According to industry insiders, Samsung is reportedly moving the launch of its next flagship smartphone, the Galaxy S7, forward by several months in a bid to compete with the Apple iPhone.
Smartphone launch dates are usually pretty easy to guess, as most manufacturers stay true to an annual release schedule. However, Samsung is apparently planning to launch the Galaxy S7 and S7 Edge a little earlier. This will reduce the price of the fantastic Samsung Galaxy S6 and S6 Edge. This is great news for consumers who just want a great phone, and don’t merely seek the top-of-the-line model.
Reports say that the new phone’s launch date has moved to January 2016, immediately after the CES show in Las Vegas. What we do know for sure is that Samsung completed the design for the Galaxy S7 by the end of September this year. It is currently securing a deal for the components the model needs to enter production.
Why is Samsung Releasing the Galaxy S7 Early?
Bringing forward the release of Galaxy S7 could offer consumers the chance to own a new flagship smartphone earlier in the year. If this happens, it will be with a view to undercut sales of the iPhone 6S, which launched in September this year. This in turn could well be part of a bid by Samsung to stem the tide of falling profits that were reported by Trendforce in October 2015.
Despite receiving rave reviews, the release of the Samsung Galaxy S6 in March failed to provide that much needed boost. However, the company expects to return to growth by the end of October. Launching the S7 and putting the new model in the hands of impatient consumers early could perhaps give Samsung the best possible chance of success. This is because it may convince them that there is no need to buy the new iPhone.
Samsung has traditionally timed the launch of its top of the range smartphones-to correspond with the dates of major technology conferences. For example, it launched the Galaxy S6 at as the Mobile World Congress in Barcelona in March. However, the South Korean company bucked this trend for the release of the Galaxy Note in August, for which it organized its own standalone conference.
The successor to the Samsung Galaxy S6 is not expected to offer major cosmetic differences to the older model. However, new features such as a 4K display and a return to Qualcomm processors are likely additions on the S7.
[Written by External Partner]