Samsung Sells 10 Million Galaxy S II’s in 6 Months, Closing the iPhone Gap
Samsung released some interesting sale figures today regarding their new flagship device, the Samsung Galaxy S II. According to their statistics, they have sold over 10 million units globally between April and September (approximately 5-6 months, or combined Quarters 2 and 3). Compare that to the 20 million Galaxy S devices they have sold since June of 2010 (approximately 16 months), and you definitely see an increase in adoption for Samsung’s flagship devices around the world.
Now, compared to iPhone sales which totalled about 39 million in that same Quarter 3 to Quarter 4 timeframe, that is still a ways behind the proverbial top dog, but it is still a remarkable and intriguing closing of the gap.
Why is it intriguing? Frankly, with all the different Android devices available, it’s very hard for your average consumer to decide on one. Even though, Android is still the top selling smartphone operating system this year globally, let’s face it, most people are still a little confused with the general concept that Android is an operating system and on multiple devices. (I still hear people saying I have “the Google phone” when I ask them what phone they have. I then have to ask, “Which one?” and get a very confused look before they just hand it to me).
Customers just want to know what specific phone they should get and why it’s better than the rest of their options. Until now, that’s seemed like quite a challenge for your Android handset manufacturers. but with these kinds of sales figures for just one specific device (Samsung Galaxy S II) it seems that that is changing…
Here’s Samsung’s full press release:
Samsung celebrates 30 million global sales of GALAXY S and GALAXY SII
Global popularity with customers drives momentum for Samsung’s flagship smartphones
SEOUL, Korea – October 17th, 2011 – Samsung Electronics Co., Ltd, a leading mobile handset provider, today announced that its Samsung GALAXY S and GALAXY SII smartphones have achieved a combined total of 30 million global sales.GALAXY SII has set a new record for Samsung, generating more than 10 million sales – quicker than any device in Samsung’s history. It continues to gain traction as Samsung’s flagship smartphone – a stylishly designed, slim and ultra-portable device combining an unrivalled viewing experience with powerful dual-core processor performance.
Launched in 2010, Samsung GALAXY S reached almost 20 million sales, making it the highest-selling mobile device in Samsung’s portfolio to date, and another record-breaker for the company and the mobile market.
Since launching to high critical acclaim two years ago, the GALAXY S range has continued to gain popularity among consumers and propelled the GALAXY brand to one of the most recognized mobile brands in the world.
“Since its launch only five months ago, GALAXY SII has seen tremendous sales success and garnered enthusiastic reviews from consumers and mobile industry watchers across the globe. This is in addition to the continued sales momentum behind GALAXY S, which we launched at CTIA 2010 as continues to be a run-away success with consumers,” said JK Shin, President and Head of Samsung’s Mobile Communications Business.
“The phenomenal success of these smartphones once again demonstrates how the GALAXY S smartphones is setting the standard for smart mobile technology around the world”, he added.
Another statistic that I think would be interesting to see is of those users that bought those devices (Galaxy S II, Galaxy S, and iPhone), what devices did they have before that? I’d be willing to speculate the majority of iPhone purchasers owned a previous model of the iPhone, while the Galaxy S II and Galaxy S users, came from other manufacturers or even operating systems (which would indicate new customers compared to reselling the same customers, which would be even more of an achievement in my mind).
As always, what do you guys think? Is this a significant achievement for Samsung? Does it say something, perhaps, about consumers moving towards Android more and more?
Sources:
Apple’s Sales Figures Quarter 2 and Quarter 3
Android Sales Figures for 2011
