With Concierge, Samsung offers personal assistant to Galaxy S7, S7 Edge buyers

Samsung launched the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge flagship phones in India on Tuesday. Both the phones come with an always-on display which basically shows you the time and date as well as wallpapers on the phone's screen permanently even when the screen is set to off. The feature only consumes about one per cent of battery per hour without being a strain, claims Samsung. But enough about always-on displays, let's take a look at another always-on aspect of these new Galaxy S phones, which by the way have been very reasonably priced by Samsung India , especially for everything that there is on paper. Add to it a free Gear VR headset (for those who pre-book the phones from March 8-17) and you have yourself a killer deal. Well done Samsung!

So, what exactly is this other always-on aspect of the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge and how exactly would it change the way you use your new Galaxy S phones?

Samsung has introduced something it calls Concierge, a "unique platform for premium Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge users" in India. In layman's terms, Concierge is basically a set of exclusive after-sales services that Samsung will be offering to its Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge customers.  But, there's more to it than meets the eye. It is something that goes way beyond mere after-sales services concerning repair and replacement of faulty units.  Concierge is about Samsung entering this crazy little thing called life and trying to sort things out for customers. After-sales service is just one part of it.

Deeply integrated into a pre-installed My Galaxy app, Concierge will offer Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge users a personal assistant. We've all seen personal assistants on mobile phones before. So, what's the big deal here? The personal assistant here isn't a computer or some software churning out algorithmic equations to find the right solution for you. Instead, it's a helpdesk consisting of real people working from 10AM to 6PM daily, taking your request and helping you set reminders, send gifts to people you care, get a web-check in done before your flight or order groceries. The company has tied up with services like Ola, Mobikwik, Ibibo and Amazon so you don't have to sift through multiple apps and widgets the next time you're looking to book a cab. Eventually, more and more services will come aboard, says the company.

But wait, 10 to 6 doesn't exactly qualify for always-on. Worry not, Samsung has you covered. You can still reach out to the helpdesk after 6PM, but via chat.

Concierge will be exclusive to Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge users (for now). This means users of the new Galaxy S phones will be given priority at any of Samsung's more than 400 service centers across the country. Users can also avail pick-up-drop service should their phone be damaged. Users can also additionally opt for a new device while folks at Samsung fix their damaged one. The facility will initially be available in 19 cities.

Looks like Samsung is willing to take the extra step in ensuring its after-sales stands out of the more often than not shoddy crowd. Concierge on the face of it is a welcome effort on its part. The fact that it's pitching for 24x7 round the corner availability is commendable. Hopefully more companies will follow suit.