Galaxy S10 sales are off to a flying start, according to some reports, with Samsung having already run out of free Galaxy Buds wireless headphones that were bundled with the more expensive versions. Some Galaxy S10 models were already sold out in the US last week, just a few days after preorders, and the phone is doing well in Korea too, according to some estimates. An insider seems to think the Galaxy S10 will do even better than initially expected, and that’s partly because the Galaxy S10 is nothing like the iPhone XS and XR models that were released last fall.
Ming-Chi Kuo, an analyst who usually reveals details about unreleased iPhones and other Apple products, came out with a new research note on Wednesday (via 9to5Mac that offers revised numbers for the Galaxy S10.
The analyst is increasing his earlier estimate by 30% citing “spec differentiation” from current iPhones. According to Kuo, Samsung should ship between 40 million and 45 million Galaxy S10 units, up from his previous 30 million to 35 million estimate. That’s quite a bump for the phone, which suggests the Galaxy S10 has made an impression on buyers.
Kuo said that, aside from spec differentiation from iPhone, other factors like trade-in programs and strong sales in China will positively affect the Galaxy S10.
The insider notes that Galaxy S10 features including the in-display ultrasonic fingerprint sensor, the triple-lens camera, and the bi-directional wireless charging aren’t available on any of the newest iPhones.
The analyst does say that Apple will have a triple-lens iPhone in stores this year, with camera part supplier O-film expected to benefit from the increased demand. Earlier, the analyst said the iPhone would also support reverse wireless charging.
The Galaxy S10 phones will be available in stores on Friday — here’s our review.
