F thanks to a GFX Bench result listing which revealed Android 4.4.2 KitKat; 4.3-inch display (480x800 pixels); 1.2GHz dual-core processor; 1GB RAM; 8GB of inbuilt storage; 5-megapixel rear camera and 0.3-megapixel front camera. Other rumoured features on the alleged Samsung handset include an accelerometer, as well as Bluetooth, GPS, and Wi-Fi connectivity options.

If a new leak is to be believed, the alleged Samsung SM-G357F will have identical specifications as the SM-G350E (dual-SIM). The import/ export site Zauba, which track imports and exports from certain companies to and from India, has listed the alleged Samsung SM-G350E with a value of roughly Rs. 6,000, and was first spotted by Gadgets to Use.

The new Zauba listing for the SM-G350E suggests that the alleged handset will sport a 4.3-inch display, as leaked in the GFX Bench result of the SM-G357F.

Motorola's comeback in emerging markets is becoming a nightmare for many companies, and in India, established handset vendors are responding. Motorola is definitely hitting the right notes by pricing its smartphones - the Moto G (Review | Pictures), Moto X (Review | Pictures) and Moto E (Review | Pictures) - aggressively.

The popularity of the Moto E smartphone, with its highlight feature being the Android 4.4 KitKat software version in the sub-Rs. 10,000 category, is now pushing many handset manufacturers to release smartphones with the latest Android version. The latest to join the bandwagon are Micromax's Unite 2 and Canvas Engage, and Lava's Iris X1 - all of which are priced below Rs. 10,000 and run the latest Android KitKat version.