A pair of somewhat conflicting reports on Tuesday say that Samsung’s Galaxy S10 sold better than its predecessor during preorders in Korea, but that it also got less interest than the Galaxy S9 when it comes to first-day registrations. How can both of those things be true at the same time?
According to ZDNet Samsung sold 20% more Galaxy S10 units than Galaxy S9 on the first day. The number comes directly from Samsung, which started shipping the phones on Monday.
Samsung is estimated to have sold 180,000 Galaxy S10 units during preorders, which started after the Unpacked event in San Francisco, through its online stores and local carriers, including SK Telecom, KT, and LG U+. Early buyers will continue to receive their units through Friday when in-store sales begin.
A few days ago, Samsung ran out of Galaxy Buds stock, which was a sign that either Galaxy S10 preorders were doing well, or that Samsung didn’t manufacture enough wireless earphones to give away for free with the new phone. Other reports showed that certain Galaxy S10 models were already sold out in the US.
But Korean news agency Yonhap (via The Korea Herald), offers a contradicting view for the Korean market. The report notes that the Galaxy S10’s first-day registration fell shy of predecessors:
The number of Samsung Electronics Co.’s Galaxy S10s that South Korean users have signed up for at local mobile carriers came to 140,000 units on the first day of registration, industry data showed Tuesday.
The estimate for the Galaxy S10 series is below the Galaxy S9’s 180,000 units and Galaxy Note 9’s 200,000 units.
These first-day registrations are different than preorders. The report notes that registrations started four days in advance of the phone’s launch, which is March 8th. A simple explanation may be that fewer people registered for the Galaxy S10 in Korea as many of them may have acquired one during preorders.
The report also notes that the 5G version of the phone will be released later this month, while the Galaxy Fold will hit Korea in mid-May.
