AppleInsider Staff
Apple's chief rival Samsung had big plans for the debut of its flagship Galaxy S5 smartphone on April 11, but carriers in its native country of South Korea have opted to upstage that launch date by releasing the new handset early.
SK Telecom, the largest mobile provider in South Korea, is set to release the Galaxy S5 on Thursday, two weeks before the actual scheduled launch. The move has prompted other carriers in the country — KT Corp. and LG Uplus Corp. — to also release the device early.
In response, Samsung issued a statement, according to the Associated Press, saying that the company is "very puzzled" by the decision. Carriers were provided with handsets ahead of time to ensure they could fulfill preorders.
The move may be driven in part by a looming suspension set to hit SK Telecom on April 5. The carrier is reportedly barred from accepting new customers for a 45-day period because they provided illegal phone subsidies. Selling the Galaxy S5 early would allow them to lock in new customers ahead of that suspension, which will be in effect when Samsung's handset officially launches.
Samsung's apparent difficulties in coordinating the launch of the Galaxy S5 stand in contrast to Apple's debut of both the iPhone 5s and iPhone 5c in 11 countries and territories last October. Another 24 countries were added a month later, with a total of more than 100 countries carrying Apple's latest handsets by the end of 2013.
Samsung has said the Galaxy S5 will be available in more than 100 countries on a single day, April 11. But with early sales by South Korean carriers, some customers will be get their hands on the next-generation device well ahead of the date Samsung intended.
The next flagship handset from Samsung was announced in February at the Mobile World Congress trade show in Barcelona. It packs a 5.1-inch display, fingerprint sensor, and a heart rate monitor on the rear of device, located next to the camera.
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43 Comments
How is it possible that does Samsung not have some sort of contract that covers this?
How is it possible that does Samsung not have some sort of contract that covers this?
It's South Korea, land of companies that don't follow the law. Several telecoms have been found guilty of providing illegal subsidies, not just SK Telecom, and Samsung has been found guilty of improperly using other company's intellectual property. Why would you think any of these companies would play by the rules?
never mind my error
[quote name="rob53" url="/t/174540/samsung-puzzled-as-south-korean-carriers-upstage-galaxy-s5-launch-with-early-sales#post_2503634"]It's South Korea, land of companies that don't follow the law. Several telecoms have been found guilty of providing illegal subsidies, not just SK Telecom, and Samsung has been found guilty of improperly using other company's intellectual property. Why would you think any of these companies would play by the rules? [/quote] Bingo. Plus they want this phone to not be considered "new" come 5 April. So they are doing their own thing. Samsung shouldn't be puzzled, and if you ask me, will benefit from this. Had they all waited? They wouldn't have been able to sell these new phones when launched in their home country.
The tech writers and even some Samsung fanboys admit the S5 is more of an improved S4 than something really new. Samsung admits the fingerprint login is not as evolved as the iPhone’s TouchID. I have a hunch the S5 will sell well but not blow the doors off. The next iPhone, however, could be a real barn burner.