Samsung aficionados are eagerly waiting for the Galaxy S8 launch. The Korean electronics giant will take the wraps off the device on March 29th. Samsung has high expectations from the phone as it will be the company’s first flagship smartphone after the Galaxy Note 7 saga. However, KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo predicts that the Galaxy S8 sales will be nowhere close to Apple’s upcoming iPhone.
Galaxy S8 to sell 40-45 million units in 2017
In a research note obtained by 9to5Mac, the analyst said over the weekend that Samsung’s next-gen flagship lacks “sufficiently attractive selling points.” In fact, its sales would even trail behind the last year’s Galaxy S7. The Galaxy S7 shipped about 52 million units in 2016. Its sales were helped by the withdrawal of the ill-fated Galaxy Note 7, making it the only flagship Samsung device last year.
Kuo, who has made several accurate predictions in the past, estimates the Galaxy S8 shipments to be in the range of 40-45 million units in 2017. The lower sales could be attributed to the fact that the S8 would have one less month of availability than its predecessor last year. The analyst added that the iPhone 8 would prove more attractive to consumers than the Galaxy S8.
Chinese version of Galaxy S8 to have 6GB RAM
KGI Securities predicts that the Galaxy S8 and S8 Plus would sport 5.8-inch and 6.2-inch OLED screens, respectively. The US and Japanese versions of the device would be powered by Qualcomm 8998 chipsets, while the other parts of the world would get the Exynos 9985 variant. The Chinese and Korean versions of the handset will boast 6GB RAM, but phones sold in the rest of the world will have 4GB RAM. All variants would sport a full-screen display with no physical home button.
Kuo told investors that it would feature 12MP Dual Pixel rear camera and an 8MP front snapper. The iPhone 8 is also said to be switching from LCD to OLED display panels. The analyst said in a previous research note that the iPhone 8 would feature wireless charging and a dedicated 3D module on the front for facial recognition and augmented reality (AR) features. AR is expected to be one of the biggest highlights of Apple’s 10th anniversary iPhone.
What impact would a similar design have on the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 8?
Recent leaks and mockups show striking similarities between the Galaxy S8 and iPhone 8, largely because both handsets are rumored to have an edge-to-edge display and no physical home button. However, Kuo says a similar design could have a negative impact on the Galaxy S8, but it would have little impact on the success of the iPhone 8.
The iPhone 8 may not launch in September. Certain components such as Apple’s new in-display fingerprint sensor won’t be ready for the September debut. Apple may announce the handset in September alongside the iPhone 7S and 7S Plus, and bring it sometime in November.
