Samsung India shifted focus on its online retail channels earlier this year as physical stores became unsustainable during the coronavirus lockdown. All signs indicate that the company's aggressive push to the online space has paid off and according to a recent report citing Samsung India Senior Vice President Asim Warsi, the company now expects its online business to grow in value by 35% this year compared to 2019.
The Senior Vice President confirmed that the Galaxy M lineup has been very successful in the Indian online space this year and that the series was the main driving force behind the company's success. Post-lockdown, demand and interest in M series is very strong said Asim Warsi, adding that the Galaxy M lineup has seen its average selling price grow by 50%, reflecting the high demand. Indeed, Samsung India had already hit a record high online market share in Q2 2020 when it recorded a 14% year-on-year increase largely thanks to the Galaxy M30s and Galaxy M31.
Samsung is now preparing the Galaxy M51 for release through online channels and expects the upcoming mid-range device to keep the momentum going. The Galaxy M51 will be launched in India on September 10 through the company's online store as well as Amazon.in. The Galaxy M51 sports a monstrous 7,000mAh battery which is unprecedented for a Galaxy smartphone. Exact launch prices are unknown but the Galaxy M51 is expected to hit the virtual shelves for anywhere between INR 20,000 ($272) and INR 25,000 ($340).