sales flagship smartphone Samsung Galaxy S4 has fallen to 30%, reducing the company's market value to $ 20 billion. Given this turn of events, analysts are forced to reconsider their long-standing rosy forecasts and now in no hurry to call the Apple Samsung's successor to the throne of the King of Technology.
The agency "Reuters" explains the decline in sales analysts excitement on the basis of 'sectoral indicators, foreshadowing the imminent saturation of this market segment. " The same excitement, as we know, led to a sharp depreciation of share Apple last fall.
forecasts are disappointing
Galaxy S4 start of sales was a record: the manufacturer had sold 10 million units, and analysts are quick with rainbow projections, comparing the success of Samsung with the results of the sales of the iPhone 5, which Apple has sold since the beginning "only" 5 million units. Only many have not noticed a very important detail: the first three days, Apple sold its 5 million iPhone 5 only 9 countries; the Samsung is a market for the Galaxy S is several times more - 60 countries, including Korea, China and India, where Apple at the time of the fifth ayfon simply did not have time to reach. In addition, Samsung sold their smartphones to mobile operators, not end users - another important caveat.
Analysts had almost declared Samsung's flagship hit of the season, but now they are rapidly slowed down. Now, according to some experts, the prospects for the fourth "Galaxy" highly questionable, not only in Europe but also in the South Korean market. Moreover, "in the S4, by and large, there is not a real wow factor." Previously projected sales of 10 million "galaxies" in a month now analysts are "cut" up to 5-7 million. This means that every month Samsung will lose up to $ 1 billion, if the predictions come true, new analysts.
applause subside
In contrast, Apple surpassed Wall Street's expectations, having sold in the second quarter to end-users more than 37 million iPhones (against the expected 35.9 million). In the same case Samsung has not improved even after the release of additional models with different diagonals screens, more wear-resistant housings and high-quality cameras.
S4 company was also lampshades Note line with a wide range of low-end models, many of whom work on the ancient versions of the Android OS. However, the larger Samsung launches models, the more extra work themselves to optimize technical support and outstanding products. But the market, anyway, is saturated, and even an exacerbation of price competition in the smartphone demand will gradually fall. Therefore, analysts are more tuned to give conservative forecasts. "Expectations of decreased innovation, so it is hardly around the new products will be such a noise, to which we are accustomed", - said one of the experts.
The next goal - the middle segment
Apple's attention remains fully focused on the premium segment, and the company offers only one flagship model, reinforcing its two previous models ayfon as starting options. The same tactics of "fruit" company stuck to selling the iPod, adding to it mini model, and later nano, and are "eaten" by the lower segments of the market of MP3-players.
This year, Apple's many awaiting the release of the budget model iPhones which theoretically should be aimed at the middle market segment. On the same segment, already quite seriously, aimed "Chinese competitors." And Samsung's position is rather weak - in the last year the share of the South Korean manufacturer is decreased as much as 15%.
If we recall that in the US the Samsung there is a real threat to ban sales of some devices (Patents, patents, patents), and in Europe are coming serious disassembly of technological crown while dreaming early.
And by the way, Apple also cause South Koreans order to string up. Radical rethinking of iOS 7 will force Samsung or update its products, or to wait until they obsolete, demonstrating features and design decisions, as well as a general view, borrowed from the past iOS versions.
— Daniel Eran Dilger, AppleInsider