Samsung unveils most competitive midrange Galaxy A phones

Samsung Electronics is apparently shifting its focus to midrange phones from premium ones, announcing three new affordable but high-spec models on Wednesday.

During its first online Galaxy Awesome Unpacked event for midrange smartphones, the South Korean smartphone vendor unveiled the Galaxy A52, A52 5G and A72 that boast optical image stabilization cameras, high-refresh rate displays and 5G for the first time among Galaxy A phones.

Such a move is aimed at cementing Samsung’s top position in the global smartphone market by expanding its user base for midrange phones rather than premium phones, an area which remains highly competitive with US archrival Apple.

Samsung is also rethinking its midrange phone strategy at a time when its domestic rival LG Electronics has decided to discontinue its smartphone business while being squeezed by Chinese manufacturers.

“Samsung strives to give consumers what they want and need most. That’s why we set out with a vision for the Galaxy A series to democratize Galaxy innovations for everyone,” said Roh Tae-moon, president of Samsung’s mobile business. “The Galaxy A52, A52 5G and A72 encapsulate the Galaxy brand philosophy with cutting-edge innovations, services and features at an accessible price.”

The biggest common feature in the new Galaxy A models is the optical image stabilization camera.

Including the main 64-mepagixel lens, the quad-camera module in the new phones mark the first to feature the optical image stabilization function that improves picture quality of instant moments. 

Samsung also added a fun factor to the A series. With the Fun Mode on the A52 and A72 phones -- a first on Galaxy phones -- users can apply augmented reality lenses from Snapchat with the native camera app.

The Galaxy A phones also sport high refresh rate displays for the first time for the midrange lineup.

The Galaxy A52 and A72 displays offer 90 hertz refresh rates, while the 5G edition of A52 offers 120 hertz, the same rate as its flagship models. The higher the number, the more seamless moving images on the mobile screen appear. 

And since the launch of the first Galaxy A series in 2017, the devices have remained water-resistant and dust-free.

Although the timing of the rollout has not been decided for the Korean market, the A52, A52 5G and A72 phones will be released in Europe first at retail prices of 349 euros, 429 euros and 449 euros ($415, $510 and $534), respectively.

By Song Su-hyun (song@heraldcorp.com)