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Samsung Galaxy M
- Thread starter ozaz
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In emerging markets, Samsung spend more advertising on the A series, and have them available on offline retailers and resellers. Meanwhile, the M series are hardly advertised, and focused on online only availability via e-commerce. Hence spec per spec, the M series tend to have better spec for the money.
Basically the M series was made to compete with the many Chinese brands that focus more on online presence than retail (eg. Xiaomi, Poco, Realme, etc).
Basically the M series was made to compete with the many Chinese brands that focus more on online presence than retail (eg. Xiaomi, Poco, Realme, etc).
Samsung's A-series smartphones are heavily promoted in emerging regions and can be purchased from brick-and-mortar stores and third-party sellers. As opposed to the heavily promoted S series, the M series is exclusive to online sales.
I don't understand why they need a whole separate line for online-only availability????
Why is this better than just using A-series for both target markets (given prices are roughly the same)?
No, the prices are not the same for the spec. The M series usually have better spec for the dollar compared to the A series, especially on the lower end. For example, the Galaxy M33 uses Exynos 1280 for less than $200, while the A33 with the same SoC is closer to $300. Of course, barring sales/promos, things can get a bit muddy, but the differentiation was clearly intentional.
It is to combat the Chinese like Xiaomi/Poco and Realme who focus mostly on online presence, cutting cost, and giving better bang for the buck.
A typical consumer going to stores will be seeing the A series. More techie consumers who are more interested in getting the best spec for the money will be more likely to shop online and discover the M series.
The M series seems to be intended for the emerging markets where the Chinese are heavily competing in the sub $500 market. Its intended effect might not be seen in most developed markets where flagships like the S and Z series are the norm.
The A series which is priced between $200 to $700 is fit for this purpose so not sure why Samsung released the M series.
The A series, in emerging markets, are more expensive than the M series, and are not competitive enough against the Chinese brands like Xiaomi/Poco and Realme, which focus on spec per dollar and online presence. That’s what the M series is intended for.
Eg, the A53 is around $340 over here. That’s not competitive enough spec wise when you can get Realme phone with SD870 at that price. M33 brings the same SoC of the A53 closer to a much lower $200 price point, where it’s competing more comfortably with SD680/Dimensity 810 phones from the Chinese.
Not sure why I have to repeat myself so many times here.
TLDR, the M series is intended for emerging markets. Consumers in developed markets might not understand the point, which is exactly why Samsung intended the M series for emerging markets in the first place, not developed markets. If you are in a developed market, you don’t have to understand the point of the M series. They’re not intended for you.
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But they sell them in some developed markets alongside A series and the upper and lower prices are approx the same for both series (see opening post).
The Samsung product pages don’t include mention of any differences in processors. For example the product pages for both A33 and M33 simply describe the processor as 2.4 GHz octa core. A few differences between the phones are apparent from the product pages, but you have to look hard to locate them.
Hence, they should expect consumer confusion as to why the M series is an option.
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Majority of consumers buy phones from offline channels like carriers and retailers, as such majority of them will only see the A series. No confusion there. Even Samsung website in my country emphasizes the S and A series. You really have to be looking for the M series to find them.
Again, I have pointed out the purpose of the M series. Those who searched for them are more likely to know their research and specs. The M series is targeting the same consumers who are also looking for Poco or Realme devices, best spec for the lowest dollar. Majority of consumers won’t even realize the M series existed, so no confusion.