Galaxy S20 sales reportedly off to 'dismal' start, Coronavirus to blame

Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra
Galaxy S20, S20+ and S20 Ultra (Image credit: Andrew Martonik / Android Central)

What you need to know

  • A report out of Korea claims initial sales of Samsung's new Galaxy S20 series phones are significantly lower than expected.
  • Apart from the high prices of the new phones, Coronavirus infection fears may also have contributed to the lacklustre sales.
  • While Samsung had shifted 140,000 Galaxy S10 units on day one, it could only sell 70,800 Galaxy S20 units in South Korea on February 27.

Samsung's new Galaxy S20 trio went on sale in the company's home market of South Korea yesterday. Due to a variety of reasons, however, initial sales of the Galaxy S20 series in the country weren't as high as Samsung had expected.

As per The Korea Herald, Samsung sold 70,800 units of the Galaxy S20 series in Korea on Thursday, which is significantly lower than the first-day figures for the Galaxy S10 series last year. Samsung had sold 140,000 units of the Galaxy S10 series on its first day, while the Galaxy Note 10 series shifted 220,000 on day one.

Telecom companies in South Korea say that the sales were impacted due to coronavirus fears, as fewer people visited offline stores. The high pricing of the Galaxy S20 series and lower than expected subsidies were also blamed. Samsung's entry-level Galaxy S20 is priced at 1.248 million won ($1,044) in the country, while the high-end S20 Ultra costs 1.59 million won ($1,315).

In the U.S., the Galaxy S20 is priced at $1,000, while the highest-end Galaxy S20 Ultra costs a whopping $1,600.

Samsung Galaxy S20+

Samsung Galaxy S20+ 5G

Samsung's Galaxy S20+ isn't quite as impressive as the S20 Ultra, but it happens to be slightly more affordable and still offers everything you would want from a 2020 Android flagship. It has a brilliant 6.7-inch 120Hz display, powerful Snapdragon 865 chipset, and a capable quad-camera setup at the back. You also get an impressive 4,500mAh battery with 25W wired charging and 15W wireless charging.

Babu Mohan
News Writer