Samsung Launches Average of 11 Mid-Range Devices Overseas... Premium Marketing Domestically

Assemblyman Park Wanju Analyzes Domestic and International Device Sales Status
"37 Models Sold in India... Domestic Prices Higher Than Overseas"
"Government Should Reduce Household Communication Cost Burden" Claims

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While Samsung Electronics markets high-end devices domestically, it has been pointed out that the company releases a variety of mid- to low-priced devices overseas.

On the 4th, Park Wan-joo, a member of the National Assembly's Science, Technology, Information and Broadcasting and Communications Committee from the Democratic Party of Korea, disclosed the results of an analysis of Samsung Electronics' device sales status in South Korea and eight other countries.

Park stated, "Samsung Electronics sells a total of 37 mid- to low-priced devices in India, including various types of the A series as well as the M series and F series, which have not been released domestically," adding, "It was confirmed that an average of 11 types of mid- to low-priced devices were launched."

He continued, "There are only two types of Samsung mid- to low-priced unlocked devices available for purchase domestically: one 5G model and one LTE model," and claimed, "Even these are sold at higher prices than in some other countries."

The unlocked mid- to low-priced devices sold overseas had better performance and were cheaper than those sold domestically. For example, the A24 model (4GB+128GB RAM + storage) is priced at 396,000 KRW domestically, but in Thailand, a higher-spec version (6GB+128GB) was sold for 293,803 KRW, which is 100,000 KRW cheaper.

The A34 5G model (6GB+128GB) is available domestically for 499,400 KRW, but in India it is sold for 439,813 KRW, and in Vietnam and Thailand, upgraded versions of the same model are sold for 472,881 KRW and 477,453 KRW respectively, all lower than the domestic price.

The A14 model, a mid- to low-priced device in most countries, was released in separate 5G and LTE versions and became one of the best sellers worldwide last year. In April, it ranked among the top five in sales in the UK, the US, and India. However, it has not been released domestically, forcing consumers to purchase it through overseas direct imports.

High-performance latest devices also offer more options overseas by adding low-capacity versions, providing more choices to customers than domestically and reducing the price burden. The S23 model, released in February, is sold domestically only in 256GB and 512GB versions, but overseas, a 128GB low-capacity option is additionally available.

Park criticized, "The domestic device market is virtually monopolized by a specific company, making fair competition in device pricing impossible," and pointed out, "Even mid- to low-priced devices, of which 37 types are sold overseas, are limited to only two types domestically."

He urged, "The government should promote healthy competition in the domestic device market by introducing foreign devices, thereby reducing the burden of household communication costs."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.