Flagship mobile products tend to outsell those preceding year-on-year, but in the case of Samsung’s Galaxy S5, it’s struggling to eclipse the achievements of the Galaxy S4. Having been launched at the Mobile World Congress back in February to a mixed reception, it enjoyed solid early sales numbers, but with Apple’s iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus having proved a thorn in the side of the Galaxy Note 4, it appears that even the S5 has not managed to hit the heights.
At this moment in time, the Galaxy S5 is down on sales by one quarter compared with the Galaxy S4, and, most notably, 40 percent down on what was predicted. As per a report over at The Wall Street Journal, the situation is perilous, and apparently, a major shake-up at the helm is looming as the Tizen maker looks to recover from what has been, by all accounts, a dire year.
The Galaxy S5 does include some great features, with both the display and the camera lauded as the best in the business at the time of release. But with Apple’s intention to enlarge the screen of its 2014 handset having been well known throughout the year, it seems that many of those who might have picked up the S5 or Note 4 have instead decided to opt for the iOS-running iPhone 6 / 6 Plus.
With 12 million units sold in the three months from April, Samsung’s performance has been lackluster to say the least, especially given that the S4, comparatively, managed a healthy 16 million units during the same period.
J.K. Shin, one of the company’s CEOs and predominantly, the face of the company, could lose his spot in helming the mobile division as Samsung looks to quickly turn things around.
The report from The Journal is quite damning, but doesn’t come as too much of a surprise. The iPhone 6 / 6 Plus has completely trounced its closest competitors, with even Samsung’s native Korea having taken to the new, enlarged models, and although Sammy can recover from this, it’ll have to turn the tide quickly with the next flagship release.
Precisely what this will entail is currently unknown, but one thing is certain; the Galaxy S6 will have to dazzle consumers if Samsung is to stop the rot.
Thoughts?
(Source: WSJ)
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