Samsung launches Galaxy M01 Core in bid to redefine entry-level market

Following several weeks’ worth of rumors, Samsung India today officially announced the Galaxy M01 Core, an ultra-affordable smartphone underlining the company’s growing ambitions in the entry-level market. The series includes two models and starts at Rs. 5,499, i.e. less than $75. That price point makes it an extremely accessible offering and one that Samsung is likely hoping will help it reclaim some of the Indian market share it lost to Chinese brands over the last several years.The Galaxy M01 Core will become available for purchase in the country this Wednesday, July 29th. Samsung confirmed the handset will be offered in black, blue, and red color options.Galaxy M01 Core specsThe Galaxy M01 Core underlines how much Samsung has been refining its entry-level portfolio from a pure value perspective. It features a 5.3-inch HD+ display, MediaTek’s MT6739 SoC, 3,000mAh battery, and an 8-megapixel rear camera, with a 5-megapixel one sitting on the opposite side. The base model packs 16GB of flash storage and 1GB of RAM, whereas the lineup also includes a 2GB/32GB variant. As the smartphone runs Android Go, even its cheaper version should be capable of delivering a consistent experience, though the more powerful model arguably offers even better value for money seeing how its price is only marginally higher, sitting at Rs. 6,499, which amounts to just over $85.Samsung estimates the Galaxy M01 Core can offer up to 11 hours of active use, though the main selling point of the series is its ‘Make for India’ UX specifically designed for first-time smartphone owners. Some of its features include an intelligent storage manager which automatically detects duplicate photos and a highly-intuitive clipboard capable of contextual copy-paste functionality.