As consumers gear up for the arrival of the Galaxy S8, an analyst has dampened expectations by forecasting that the sales of the new Samsung flagship will be lower than that of the predecessor Galaxy S7.
The analyst in question is KGI Securities' Ming-Chi Kuo who has a fantastic track record when it comes to predictions, especially for Apple products. In a note to investors, the analyst not only corroborated the rumored specs for the impending Samsung smartphone but also hinted at the possibility of the Galaxy S8 faring not as well as the Galaxy S7.
Galaxy S8 Predicted Sales
The analyst has forecasted that the Galaxy S8 shipments will be between 40 million to 45 million, which is several million lower than that of the Galaxy S7. The predecessor had notched up 52 million unit sales worldwide in 2016.
For those wondering what will lead to the slip in sales, Kuo suggests that it is the fact Galaxy S8 will hit the shelves much later than the Galaxy S7. The latter released in March 2016, whereas the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus are expected to hit the shelves on April 28, instead of April 21.
Interestingly, the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge easily outsold the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 edge in the first month itself, but judging by Kuo's analysis, the future looks not so promising for the Galaxy S8.
Should We Believe Kuo?
While Kuo has a lower sales outlook for the Galaxy S8 when compared to the Galaxy S7, Samsung seems confident of its new flagship. The company has reportedly doubled the first shipment figure for the Galaxy S8 and Galaxy S8 Plus by 40 percent when compared to the Galaxy S7 and Galaxy S7 edge.
Samsung is pulling out all stops to make the smartphone a success as the company's fortunes are hinged on the device, more so after the Galaxy Note 7 debacle.
The South Korean OEM is reportedly manufacturing 4.7 million units of the Galaxy S8 in March at its Vietnam production facility. Come April, this figure is expected to become 7.8 million. Samsung is anticipating an overwhelming response for its Galaxy S8 and forecasts sales of 12.5 million in the first month of release itself.
Moreover, analysts are anticipating a higher demand for the Galaxy S8+ when compared to the Galaxy S8, judging by Samsung's past records.
However, Kuo could possibly be basing his predictions on the fact that the Galaxy S7 was the sole flagship smartphone from Samsung in 2016, which fueled its sales further. This will likely not be the case for the Galaxy S8 as the Galaxy Note 8 will likely debut in the second half of the year.
Photo: Kārlis Dambrāns | Flickr
