Samsung launches upgraded Galaxy A series in US

Starting with the Galaxy A42 5G on Thursday, Samsung will release the Galaxy A52 5G, A32 5G and A12 on Friday in the U.S. The Galaxy A02s will be available from April 29.

"These are the perfect smartphones for anyone who wants the quality and innovation synonymous with Samsung at a great price," said Drew Blackard, vice president of mobile product management at Samsung Electronics America.

The world's biggest smartphone vendor expects the 2021 edition of its mid-low tier Galaxy A smartphones to boost its handset sales in the US along with the flagship Galaxy S devices that were introduced in January.

Samsung was the second-largest smartphone supplier in the US with a market share of 22.1 per cent in the fourth quarter of 2020, far behind Apple, which dominated with a 60.1 per cent share, according to market researcher Counterpoint Research.

The U.S. launch of the new Galaxy A series will help Samsung to eat up LG's presence in the market. LG on Monday announced that its mobile business unit will no longer operate after July 31 after years of money-losing performance, reports Yonhap news agency.

According to Counterpoint Research, 58 per cent of LG's smartphone shipments in the fourth quarter of 2020 were models priced below $150, while 37 percent of them were handsets priced between $150 and $500, meaning the company's mobile sales were concentrated in mid-low tier devices.

The newly launched Galaxy A smartphones in the U.S. come with price tags lower than $500, with the A32 5G priced at US$279.99, making it Samsung's first-ever 5G smartphone to be sold for under $300. The starting price for the A02s is only $109.99.

"In markets like the US, where LG is the third-largest brand with a 9 percent share, Samsung will be doubling down with its affordable A series to capture LG's prepaid share." said Yi Dong-keun, a research analyst at Counterpoint Research. "Motorola, HMD, Alcatel, ZTE and Vinsmart could be the ones in line to capture the rest."