Could the new Apple iPad Pro impact the Samsung Galaxy Note in India?

Recently, Samsung claimed it had over 45 percent market share in the premium segment, placing it in a dominating position.

In an earlier report , Asim Warsi, Samsung India vice president, IT and mobile said, “According to data released by market research firm GfK till July 2015, Samsung has over 45% market share of smartphones in India in the price band of Rs 40,000 and above.”

With the launch of the Apple iPad Pro, analysts believe that Apple might just have an edge over the Galaxy Note. According to a report in the Economic Times , “The US technology giant in a closed-door meeting with its key trade partners on Wednesday indicated its intention to advance the launch of Apple Watch and triple sales of the new iPhones during the crucial October-December period.”

Quoting analysts, the report adds that an October launch will help Apple align its marketing campaign. This will be in contrast to last year, when it got just a week. In addition, there will be the advantage of an improved distribution network that it could rely on.

In an event on 9 September, Apple launched the much rumoured iPad Pro sporting a 12.9-inch 2732 x 2048 pixel Retina Display keeping the pixel density at 264 ppi just like the iPad Air 2. The iPad Pro has 5.6 million pixels. Along with the huge tablet, Apple has also released the stylus called Apple Pencil, which is sold separately at $99 (approx Rs 6,600) and a dedicated Smart keyboard for $169 (approx Rs 11,300).

The iPad Pro will cost $799 (approx Rs 53,500) for 32GB (Wi-fi only), $949 (approx Rs 63,500) for 128GB (Wi-fi only) and $1079 (approx Rs 68,500) for 128GB (Wi-fi + Cellular). When combined with the keyboard and the Apple Pencil, the iPad Pro can cost more than the MacBook Air in some cases. At these price points it is safe to assume that it is meant clearly for the enterprise customers or business professionals.

Samsung and Apple continue to battle with each other for greater market share of premium devices. Although, the iPad Pro and the Galaxy Note are different product categories, given the price points of these product categories, it is likely to impact sales. Consequently, it has made the battle between brands a notch tougher.