The Samsung Galaxy Note 4 was officially announced and detailed last week during the IFA Trade Show. Samsung definitely didn’t disappoint this year and presented a device that is both beautiful and powerful at the same time. Moreover, the Korean tech giant also unveiled the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge, a modified version of the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 that comes with a curved display. That being said, Samsung has been struggling financially a bit as of late due to the Samsung Galaxy S5 not selling as well as anticipated in the last quarter. Needless to say, the company is really hoping that it can make a comeback with its two new phablet models in order to compensate for the poor sales of its flagship smartphone. A lot of consumers were certainly impressed by what Samsung showcased at the IFA, but analysts don’t seem to share their enthusiasm.
“Changes to the Galaxy Note 4, despite improved features compared to the older sisters in terms of hardware, did not surprise the market’s earlier expectations,” said Ryan Hong, LIG Investment & Securities Co analyst .”Some features, including the metal-based frames, had already been adopted by rivals, making it hard for Samsung to differentiate itself from others. While the Galaxy Note Edge did manage to distinguish itself, it is unlikely the product will be mass-produced due to technological difficulties.” While Ryan Hong doesn’t seem to think that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 really brings anything new to the table, another analyst goes even further and predicts that the device will not end up selling more units than its predecessor, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3. Furthermore, he seems rather skeptical when it comes to the Samsung Galaxy Note Edge and says that the curved screen phablet will only manage to sell about 1 million units by the end of the year.
“The estimated shipment of the Galaxy Note 4 is 1.5 million units in the third quarter, 9.5 million units in the fourth, with the combined amount reaching 11 million units by the end of the year,” said Park Young-joo, Hyundai Securities Co analyst. “The amount is similar to that of the Galaxy Note 3. As for the Galaxy Note Edge, the shipment will only reach 1 million by end-December, as its manufacturing process is expected to be complicated,” he said. “While the two models will slowly contribute to revitalizing the smartphone sector, it will not be enough to fix the problem.”
These are just two analysts who believe that the Samsung Galaxy Note 4 will only sell an average amounts of units, but there are many more who are also of the opinion. The fact that other major manufacturers are also launching their own phablets as of late definitely doesn’t help the Samsung Galaxy Note 4’s chances either. Apple recently announced their 5.5-inch iPhone 6 Plus while LG launched a cheaper alternative to the Note called the LG G3 Stylus so Samsung is expected to face even more serious competition in the near future.