Samsung Galaxy S9, LG V30S ThinQ Initial Preorder Numbers Disappoint

It appears Samsung’s Galaxy S9 and LG’s V30S ThinQ may have failed to really make a good impression to a lot of consumers, despite their upgraded specs and features. The initial preorders for the two high-end handsets apparently fell shy of expectations.

Industry watchers told Korea Herald Thursday that the new premium Android smartphones from neighboring rivals Samsung and LG did not meet initial preorder expectations. Apparently, when both companies started accepting preorders in their home turf on Wednesday, the preorder number for each device did not meet what their manufacturers expected from them.

According to market watchers, the Galaxy S9 and LG V30S ThinQ struggled during the first six hours on the first day that preorders were opened. They unfortunately did not reach the figures that their immediate predecessors secured last year. Even the Galaxy S9 Plus had the same fate as its smaller brother. While market watchers are saying these though, both Samsung and LG have yet to disclose the official preorder numbers for their phones.

“There are many customers asking about the phones but the actual number of preorders seem to be a tad smaller compared to last year,” an employee of a South Korean mobile operator said on condition of anonymity.

However, the initial preorder numbers shouldn’t worry the tech companies for now. It has only been days since Samsung and LG took the wraps off of their new smartphones. And even though the phones are being showcased at MWC 2018, it will still take time for more consumers to hear or learn about the new devices.

“Not many consumers are well aware of the new products, as it has only been two days since the companies unveiled the latest models at the MWC,” a market watcher said.

The Galaxy S9 boasts of a reimagined camera technology, a familiar design and upgraded specs and features. Meanwhile, the V30S ThinQ utilizes the same design as last year’s V30, but it comes with several artificial intelligence features.

In South Korea, the Galaxy S9 costs 957,000 won or US$884 for the 64GB variant, while the Galaxy S9 Plus with the same storage space costs 1.05 million won or US$966. On the other hand, the LG V30S ThinQ is valued at 1.04 million won or US$957 for the 125GB model, and 1.09 million won or US$1,003 for the 256GB model.