Hey, Android buyers looking to purchase Samsung’s hot new Galaxy S9, which we absolutely adored in our review: move your finger away from that preorder button that you were about to tap. Don’t do it. Wait just a little bit longer.
The Galaxy S9 is the best Android phone available right now, at least when it comes to hardware and camera performance. But in a world of imperfect phones, the Galaxy S9 isn’t perfect either — read our full Galaxy S9 review at this link. It is, however, a much better choice than Samsung’s 2018 flagships, so if you want to buy it, you should get it. Just don’t get it right now, no matter how good the deals are right now.
Galaxy S9 preorders aren’t that great in Korea, a few reports said recently. And now we have a new estimate that indicates the same thing from the Arthur Wood research firm, Barron’s reports. Citing supply-chain sources, analyst Jeff Johnson says that preorders for the Galaxy S9 are down 50% compared to the Galaxy S8. Buyers are “upgrading at a much slower pace as features are falling on deaf ears,” he said.
It’s not just Samsung that’s suffering, it’s everyone. “Smartphone sales are starting to decline at an accelerating rate,” Johnson writes. Just a few short days ago, Citi analysts said that Apple won’t sell sell nearly as many iPhone X units in the first half of the year as it did in November and December.
But Samsung might be more affected by sales slowdowns because it doesn’t sell that many phones directly to consumers. Instead, it partners with carriers and retailers. Fast Company speculates that Johnson’s report actually reflect the carriers’ reluctance to order more Galaxy S9 inventory.
That’s why you really need to wait a while longer before you purchase your Galaxy S9. It’s likely that carriers will soon introduce “more aggressive promotions” to move Galaxy S9 inventory, Johnson said. The deals available right now look pretty attractive, but it’s very likely that new, even bigger discounts will start rolling out before you know it.
