Samsung India launched its new range of “Smart” TVs in Bangalore on Tuesday. Announcing the staggered launch of 22 new models of TVs in the Indian market, Mahesh Krishnan, Senior Vice-President, Consumer Electronics, Samsung India, said the new range of TVs had interactive features that would enable users to browse the Internet.
A new “Evolution kit,” sold separately and priced at about Rs.17,000, would enable users to “upgrade” software and hardware features of select models of Samsung TVs. “The kit will allow users to utilise better the processing power of their TVs,” Mr. Krishnan said. He said flat panels now accounted for about half the sale of new TVs in the Indian market. Samsung accounted for almost one-third of all flat panel TVs sold globally, he claimed.
He said the Joy range of “made for India TVs,” which was also on display at the launch, had been designed and developed at Samsung’s development centres at Bangalore and Noida.
He said nearly 1,000 apps had already been developed, which run on the Linux platform. These would enable the “seamless” transfer of content from devices such as mobile phones and tablets to TVs, apart from enabling using the TV for connecting to social media.
The company also unveiled its 85-inch Ultra High Definition TV, which is to be launched later this year. While the prices of the Smart series range from Rs.37,900 to Rs.3.68 lakh, the Plasma range is priced between Rs.35,500 and Rs.2.09 lakh.