The Galaxy S21 series was off to a fantastic start before it even hit shelves. But six months on from the launch, new data suggest that demand has dwindled and sales are lagging behind those of previous-gen models.
The Galaxy S21 has sold 47% less than the Galaxy S10
Analysts at Kiwoom Securities (via Business Post) claim that Samsung shipped 13.5 million combined units of the Galaxy S21 series in the first six months of availability, making it the one of the worst-selling Galaxy S lines ever.The numbers are down 20% compared to the poorly received Galaxy S20 line, estimated to have sold 17 million units in the six months following its launch, which coincided with the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The comparisons are even worse when the 2019 Galaxy S10 series is thrown into the equation. Samsung is estimated to have shipped an impressive 25.5 million units of those devices in the first six months of sales, meaning demand is down 47%.
- Galaxy S10: 25.5 million units
- Galaxy S20: 17 million units
- Galaxy S21: 13.5 million units
Samsung’s weak Galaxy S21 shipments come despite some big adjustments designed to improve sales. Specifically, the brand significantly lowered prices and moved the launch up to January in order to avoid competing with rival products.
A lot is riding on the Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy S21 FE
It’ll remain to be seen how Samsung continues to perform in the second half of 2021, but things aren’t looking very positive at the moment, especially when other factors are taken into account.
While Samsung does have new high-end devices up its sleeves, the company is skipping the mainstream Galaxy Note. It’ll be down to the foldable Galaxy Z Flip 3 and Galaxy Z Fold 3 to keep customers interested.
Granted, the company will be making both devices more affordable than their predecessors. But the $1,600 Galaxy Z Fold 3 in particular is likely to be out of most people’s reach, so it’ll be down to the $1,000 Galaxy Z Flip 3 to do the heavy lifting.
Further down the road, the Snapdragon 888-powered Galaxy S21 FE is also expected to launch. However, it’ll be positioned as a budget flagship and profit margins are likely to be lower.
