After more than a month of rumors and supply chain leaks, Samsung has finally admitted that the supply of the dual-edge Galaxy S6 Edge will be constrained “for a while.” At a press event in Seoul, Samsung’s mobile chief JK Shin told reporters that there could be limited supplies of the Galaxy S6 Edge due to difficulties in manufacturing its display.
Galaxy S6 Edge display is difficult to manufacture
The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are set to go for sale in 20 countries on Friday. Mr. Shin said that the S6 Edge has seen strong demand worldwide, but its screens are pretty difficult to manufacture. Last month, ValueWalk reported that wireless carriers had placed orders for 15 million units of the standard Galaxy S6 and 5 million units of the Galaxy S6 Edge. The solid demand prompted the Korean company to raise its production target.
The Korean electronics giant uses its 3D Thermoforming technology to produce the dual-edge display for the S6 Edge. It’s a very complex process. JK Shin said that Samsung was “working hard to resolve the difficulty in supply.” The company was reportedly looking for more display suppliers to boost the output.
Samsung expects record shipments for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge
The Samsung executive declined to provide shipment estimates for the Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. But he noted that the company expects record shipments for its new phones. The Galaxy S5 was a failure in the consumer market. But the Galaxy S4 was a blockbuster, selling 43 million units since its launch in early 2013 through the end of that year, according to Nomura.
The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will be available on all major U.S. carriers including AT&T, Verizon, Sprint and T-Mobile. Shin said that though Samsung is using its own processor and modem chips in the new phones, it expects to continue its partnership with Qualcomm. It’s a clear indication that the Galaxy S6 successor may sport a Qualcomm processor.
