Galaxy S21, US Sales Triple Compared to Previous Model... 'Ultra' Tops Preference Rankings

[Asia Economy Reporter Koo Eun-mo] Samsung Electronics' flagship smartphone ‘Galaxy S21’ series has been sailing smoothly, selling more than three times the previous model in the U.S. market within a month of its launch.

According to the weekly sales tracker for the U.S. smartphone market by global market research firm Counterpoint Research on the 18th, the sales volume of the Samsung Galaxy S21 series in the U.S. market during the first four weeks after launch exceeded three times that of its predecessor.

The previous model, ‘Galaxy S20,’ had poor sales as its launch coincided with the spread of COVID-19 in the U.S. However, this year’s smartphone market is showing a good start with pent-up demand emerging, an expected increase in demand, and improved consumer sentiment. Additionally, the price reduction compared to the previous generation’s equivalent models is also considered to have influenced sales.

Until now, the Galaxy S series launched in the U.S. market typically peaked in sales in the second week after launch and then entered a declining trend. However, the Galaxy S21 has maintained a considerable level of sales even after the third week of launch. Counterpoint predicted that if this trend continues, the annual sales volume of the Galaxy S21 will significantly surpass that of its predecessor. However, it is expected not to reach the 2019 sales volume of the ‘Galaxy S10’ series, which was a major success after launch.

Looking at the sales trends by model, the highest-priced Galaxy S21 Ultra accounted for 41%. It was followed by the base model Galaxy S21 and Galaxy S21 Plus, accounting for 36% and 22%, respectively.

Kang Min-su, a researcher at Counterpoint Research, analyzed, “The Galaxy S21’s launch was brought forward by nearly two months compared to its predecessor, extending the sales period throughout the year. If the COVID-19 situation in the U.S. gradually stabilizes, the Galaxy S21’s sales in the U.S. this year will greatly exceed those of the previous model. Despite spec improvements, the price was actually lowered compared to the predecessor, which has received a positive response.”

He added, “Samsung is aiming to expand flagship sales through aggressive promotions while also applying some features introduced in the flagship models to the A series, actively promoting to customers of mid- to low-priced products. This strategy is expected to positively impact increasing market share across various regions and price segments.”

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.