Samsung Sets Earlier Pre-Order Date For Galaxy Note 9 To Increase Shipments

Samsung Electronics is finally unveiling the Galaxy Note 9 this Thursday. The device is then expected to officially release on Aug. 24. Interestingly, Samsung has decided to open pre-orders way ahead of the phone’s release.

Sources revealed to Yonhap that the tech giant has agreed with three South Korean mobile carriers to take pre-orders earlier than before in the company’s home country. Pre-orders are now scheduled to open on Monday, Aug. 13, which is almost two weeks before the phablet’s scheduled release.

It’s not yet clear if the same schedule will be followed in other markets including the U.S., but this is undeniably an effort to increase first batch shipments of the Note 8’s successor. It is also said to be a move that aims to target more consumers as early as possible than Apple’s upcoming trio of iPhones, which are set to debut next month.

In addition, the earlier pre-order date and release date of the Note 9 are viewed as Samsung’s way of combating the decline on its shipments due to the weak demand for the Galaxy S9 series during the first half of 2018. Samsung is even believed to have decided a more reasonable price range for the Note 9 to ensure that it will do well on the market.

Samsung hasn’t confirmed anything at this point save for the schedule of the Galaxy Note 9’s unveiling at its Unpacked event in New York City on Aug. 9. However, several leaks and reports are claiming that the phone will come with a slightly bigger 6.4-inch display and a larger 4,000 mAh batter.

The Samsung Galaxy Note 9 is also expected to come equipped with Samsung’s updated and more advanced voice recognition technology called Bixby 2.0. The new system is said to have better responsiveness and have more features than the previous iteration.

Meanwhile, some industry watchers are claiming that Samsung is not so confident with the Note 9’s public appeal following the weak performance of the Galaxy S9. Like the S9, the Note 9 is also a minor upgrade compared to its predecessor, with minor bumps on hardware specs and software features here and there.

“The Galaxy S9 failed as it did not stand out compared to its predecessor,“ one industry watcher said on condition of anonymity. The source added that the Galaxy Note 9 is also unlikely to be a game changer for Samsung. “The rumored information on the Galaxy Note 9 is also not that innovative.”