Samsung Galaxy S4 Hits 40 Million Sales Mark: CEO JK Shin Insists Device Not In Trouble Amid Slowing Monthly Sales Figures

Samsung Galaxy S4 sales are still looking strong, according to a new report that indicates the Galaxy S4 has now sold more than 40 million handsets worldwide since its late-April release date.

Samsung CEO J.K. Shin reportedly spoke to Korean press and revealed the sales numbers for the phone, which has been on the market for six months. Previous reports said the Galaxy S4 sold 10 million handsets in its first month on the market, 20 million in its first two months on the market, and 30 million handsets in its first four months. Notably, these figures do not include sales for device variants such as Galaxy S4 Active, Galaxy S4 Zoom and Galaxy S4 Mini.

By comparison, the Samsung Galaxy S3, the best- and fastest-selling smartphone of its time, sold 30 million handsets in its first three months on the market and has sold more than 60 million since its late-May 2012 release.

Current rumors suggest that the Samsung Galaxy S4 is not doing as well as Shin would have us believe, and the upcoming Samsung Galaxy S5 may be released as early as February in order to make up for suffering sales of the S4. However, we've heard this story before: Reports prior to the late-September release of the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 suggested that the device would release in the summer months, not only to make up for poor Galaxy S4 sales but also to use components originally intended for the Galaxy S4. It was not long after that report that Samsung announced its 20 million-sales milestone for the Galaxy S4.

Other reports indicate that even if the Galaxy S4 is still faring well on the market, sales have dropped from their previous highs. Market research shows the Galaxy S4 sold 5 million handsets in the month of August, down from its 7 million-handset sales peak in June. Even so, the Galaxy S4 was the top-selling device for August, beating out the iPhone 5. However, the report notes that the figures indicate the Galaxy S4 had the highest August sales because the iPhones 16GB and 32GB models are counted as two separate devices.

The Samsung Galaxy S4 does not appear to be suffering for sales; however, concern about the device may stem from the fact that analysts projected a lofty sales goal of 80 million to 100 million handsets within the device’s first year on the market. It is currently six months in and the Galaxy S4 has not hit the mid-point of such a milestone. But again, we consider that 2012’s most popular smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy S4, has similarly not sold close to 100 million handsets with now 16 months on the market.

Previous reports indicated that it was investors who were most concerned about Samsung not hitting the 100 million unit sales goal; during the summer this worry caused Samsung’s stock to drop tremendously. Throughout all the negative reports, Shin has insisted that the Galaxy S4 is selling just fine. Now with the holiday shopping season quickly approaching, the Samsung Galaxy S4 is expected to hit or surpass the 50 million unit milestone by the end of the year.

Do you think 40 million handsets sold in six months is an impressive milestone for the Samsung Galaxy S4? Let us know in the comments below.

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