Samsung have been selling fewer Galaxy smartphones for some time, and it appears that their S5 has failed to emulate the success of the device it was launched to replace, the S4. The Wall Street Journal claim that 4 million fewer S5s were sold than S4s after the latest model was released, which means that the firm now has scores of new models that it cannot shift.
12 million S5s were apparently sold during the three months after launch – 40% less than the tech giant had expected. Sales are on the rise in the US, but sales of the S5 were 50% down on the S4. Rumors have suggested that mobile boss is about to be replaced with BK Yoon, who currently looks after the company’s TV and home appliance arm. Financial results released in October showed that net profits for the mobile business were down by 73.9% last quarter. It’s though that Samsung are planning on launching more mid-range and entry levels in order to reverse their fortunes.
Samsung Chairman Lee Kun-hee, who oversaw the company’s huge success in the 1990s and 2000s is likely to be replaced by his son Jay K. Lee eventually, with his father having suffered a heart attack earlier this year.
Do you own an S5? Do you feel that it was a significant improvement on the previous device? Let us know in the comment section below.
