Samsung Electronics East Africa has introduced its latest flagship smartphones in Kenya with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge as it seeks to solidify its grasp on the high-end mobile phone market.

The handset manufacturer said the 5.1-inch S7 and 5.5-inch S7 Edge which would retail at Sh80,000 and Sh85,000 respectively.

The flagship devices were released at the Mobile World Congress last month in Barcelona, and were available only on pre-order basis until the official launch on Thursday.

Those who pre-ordered the devices also get a Galaxy Gear Virtual reality as part of the package. 

"This year, pre-order was six times higher than that of the S6,” said Jung Hyun Park, vice president and managing director Samsung EA.

Microsoft and Huawei have in the past month also launched their flagship handsets in the country as technology giants intensify competition in the high-end segment of the market.

The Lumia 950 is retailing at Sh65,000 while the XL version is selling for Sh69,999, with the devices coming with Microsoft Display Dock for free but only for a limited period of time. The Huawei Mate 8 is selling for Sh70,000.

The older players in the smartphone field have pushed towards mid and high end devices following the increased competition in the low-end market.

Chinese brands have in recent years firmed their presence in the local market with low-cost, medium and high-end smartphones, providing consumers with a wide range of Internet-enabled devices.

Agencies