Samsung on a song in India: Top 10 #wow phones!

We list the most coveted smartphones launched in 2014 by the South Korean electronics giant

Report of Global Stats show that Samsung is the most popular mobile brand in 92 countries across the world. In contrast, Apple as well as Nokia are popular in just over 60 countries. In terms of brand affection, Apple is fast losing its charm to Samsung.

'Brand Dependence' index of UTA Brand Studio revealed during CES 2014 suggests that in consumer electronics segment, more people are dependent upon Samsung than any other brand in the world.

Q2 market survey report of IDC shows that Samsung is the leader in both smartphone and overall mobile market in India. Therefore, the euphoria about Samsung phones continue across the globe including India.

We list the most coveted Samsung smartphones launched in 2014 by the South Korean electronics giant:

Samsung Galaxy S5

This is one of the most coveted smartphones available in India. It is powered by combo octa-core (Exynos Octa 5420) processor (Quad 1.9GHz + Quad 1.3GHz) and runs on Android 4.4.2 operating system.

Some of the specs that need special mention are 2GB RAM, 16GB internal storage capacity, up to 128GB expandable storage, 16MP rear and 2.1MP frontal camera, multiple connectivity options (v4.0 Bluetooth, Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, DLNA, Infrared, NFC, Wi-Fi Direct, etc.), 5.1-inch capacitive display having 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution and 432ppi of pixel density.

Though it was introduced in Indian market at a price of Rs 51,500, it is available now at Rs 37,500.

Samsung Galaxy Alpha

It is a real stunner, especially because of the metallic body and great design. Samsung Galaxy Alpha also has some serious internals to showcase.

As it is packed with the combo Cortex-A7 quad-core 1.8GHz + Cortex-A15 quad-core 1.3GHz processors, the device enables users to perform some fast computing.

It runs on Android 4.4.4 KitKat out-of-the-box and comes with some great specifications and features such as high definition (720 x 1280 pixels) Super AMOLED display of 4.7-inch, 12MP rear camera, 2.1MP front camera, 32GB inbuilt storage, 2GB RAM and multiple connectivity options (4G LTE, 3G, GPRS/EDGE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and NFC, microUSB port).

Users will also enjoy Heart Rate monitor and Fingerprint sensor in this smartphone. It is launched in India at a price of Rs 39,700.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4

This is one of the most promising phablets that Samsung has recently launched in India to take advantage of the festive season. It is expected to give serious competition to Apple iPhone 6 Plus.

Samsung Galaxy Note 4 comes with some serious high-end specs not found in most of the handsets yet. It runs on 1.9GHz octa-core (1.9GHz Quad + 1.3GHz Quad) processor, coupled with 3GB RAM, and has 32GB internal memory with a slot available for microSD card.

Multiple connectivity options available are Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac (2X2 MIMO), IR LED (Remote Control), USB2.0, Download Booster, MHL 3.0, NFC, and Bluetooth v 4.1 (BLE) and ANT+.

Other features supported are S Pen, 16MP rear camera, 3.7MP front camera and many more. It has been launched in India at a premium price of Rs 58,300 in 4 colour options.

Samsung Galaxy Note Edge

Another smartphone that is drawing attention of smartphone geeks is Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, which is going to be a limited edition device, according to market reports. This is a curved device and some interesting specs of this curved but not bent handset include Android 4.4 KitKat OS, 2.7GHz quad-core processor, excellent 5.6-inch Quad HD+ Super AMOLED (2560×1440) display, 3GB RAM, multiple connectivity options, 16MP rear and 3.7MP front camera, availability of S Pen, 3,000mAh battery and many more.

Though the smartphone hasn't yet reached the Indian shore, it is expected to be available in a price range of Rs 60,000 to Rs 70,000.

Samsung Galaxy K Zoom

This is one of the most highly rated camera smartphones available around the globe. It is essentially a camera with a smartphone.

Samsung Galaxy K Zoom comes with 20.7MP camera and a 4.8-inch Super AMOLED (720 x 1280 pixels) display, combo 1.3GHz quad-core Cortex-A7 + 1.7GHz dual-core Cortex-A15 processor, 2GB RAM, KitKat 4.4 OS and many great camera features including optical image stabilisation, aperture size from F3.1 at 1x zoom to F6.3 at 10x zoom, etc.

While it was launched at Rs 34,990, it is available at a much lower price on many leading e-commerce sites.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3

This device is counted among the best offerings from the South Korean giant. Samsung Galaxy Note 3 comes with some great specifications including 1.9GHz octa-core processor, 3GB RAM, 5.7-inch display having 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution, 13MP rear camera, multiple connectivity options including Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, Wi-Fi Direct, DLNA, Infrared, v4 Bluetooth, NFC, GPS, etc., 32GB internal storage, 3,200mAh battery and many more.

It is available in India at a price of Rs 40,698.

Samsung Galaxy S4

Even after Galaxy S5 ruling the high-end smartphone market, S4's appeal hasn't faded yet. It is currently one of the most coveted mid-range smartphones available in the Indian market. It is priced at Rs 31,814.

Galaxy S4 comes with brilliant HD screen, decent back up battery, great performance, good camera and many more.

Samsung Galaxy S4 runs on Android 4.2 OS and is powered by 1.6GHz octa-core processor. Some of the other important specs include 2GB RAM, 16GB ROM, 5-inch capacitive display having resolution of 1080 x 1920 pixels, 13MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, multiple connectivity options, such as Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac, DLNA, Infrared, NFC, v4 Bluetooth, GPS, etc, and 2,600mAh battery capacity.

Samsung Galaxy Grand 2

Within Rs 20,000 range, this is one of the most admired smartphones available. Priced at Rs 18,768, the Galaxy Grand 2 has some great specs and features to offer.

The device comes with Qualcomm Snapdragon 400 quad-core processor clocked at a speed of 1.2GHz, Android 4.3 OS, multiple connectivity options, namely Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n, v4 Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, microUSB port and many more, dual SIM capability, 8MP rear camera, 1.9MP front camera, 1.5GB RAM, 8GB ROM, 2,600mAh battery capacity and much more.

Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Neo

This is one of the most well-accepted Samsung smartphones available in the mid-range market, priced at Rs 24,378. It is powered by a hexa-core processor (Dual A15 1.7GHz + Quad A7 1.3GHz), 8MP rear camera, 2MP front camera, multiple connectivity options, including Wi-Fi 802.11a/b/g/n/ac 2.4G+5GHz, VHT80 Wi-Fi, GPS, GLONASS, 2G, 3G, USB 2.0, Bluetooth v4.0, DLNA, and ANT+, 3,100mAh battery.

Samsung Galaxy S5 Mini Duos

This is another great mid-range smartphone from Samsung that is priced around Rs 27,000. Some of the great specs include 4.5-inch display having 720 x 1280 pixels resolution, 1.4GHz quad-core processor, 1.5GB RAM, 16GB ROM, 8MP rear camera, 2.1MP front camera, Android 4.4 OS, multiple connectivity options (802.11a/b/n Wi-Fi, v4 Bluetooth, Wi-Fi Direct, Infrared, etc.), 5.5-inch Super AMOLED HD (1280 x 720 pixels) display, 2,100mAh battery capacity.

Photographs: Courtesy Samsung.com