Pratima Adhikari

The most notable of devices from Samsung definitely have to be the high-end ones, although its budget and mid-range smartphones are very popular in Nepal too. But with competition like Xiaomi and OnePlus coming aggressive in the Nepali as well as the international market, Samsung seems to have thought of a different strategy altogether for the year 2020.

While we got Samsung’s innovative S-pen only in the high-end Note devices, this time, its available for almost half the price. So, what exactly is Samsung’s strategy here, let’s take a closer look.
Okay, first things first, Samsung Galaxy Note 10 Lite is an affordable version of Samsung’s Note series of smartphones, particularly, the Note 10. The Note 10 Lite borrows a similar display, the S-

Pen, the software experience and almost the same high-end performance from its flagship counterpart. The changes or let’s say the compromises that makes its price lower than its high-end models is the design choice, which is what Samsung calls Glasstic on the Note 10 Lite, whereas, the Note features a much superior Glass design.

Performance-wise too, you get the latest from Samsung in the Note 10 while the Note 10 Lite has a generation old processor, hence, it is not as powerful and efficient. However, Samsung has definitely thought of making the Note 10 Lite superior in terms of some aspects, like a bigger battery.

Yes, you get the biggest battery size, on a Samsung flagship ever, on the Note 10 Lite. It’s a whopping 4,500 mAh. The Note 10 however, has an average 3,500 mAh battery capacity.

So, the bigger question here is whether, the idea of giving something like a “lite” flagship in a market like Nepal is a good move or not? Well, the chances for the success of Samsung’s strategy to deem successful are definitely high.

Why, you may ask. That is because, if we look at the overall smartphone market in Nepal, people are moving upwards in the purchasing capacity curve. Previously, smartphones in the Rs. 20,000-price range was very popular, because that is where most of the buyers were interested in. Then, in 2018, most people bought phones in the Rs. 30,000-price range whereas in 2019, most people went for the Rs. 40,000 categories.

And smartphone companies changed their strategies in all this time. They started focusing and shifting their best offerings (the ones that people have the capacity to buy) towards a higher price range. Now, if you see, most of the smartphones from different brands are ranged between Rs. 30,000 to Rs. 50,000. The lower priced phones are becoming less and less preferable.

That is because the companies give appealing specifications in that particular segment and people are enticed to get the best for the price.

Now, companies like Xiaomi, Samsung, Huawei, OnePlus, OPPO and Vivo were among the first to bring smartphones above of $300. And that became the mid-range or the sweet spot for them, at least in Nepal.

But, the people who already owned a mid-range device in 2018 or 2019, would want to move upwards. So, the previous sweet- spot for people will now be above of some $400. Now this is the price range where the companies can afford almost the high-end specs with some compromises here and there. Not all the companies, did this. Among the first ones were OnePlus and Xiaomi.

So, Samsung that used to be among the first movers needed to do something with a unique product of its own. And for this, a mid-range or an upper- mid-range smartphone would not suffice.

Therefore, Samsung came up with the “Lite” variants of its Note devices to tackle the products such as OnePlus 7T and the Redmi K20 pro.

So, how is Samsung planning to compete? First of all, Samsung is trying to make the S-Pen (which is a unique offering) accessible to anyone who is willing to spend a sum of Rs. 60,000. Now, note that there is no other company that provides an S-pen. Actually, initially, only people who could afford high-end devices got access to the S-Pen. So, with it, one can get a premium experience at a certain budget.

Samsung’s goal here is not to offer all the high-end specs for a lower price, because that is what the Flagship Killers do. Rather they want to penetrate into a market that was previously dominated by others by giving something other brands cannot, the S-Pen.

Now, the people who had a mid-range device before, as mentioned earlier, can take a shot at owing a premium smartphone, with all the flagship features like an excellent display, an S-Pen, etc. And since Samsung has a good reputation in Nepal as a premium smartphone brand, people are more likely to purchase its products rather than going for other Chinese brands.

However, Samsung has drawn a clear line to differentiate its flagship and non- flagship offerings, because if they give all the good things in a “Lite” flagship, then what will be left for its flagship counterparts? So, unlike the Note 10, you don’t get an IP certification, which means your Note 10 Lite is not going to be water- resistant.

Similarly, you also don’t get high-end features like wireless charging on the Note 10 Lite. Even the coveted S-Pen does not come with all the latest features as you would get on the Note 10, for instance, the S-Pen on the Note 10 Lite does not have a Gyro sensor like the Note 10.

But even so, Samsung has made a bold decision by giving the most innovative of features for a price that is acceptable by many.

And in a market like Nepal, where the purchasing power lies in the mid-range to upper mid-range segment, Samsung has given a chance for everybody to experience the innovation it reserved for its high-end devices. So, now, people don’t need to spend a lakh rupee to experience Samsung’s finest offerings, rather they can get something within their budget and experience the best of technology.