David versus Goliath: Cherry Mobile Squares Off Against Samsung

Yesterday I wrote an article christening the Cherry Mobile Blaze 2.0 as a "Mega" killer, a reference to Samsung newly announced Samsung Galaxy Mega. But the way the local market is shaping up, it looks like, in the Philippines the big fight is not between Samsung and Apple, Samsung and HTC or even Samsung and Sony. It's Samsung versus Cherry Mobile.

While the Samsung Galaxy S 4 is the most desirable smartphone in the Philippine market today, Samsung is going to have a harder going with its mid-level offerings. Samsung 5-incb Galaxy Grand. This 5-inch smartphone which can be found for as low as Php15,990, has a WVGA (480 x 800) display and a dual core processor. It performs well enough scoring 6053 points in the Antutu benchmarks.

The problem is, it has to face off against Cherry Mobile Omega HD 2.0. Cherry Mobile offering is priced much lower, at Php8,999 but comes with a much sharper 5-inch HD (720 x 1280) display and more powerful quad core processor. The Cherry Mobile Omega HD 2.0, which goes North of 12000 on the Antutu benchmarks, basically gives you twice as much phone, for half the price. 

The newly announced Samsung Galaxy Mega is in the same situation. This new 5.8-inch offering from Samsung sports a qHD (540 x 960) display and a dual core processor. It performs well enough scoring 7338 points on the Antutu benchmark. It is priced at Php18,900, and this is where it again runs into trouble.

The Cherry Mobile Blaze 2.0, well also sports a giant sized display, this one at 5.7-inches. But it is a HD display. Inside, it has the same quad core processor, which has basically pounds the dual core unit on the Mega into the dust. Priced at Php9,499 you can buy two Cherry Mobile Blaze 2.0 phablets, for the cost of one Samsung Galaxy Mega.

Samsung made it big, by creating what many consider the worlds greatest smartphone, three years in a ROW,  but also by offering better value for money products at lower price points than HTC, Sony and LG. Now, it looks like the things are changing. You have a resurgent Sony, aggressive China based players like Huawei and even humble companies like Cherry Mobile all geared to take a bite out of Samsung's share in the pie. In the Philippines, it looks like the greatest threat to Samsung comes from Cherry Mobile.