Samsung has made a decision to delay launching of the Galaxy S8, mainly to build increased confidence of consumers in its flagship device.
Crucial Launch
The release of the Galaxy S8 in 2017 will be crucial for Samsung, as it is a major release after the unfortunate debacle of the Galaxy Note 7. The company has to get it correct from the time of the press announcement up to the public sale. Normally, Samsung announces its new flagship device in the beginning of the Mobile World Congress held in February. However, this year is different.
Launch Delayed
It is rumored that Samsung will delay the Galaxy S8 launch to April, which is around eight weeks after the usual February launch date, according to Sammobile. The delay is primarily for allowing the battery problems of the Galaxy Note 7 to be resolved. It is also being delayed in order to allow the marketing team to create increased confidence of customers in the new flagship device, the Samsung Galaxy S8.
Tough Call
The decision of delaying the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S8 would have been a tough call to make for the company. Some argue that it is wiser to launch it in February and other call for a March release. The release of the flagship device in March will enable the counting of the initial wave of the Galaxy S8 sales figures in the first quarter of 2017.
Sales Slowed Down
The sales in the fourth quarter will obviously be less, as there was no sale of the Note 7 during the holiday season this year. Of course, there is the Samsung Galaxy S7, in a shiny, black version, which might lessen the shortfall caused by the Galaxy Note 7. The debacle of the incendiary Galaxy Note 7 caused a lot of slowdown in the financial growth of the company, with the third quarter already slowed down and the fourth quarter to follow suit.
February Launch
A launch in February could act as a break on the financial loss. The company could have picked up some momentum in the eyes of the media, as the latter come to Barcelona for reporting the offerings of the coming twelve months. In addition, the new Galaxy S8 is targeted at the Samsung Galaxy S6 owners. They will have come to an end of their contract after two years in February 2017. Hence, the users of the Galaxy S6 could have become natural targets for the brand new Samsung S8, if it were released in February 2017.
Opposing Perception
On the other hand, there is an opposing view that Samsung had hastened the release of the Galaxy Note 7, in a bid to bring it before the release of the iPhone 7 and the iPhone 7 Plus in 2016. If Samsung continues this policy and claims that there are no issues, going full steam with the release of the Galaxy S8 as scheduled in February 2017, it could prove to be a reckless move, given the experience of the Galaxy Note 7.