Samsung Galaxy Note 4 Sold 4.5 Million Units in First Month; 500K Less Than Note 3

[dgstorm]

It seems obvious that Samsung's rapid rise to dominance is slowing down a great deal. Perhaps consumers are simply too comfortable with their older devices to upgrade. Samsung sales figures have been reported regarding the Galaxy Note 4, and while the numbers are impressive, they are actually less than the Galaxy Note 3 during the same timeframe.

The Galaxy Note 4 sold about 4.5 million units in the first month of sales. This is actually about 500K less than the Galaxy Note 3. In fact, the Galaxy Note 3 even reached that mark in half the time last year. While this is obviously a slowing down for Samsung, it may not be an ongoing trend. What are your thoughts?

Source: GforGames

 

[popcenator]

That's still a lot of devices. And we've already seen a lot of devices this year that are top notch. I just think the fact that its a tougher market to dominate these days combined with how well the Note 3 sold, there's probably not as many people looking for devices right now.

on the move..

 

[Ollie]

It had a severely limited release at launch.

 

[DrumsOfGrohl]

You think the high volume of iPhone 6 sales has anything to do with this?

 

[Heero121]

the note 3 was a really well built machine. Yeah touchwiz is meh, but the device itself is great. I dont see many note 3 owners going to replace their phone with a note 4. that being said samsung needs to take a step back and stop over saturating the market with 40+ devices.

 

[soulpatch]

I thought that the device was launched in the US around the same time as the rest of the world last year. It just hit the US this week thus driving down this years first month numbers. Couple that with the fact that there were some supply issues and I do not see a problem with this.

Considering how many of us were still on Note 2 and ready to move on this should build as the US stock improves.

 

[Jonny Kansas]

the note 3 was a really well built machine. Yeah touchwiz is meh, but the device itself is great. I dont see many note 3 owners going to replace their phone with a note 4. that being said samsung needs to take a step back and stop over saturating the market with 40+ devices.

While I agree, I have a couple of friends with Note 3's who're plenty jealous of my new toy.

 

[Batman8]

the note 3 was a really well built machine. Yeah touchwiz is meh, but the device itself is great. I dont see many note 3 owners going to replace their phone with a note 4. that being said samsung needs to take a step back and stop over saturating the market with 40+ devices.

Being an owner of the Note 2, Note 3 and a Note 10.1 (2014) I completely agree with Heero121. Also in my opinion the Note 4 is barely offering much over the Note 3. People who are into this kind/size of device probably already own at least the Note 3, and if you're like me and have unlimited data, you know that you'll also have to dish out $700+ to pay retail for the N4 when it's specs are not drastically higher than the N3. At least with the other Notes each one was bigger and offered other things that were new or even revolutionary (like the N3's use of the S-pen over how it worked on the Note 2). At this point in the game, many people are probably happy enough with the Note 3. I knew immediately once seeing the specs on the N4 that it was in NO WAY worth me dropping another $700 bucks to do what my Note 3 is pretty much already doing!

Come on Samsung...give us something REALLY new and spectacular if you want Note users to upgrade!!! Otherwise, I think they are only attracting the customers who are new to the Note series and losing out on the rest of us, so don't be surprised to see most people pass on this one.

 

[Narsil]

I can't speak for anyone else but I very much want a Note 4 but will not be purchasing one until the Verizon one is, at the very least, rooted. I can get by with a locked bootloader but I'm not going to buy one and then have to wait on a root that may not come.

 

[cybertec69]

You think the high volume of iPhone 6 sales has anything to do with this?

NO

 

[jpiarull]

You think the high volume of iPhone 6 sales has anything to do with this?

Doubtful that has much to do with it. Most people who have Android devices will not switch to iOs that easily. If anything, more people will make the move from iOs to Android due to open-source support & better overall experience with customization & ease-of-use through Google. As for the dip in devices moved by Samsung, a few factors should be considered:

1.) People not needing to upgrade: either fear of losing unlimited data, not time for them do so for those who are on tiered data plans, or no need to do so due to phones being practically future-proof (starting from Galaxy S5, Note 3, & beyond).
2.) Economy: Disposable income levels have fallen for 7 years running, weighing luxury vs. necessity.
3.) Availability & choice of devices: Market saturation, numerous devices with close specifications, different costs, additional driver forces freedom of choice.
4.) Limit of growth constant: Only so much Samsung can possibly gain from constant mathematical growth, bubble theory of economics, eventually it does stop. Volume of those who switched 12-18 mos. or more recent to Samsung, takes away from potential prospects. Market share takes a hit. Only thing Samsung will take from this with the overall reduction of smartphone profits (which they are still extremely profitable) are cash-flows. Use that monetary capital for investment, R&D, & untapped market research.

 

[Tonik]

Too many devices too fast, simple as that. And it is an android thing not just a sammy thing. More phones with a market that isn't growing that fast....Just smaller pieces of the same pie.

 

[zinethar]

You can add one more to that total - I finally made the dive. Solved several problems while getting a great new phablet and managed to keep my unlimited to boot! Not a bad day. I feel a lot of phone activity tonight.

 

[bsweetness]

As the article points out and as others have said here, the Note 4 was only available in Korea and China for nearly all of that time. The Note 3 saw much wider availability in its first month, so that accounts for the differences. I don't think it indicates a slowing down for Samsung at all. It simply indicates that the phone wasn't available in as many places for the first month.

But even taking that into account, it still managed to sell 4.5 million in spite of the fact that for most of the month the phone was only available in two countries and. Given that, I'd say there's a good shot that the 4 is on pace to sell more than the Note 3 did over the first two or three months.

 

[HNettles]

I was going to buy a Note 4 yesterday, Friday. Went to the Verizon store, they didn't have any. Today, Saturday, I called 3 other Verizon stores, and 2 Best Buy's. Not one Verizon Note 4 available. Kind of hard to sell when you don't have them to sell.