South Korean press shocked at Samsung’s Galaxy S4 sales disaster

“Yesterday we posted a report titled ‘Apple’s iPhone Success Points to a Bad Q4 for Samsung,’ wherein we stated that Apple’s iPhone scored a hat trick of key online retail sales victories in December that likely contributed to the estimates for Samsung Electronics’ fourth quarter operating profit being revised downward by more than a billion dollars US,” Jack Purcher reports for Patently Apple. “Today we learn that the Samsung’s Galaxy S4 is one of the key burdens dragging Samsung’s financials down. In fact, the Korean press describes it as shocking at just how bad the numbers are likely to be for Q4. Yet the news shouldn’t really surprise anyone.”

“According to a new report, Samsung Group’s electronics affiliates are engulfed in a shock ignited by the Galaxy S4. Many forecast that Samsung Electro-Mechanics, Samsung Display, and Samsung SDI are expected to report disappointing fourth-quarter performances, which would be even lower than their lower-than-expected third-quarter performances,” Purcher reports. “The Korean press expressing ‘shock’ over the collapse of Galaxy S4 sales this quarter is understandable to a certain degree. Yet perhaps they were sticking their heads in the sand to a certain extent because the signs of trouble had been brewing for months.”

Read more in the full article here.

53 Comments

        1. Ha! What a nut case point of view. The report stems from news out Korea. Other aspects of the report simply amplifies various points that have been reported on in Korea over the past few months. If you don’t like what you hear, well that’s not our problem.

          Cheers

      1. This 2nd to last paragraph states it all….

        I can sum it up with (1) One word…. “JUNK”

        And lastly, Samsung refused to provide their “premium” smartphone with any classy detailing whatsoever. In fact the cheap plastic feel of their smartphone made one think that they were purchasing a bargain basement device. Consumers also noted that the software gimmickery of waving their hands to answer a phone call or to tap phones together to share photos wasn’t real innovation at all. In fact, it was more like something you’d expect to see at a magic show at a five year old’s birthday party.

    1. The buy one get one deals… and no down payment deals were connected to the S4… on different carriers…

      And yet they are shocked at this development… whereas the 5c sells enough… and the 5s continues to sell well.

  1. And all that money used on advertising and paying for product placement (nearly all cable commercials I’ve seen only show samsung products, so called ‘tech reviews’ in theatre etc.) really paid off. Suck it Samdung.

    1. Why not hate them. They think they are above the law. I won’t buy their products because they steal designs from their competitors in every industry they are in. ALL OF THEM. They pay for lawyers instead of development engineers. If you buy their stuff you are supporting the world’s worst type of business practices.

  2. The Korean press has their heads stuck somewhere else, rather than “in the sand”, at least concerning accurate journalism in regards to Samsung. Samsung is the Korean mafia. These journalists know when to whitewash the facts.

  3. The bloodbath against Samsung will continue and amplify unabated and significantly in 2014. The damage has only just begun, at least where it matters with premium customers and profit share. Shamdung can have the Freetard, cheapskate, BOGOF salivating, bottom feeding no spending crowd. Good luck widdat.

      1. Some of the commercials bogle my mind. Those phones look like a re-engineered tablet, or a regular sized phone held by a Munchkin. I will say a woman I work with has a Galaxy S4, and it really doesn’t look too bad and seems to perform well. Way too cumbersome for me but she likes it. Of course she has a big purse to haul it around in, while I just stick my iPhone 4 in my shirt pocket.

  4. It’s the proliferation of devices that’s tarnishing the Galaxy brand.

    People saw Android as a cheaper alternative to iOS/iPhone/iPad, but with flagships just as expensive or more than Apple’s, those with limited budgets are turning to Samsung’s sh*t-tier range of Galaxy devices if not switching manufacturers/ecosystem, like to Nokia’s Lumias.

    Those devices pack weak hardware, little RAM, mediocre displays, old Android versions and rarely get updates. Plus, the S3 is just as good as an S4, and now available cheaper. Explosive combination, when even the S4 got spinned off into weak versions whoring the S4 label.

    1. I don’t know about ‘doomed’. That word is usually reserved for Apple. HAHAHAHAHA!

      I’m loathe to apply ‘doomed’ to lazy dumbass ScamScum. But it’s going to be a lovely time of burning, panic and desperation over at their headquarters in Korea. Well deserved. :mrgreen:

  5. If I am reading this right Samsung sold in the entire 4th quarter about 1/2 as many S4 phones as Apple sold iPhone 5Ss the first three days it was available. Perhaps Tim Cook and Apple know how to provide the quality and innovations people really want.

    1. Or perhaps… they can’t sell many Galaxy 4’s -specifically because- they are an oversized phone.
      Did that glimmer of an idea ever occur to you?

      Occam’s razor my friend. When you hear hoof beats it’s unwise to assume it’s a zebra.

  6. Notice that Many Galaxy S4’s have:

    — processors made by Qualcomm i.e Snapdragons
    — OS made by Google
    — design stolen from Apple

    and that is their TOP of the LINE phone.

    Apple’s iPhone has a chip , OS and design all masterminded by Apple.

    Where the heck is the Samsung innovation that the press keep touting as ‘eclipsing Apple’ ?

    1. good points,

      OS made by Google ?

      – Android (the AndyBotOS) was really inspired RATHER stolen from Apple – by Andy Rubin, ex engineer from Apple – once iPhone was introduced Google completely re-invented its PHONE and interface. Giving it away freely was the only way Google could complete RATHER stay alive.

      – like automotive engineers and designers who are under stricter regulations stopping them to steal ideas and jump from company to company – the computer industry should regard talent in the same regard – a seven years sworn oath not to expose ideas or take work to the competitors.

  7. Uh, surely the S4 is just a ‘little bit bigger’ than the S3 with shittier custom software, no? What’s the surprise?

    Just teasing. It’s amazing to hear the Korean press saying a single word negative about Samsung. Don’t they know who keeps the lights on? 😉

  8. Didn’t I point out that this was coming way back this past summer? Yes!

    Samsung’s Galaxy S4 is one of the key burdens dragging Samsung’s financials down…. Yet the news shouldn’t really surprise anyone.

    EXACTLY. Samsung screwed their own pooch with their utterly ridiculous Galaxy S4 announcement spectacular. Then Ka-Blamm-O, they get suitably screwed over in court for ripping off Apple IP. Their tablets are crap. Their ads are crap. The rust starts showing through bogus spin and swagger. Tada! It’s all falling down. Why is anyone surprised?

    HaHa Samsung! You’re getting soooo screwed. No sympathy from me.

    😆 😆 😆 😆 😆

  9. I’ve said this many times. When a company goes for market share above everything else they come unstuck.
    With low coat and too many models, Samsung’s profit margin will dive especially when volume drops due to competition. It took Apple over 5 years to release 2 models at once and I bet they made sure their margins remain good even if one model sells less than expected.

  10. I think I know the reason why samsung s4 sales dropped down. Its because it has no Radio. I want to buy too but when I found out it has no Radio I had changed my mind not to buy one.

Reader Feedback

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.