Good news for Samsung fans in the United Kingdom, availability for Galaxy S5 pre-order starting March 28th. The device will be available in stores on April 11.
Why Samsung chose UK to kick off pre-orders
It is not surprising that Samsung chose the UK to be one of the first markets to get the new phone. The South Korean tech giant released previous Galaxy flagship devices with a pre-order and launch in the UK. Simon Stanford (vice president of IT and mobile technology for Samsung in the UK and Ireland) explained, “We wanted to give our customers in the UK the chance to get their hands on the next generation of our Galaxy S smartphone as soon as possible by giving them the option to pre-order”
Highlights for the Galaxy S5 include an advanced 16 megapixel camera, speedier network connectivity with LTE/Wi-Fi, better device protection features, and fitness/health tools. The latter includes a pedometer, personal fitness tracker, and built-in heart rate monitor. Last but certainly not least, it also includes a Finger Scanner which boasts a secure biometric screen and easy mobile payment system.
At press time, there is no word when the Galaxy S5 will be available in the United States.
Shaky start for Samsung’s Galaxy S5
The Galaxy S5 is highly anticipated and for good reason. Last year’s Galaxy S4 was just a repeat of the Galaxy S3 and that left a lot of Samsung fans disappointed. Despite the exciting release, the new phone could still suffer from low sales all thanks to the South Korea sales ban. Lee Min-hee, analyst for IM Investment & Securities, explained “The Korean market accounts for a relatively small portion of Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd. (LON:BC94) (KRX:005930)’s overall smartphone sales, but given that they need to maximize sales in the first three months of the launch, the operation suspension of mobile carriers could hit initial S5 sales”
The ban along with lack of significant improvements could really slow down the sales.
