Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Hits 10 Million Sales Mark: Latest Flagship Beats Sales Expectations In Just Two Months

Samsung (NASDAQ:SSNLF) is definitely in a bragging mood as its latest flagship device, the Galaxy Note 3, has sold more than 10 million handsets worldwide in just two months.

Samsung is celebrating the milestone with a graphic featuring all of its devices in the "10 Million Seller Club." The Korean manufacturer notes that sales record was first reached in 2002 with the SGH-T100, a pebble-like flip phone. Since then Samsung has seen 14 devices hit and surpass the goal, including the Galaxy Note 2, the original Galaxy Note, and all devices in the Galaxy S series.

Today, all of Samsung’s flagships are synonymous with big sales, and the big focus after release is how fast each new device can reach the milestones. Comparatively, it took the Galaxy Note 2 four months to reach 10 million sales and the original Galaxy Note nine months to hit the same goal. In addition, the Galaxy Note 3 has quickly surpassed the 10 million-unit sales goal, which was projected for the device prior to its release.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 and its predecessors are considered niche devices due to their extra-large screens. While the Galaxy Note series boasts impressive sales (the Note and Note 2 have sold more than 38 million units collectively), the devices are not quite Samsung’s best sellers. That accolade would go to the Galaxy S series; the Galaxy S4, for example, has sold more than 40 million handsets since its late April release, with 10 million of those sold within its first month on the market. The Galaxy S4 currently stands as the fastest-selling smartphone in Samsung’s history.

Still, things are looking good for Samsung as the Note 3 has sold so well so quickly. The milestone will likely put Samsung in the good graces of investors, who'd been unsure about the success of the Galaxy S4 due to the lofty 100 million-unit sales goal projected prior to its release. Reports indicated that Samsung was looking toward the Galaxy Note 3 to make up for the lack of faith in the Galaxy S4, and the Note 3 appears to have done its job.

The Galaxy Note 3 isn’t without its issues, though. Notably, many early adopters had to deal with the region lock issue, which threatened to affect sales of the unit. The region lock feature, which was implemented to combat illegal “gray market” importing, created an unintended incompatibility for those attempting to power their Note 3 handsets outside of their home region. The issue made many customers, especially frequent travelers, uncertain about buying a Galaxy Note 3. Samsung eventually admitted fault with its region lock feature and says it will continue to optimize and simplify the procedure for total customer satisfaction. Luckily, it appears the region lock issue did not have an effect on sales.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 features a 5.7-inch Full HD Super AMOLED display, a 2.3GHz quad-core LTE processor for the U.S. market, 32GB and 64GB internal storage options with microSD expansion up to 64GB and 3GB of RAM, a 13-megapixel camera and a 1.9-megapixel front camera with 1080p/60 video recording and 4K video recording for some models. The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 also runs the latest Android 4.3 Jelly Bean operating system and a 3,200mAh battery and features boosted 24-bit and 192 KHz audio.

Software features for the Note 3 include Samsung Knox preloaded and able to work for both personal and business capacities. The Note 3 also focuses on improved multitasking with the Air command feature, which directs users to the Action Memo, Screen Write, S-Finder, Scrapbook and Pen Window applications. With an enhanced S-Pen, users can easily navigate their Galaxy Note 3 handset with simple dot, circle and box motions.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is powered by AT&T, Sprint, T-Mobile, U.S. Cellular and Verizon, and can also be purchased at retailers such as Dell, Amazon and Wirefly. The Galaxy Note 3, on the market since late September, comes in Jet Black, Classic White, and Blush Pink color options. What do you think of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 selling 10 million units in just two months?

Do you own a Galaxy Note 3? Let us know in the comments below.

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