India is likely to see the launch of an updated version of the Samsung Galaxy S5 before the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S6, according to sources.
The S6 is supposed to be unveiled in the Mobile World Congress in March, and to hit markets like India in late April or early May. One of the big steps forward for the S6 over its predecessor would be the availability of a quad-HD display and a new look that is a break away from the plasticky aesthetics that has been the hallmark of the S series so far.
However, Indian fans of the Korean company need not wait till May to get their hands on some 5-inch quad-HD goodness from their brand.
Instead, according to sources, the company is likely to launch an updated version of its Galaxy S5 smartphone launched last year. “We expect a new model launch with updated specs in the S series within the next one month,” said a Delhi-based distributor.
Since the Galaxy S6 will definitely not be ready by next month, we are looking at an updated version of the S5.
Inspite of the display, the new phone will not be a match for the S6, according to sources. While the Samsung Galaxy S6 is likely to come with a 64-bit, high-end Snapdragon 810 chipset or its equivalent from the Korean company, the new phone would come with a 32-bit processor, but one that is faster than the Snapdragon 801 found on the S5.
The source also added that the new phone is likely to come with a higher-resolution display than the earlier model, as well as LTE support.
That would make the updated S5 a close competitor to the S6, which itself is supposed to come with a quad-HD display.
The S5 was released back in April last year, and has been showing its age for quite some time now. LG launched its flagship G3, with a quad-HD display, six months ago.
While the upcoming model will not be Samsung’s first quad-HD model (that distinction belongs to the 5.7-inch Note 4), the model will offer an alternative to those who are not comfortable holding a huge 5.7-inch device in their hands.
It is not clear whether the new phone will come with Android 4.4 or 5.0 Lolipop, but there is a high chance that it will sport the older operating system. The Samsung Galaxy S6 is likely to be the company’s first Lolipop smartphone.
Samsung recently launched the LTE version of its S5 phone in India, and the model is priced at Rs 50,000 in the market. The new S5, which also have LTE, will be priced in the same price bracket as the Note 4, according to our source.
That would indicate a price of around Rs 55,000-57,000 for the new phone.
Pricing has been Samsung’s Achille’s heel in India. The company’s products are outliers in terms of pricing in a market where the average smartphone costs only around Rs 8,000.
The price gap has led to the entry of several players like Xiaomi, which today sells more phones than Samsung, and the strong presence of Indian and other Chinese brands like Huawei and Lenovo.
The Korean giant has, of late, tried to address the issue with the launch of its A Series smartphones.