Is Samsung Trying to Focus on Smaller Cities Via its App Store?

Samsung’s app store, as per the company, now supports 12 local Indian languages in addition to English. Xiaomi had recently launched Redmi Go smartphone in the country

Samsung India has announced that it has partnered with Indus App Bazaar to make its mobile applications and app store available in in 12 Indian languages. The announcement has come at a time when the industry is witnessing exponential increase in app downloads from smaller towns and cities across India.

Sanjay Razdan, Senior Director, Services Management, Samsung India, said, “The partnership will enable our valued customers to access their favorite apps on Galaxy Apps Store in 12 Indian languages in addition to English. With this, we are certain that our customers across the country will find the ‘Galaxy App Store’ even more useful and user-friendly.”

It is to be noted here that Samsung is facing stiff competition in terms of smartphone sales from the likes of China-based Xiaomi and Huawei in India. Smartphones probably make for the most number of devices that users access app store and smart applications on.

Targeting smaller cities?

Razdan added that smartphone penetration in smaller cities is increasing and that is why Samsung has partnered with Indus App Bazaar. Interestingly, Xiaomi had recently announced the launch of Redmi GO smartphone in the country.

Meenakshi, forecast analyst, Forrester Research, had told EFY that the company was probably trying to target small cities and rural Indian markets with the most affordable smartphone in their line-up. She told EFY at the time of Redmi Go launch, “Xiaomi understands Indian dynamics quite well. They are not only launching smartphone with cheaper price but also that supports regional languages, key to capture rural market. The objective is likely focused towards capturing feature phone users who are data hungry and are willing to replace their feature phones with smartphones to take advantage of cheaper data plans.”

It is to be noted here that Samsung has announced that its app store now comes with support for 12 regional languages. Razdan said, “There is a marked increase in the penetration of smartphones and mobile application downloads across Tier 2 and Tier 3 markets. We studied this trend in key markets and partnered with Indus App Bazaar to address the growing demand for vernacular applications.”

Samsung’s official statement read, “Samsung’s latest ‘Make for India’ offering will help millions of Indians navigate through an exhaustive catalogue of apps on the Galaxy Apps Store, in their vernacular language. Galaxy Apps Store is available in English and Malayalam, Telugu, Tamil, Odia, Assamese, Punjabi, Kannada, Gujarati, Hindi, Urdu, Bengali and Marathi.”

Meenakshi had earlier told EFY that no smartphone maker has been able to tap the rural markets in India so far. She had cited affordability and support for local languages as two of the biggest reasons behind low smartphone penetration in these markets.