A rather strange Business Korea report cites an unnamed Samsung executive who claims that Samsung announced the Galaxy S5 earlier than many had anticipated because it feared higher-than-expected iPhone 5s sales in Europe would eat into a good chunk of its core market. Samsung decided to make an announcement of the Galaxy S5 earlier than it might have liked even though that meant sharing the stage with numerous other handset makers at the MWC 2014 show that took place in Spain in late February.
“There are perhaps many reasons behind our decision to reveal the Galaxy S5 at this year’s MWC, but it was mainly aimed at countering Apple’s iPhone 5S,” an unnamed Samsung official said. “I heard that it was necessary for our company to unveil the new version ahead of schedule, since the iPhone 5S got a better-than-expected response in Europe, which is the Galaxy S series’ stronghold.”
Furthermore, a source from the mobile phone industry revealed that Samsung tried to hide its lack of innovation by bringing the Galaxy S5 to Barcelona.
“Actually, there is a general consensus among Samsung employees about a lack of product innovation, even before the Galaxy S5 was revealed,” the person said. “To the best of my knowledge, Samsung decided to showcase the new model at MWC 2014, rather than through a separate Unpacked event, because it was much easier to divert attention away from the innovation problem.”
Previous reports said that lackluster Galaxy S4 sales were actually the reason Samsung came out with a brand new flagship device sooner than expected. Samsung may never reveal the real reason for pushing forward its Galaxy S5 launch, but it certainly isn’t surprising to see the world’s top smartphone vendor get the same treatment as Apple does on a regular basis, as critical opinions about design and hardware choices often compliment new devices coming from companies that actually manage to show success in the mobile market.
However, the Galaxy S5 is still going to be one of the most interesting Android choices this year, at least when it comes to flagship devices. The phone may have not matched the pre-release hype – when rumors and reports said the phone would pack better specs including a 2K display and metal casing – but it certainly has a lot to offer. Interestingly though, a rumor still persists claiming that a Premium Galaxy S5 version may be launched later this year.
