Galaxy S5 Sets Sales Record on Day of Release

Published on 2014/04/20 | Source

People line up to buy the Galaxy S5 at a launch event in Shanghai, China on Friday. /Courtesy of Samsung Electronics

Samsung's latest smartphone, the Galaxy S5, set a new sales record on the first day of its release last week. The achievement comes amid a slowdown in global sales of high-end smartphones.

Samsung on Sunday said the Galaxy S5, which went on sale in 125 countries on Friday, sold 30 percent more on the first day of release than the Galaxy S4. The electronics giant did not reveal how many of the gadgets it sold.

The stellar first-day sales are mostly due to a massive marketing campaign. The Galaxy S4 was released in 60 countries but the S5 in 125 -- not only in the U.S. and Europe but in emerging markets like China, Kenya and South Africa.

The price also helped, since the S5 at W866,000 (US$1=W1,036) for the 32 Gb model is around W100,000 cheaper than the S4.

Analysts said the strong initial sales demonstrate Samsung has consolidated its status as a top player to rival Apple in the global market, which guarantees solid profitability.