%Samsung has launched a budget 5G enabled %Smartphone in a move that is aimed at taking on the new %Apple ($AAPL) iPhone SE.
At a virtual event, Samsung showed off its new %GalaxyA53 5G smartphone, which packs much of its higher-end flagship line into a more budget-friendly device. The Galaxy A53 comes with a new quad-camera system, a powerful processor, a sleek design and 5G capabilities.
But the phone’s price is perhaps its biggest selling point. The A53 costs $449 U.S. for a 128 GB model, $50 U.S. less than the previous year’s model and $30 U.S. less than Apple charges for its new iPhone SE that has the same amount of storage.
The price war is the latest indication that smartphone makers may be betting on affordable 5G devices to entice first-time buyers and upgrades, at a time when the market feels saturated.
Some analysts, however, have pointed out that there is not yet clear consumer demand for smartphones that run on fifth generation (5G) wireless internet.
Beyond price, the latest version of the 6.5-inch smartphone runs on Samsung’s new Exynos 5 nanometer processor, which helps support enhanced artificial intelligence capabilities that power, for example, improved night mode and the ability to remove some unwanted objects in photos.
The latest Samsung phone also gets a significant battery improvement, with the promise of two-day battery life on a single charge.
Last month, Samsung unveiled the latest smartphones in its flagship Galaxy S22 line-up and noted in a recent press release that pre-orders more than doubled those of the previous Galaxy S21 series.