150 Ampere

Last week Sammy announced that it plans to deliver low-cost handsets to market that sell in the £20-£25 range. The handsets will feature colour screens and predicts an increase in sales of 25 percent based on the new strategy and wants to have 25 percent of the mobile market by 2010.

Heading into the low-end price territory is a departure for the Korean phone colossus, which had previously concentrated on the higher-end market. The low-cost mobiles are meant to compete with Nokia. The company expects strong growth in 3G phone sales in India, southeast Asia and Latin America. Sammy holds about 15 percent of the mobile market, behind Nokia, which has about 40 percent.

Currently, the average selling price for a Samsung handset is about £75, a drop from nearly £90 in 2006. Low cost is good, but it’s not the top consideration on my list when I shop for mobiles. Sammy’s got five models in the top 25 on TestFreak’s top-rated mobiles list. The list rates mobiles on design, features and performance, and Sammy’s stuff is solid. There’s always room to improve, but Sammy usually turns in some top-notch hardware. I’m anxious to see what they can do for £25.