Samsung is counting on its latest Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge to revive its crumbling fortunes. Both new devices unveiled at the Mobile World Congress last week have received glowing reviews. The Korean electronics giant must be happy at this point as it has received a record 20 million orders from wireless carriers for the newest Galaxy phones. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge are expected to go on sale early next month.
Samsung receiving ‘really huge’ pre-orders
A senior Samsung executive told The Korea Times that the company has received 20 million pre-orders from carriers around the world for the S6 and S6 Edge. Of them, 15 million are for the Galaxy S6 and the remaining five million are for the S6 Edge. It clearly indicates that the dual-edge variant, unlike the Galaxy Note Edge, won’t be a ‘limited edition concept.’
The pre-order figures are a record for Samsung. The new smartphones are up for pre-order in the Netherlands. The entry-level 32GB Galaxy S6 has been priced at €700 while the S6 Edge costs €850 for 32GB option without a contract. The Galaxy S6 was named the best new smartphone at MWC this year. Samsung Mobile chief JK Shin said at the event that the new Galaxy phones were far better than the Galaxy S5.
Galaxy S6 to be backed by an aggressive promotional campaign
Samsung’s market share continues to decline due to fierce competition from Apple and Asian Android vendors such as Xiaomi and Micromax. The Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge will be backed by an aggressive marketing campaign, reports The Korea Times. Samsung will offer more benefits and incentives to wireless carriers and customers before Apple launches its next iPhone later this year.
Bernstein Research analyst Mark Newman said the new Galaxy devices had the potential to beat expectations. Lee Min-ah, an analyst at Korean brokerage firm Hi Investment, said the Galaxy S6 has differentiated itself from the iPhone 6 in terms of specifications. Min-ah said it was no surprise that Samsung received historically high pre-orders for the new phones.
