Samsung to retail S5 India from April 11 for Rs 51,000

Samsung Electronics on Thursday said the fifth generation of its flagship Galaxy S handset, the S5, will be available from April 11 for Rs 51,000 to Rs 53,000.

The handset, based on the Android 4.4.2 KitKat operating system, was unveiled at the Mobile World Congress in February. Pre-bookings for the device will start on March 29.

Samsung also launched three wearable devices, Gear 2, priced at Rs 21,900, and the Gear Fit and Gear 2 Neo, costing Rs 15,900 each.

The company said it has sold 3.5 crore Galaxy devices, including smartphones and tablets, in India so far.

Asked if the S5 pricing was slightly on the higher side, Samsung India country head (IT and mobile division) Vineet Taneja said people wouldn't mind paying for a quality product.

"I think the Rs 50,000 barrier got broken when we launched the Galaxy Note 3, for which we have got a very good response.

People are looking for value and for a quality product, they don't mind paying," Taneja said.

He said the company will offer customers buyback and EMI schemes.

"Our financing options make the device really affordable," Taneja said.

The Galaxy S5 sports a 5.1-inch Super AMOLED (1080 x 1920p) display, similar to predecessor Galaxy S4, and is powered by an octa-core processor and 2GB RAM.

The device has 16 GB of internal storage, expandable to 128 GB. It features a 16 MP rear camera and 2.1 MP front-facing camera as well as a 2800mAh battery.

Like Apple's iPhone 5S, the Galaxy S5 features a finger scanner to offer users a secure, biometric screen-locking feature and a safe mobile payment experience. The device comes with S Health, a personal fitness tracker.

On 4G devices, Taneja said the company is waiting for a 4G network to develop before introducing more products.