Samsung is certainly not ceding any ground to its rivals, as it launched two new smartphones Friday, the Galaxy On5 and the Galaxy On7.
This time, the company is targeting the mid-range market as it positions the devices as budget offerings, but with decent specifications and stylish design.
Be clear, the Galaxy On devices are not brand new product categories for the Korean smartphone manufacturer. Their pedigree can be traced from the Galaxy Grand and Galaxy Mega brands, according to SamMobile.
The Galaxy On7 and On5 both have super AMOLED displays: 5.5-inch and 5-inch, respectively. They also have the same processors, the Exynos 3457 chip, running on 1.5GB of RAM. While the devices have 8GB internal storage, they also support microSD cards. Other features include 4G FDD LTE support and decent battery life, Slash Gear reported. Both devices are thin and light.
An interesting aspect in the Galaxy On narrative is that besides the market positioning and the hardware construction, it reveals some details that could define Samsung's future mobile strategy.
For example, both devices are shipped with a pre-installed Samsung Milk Music, which is an application that lets users access online radio for free. This is a subtle dig at Apple Music, which is only available for pay after its free trial offering. It can also indicate Samsung's ambition of developing its own music streaming platform.
Also, the Galaxy On devices still have several Samsung bloatware, including the Milk Music app. But, the company now allows users to uninstall them. This is the case in China, where the On devices will be initially available.
There is still no announced pricing for the On7 and On5. Observers, however, believe that as entry-level devices, they will cost less. Currently, they are listed on Samsung's Chinese website, Android Authority reported.
