Reflected Benefit to Samsung?
As market watchers have mixed opinions about when the iPhone 8, the device that marks 10 years since Apple released a phone, will be launched, they expect that Samsung will have a first mover advantage in the smartphone market in the second half of the year in where Apple and Samsung are to go head to head.
According to industry sources on August 7, the iPhone 8 has been continuously rumored to delay the expected mid-September launch. It is uncertain that Apple will be able to release the iPhone 8 in September as planned due to the fact that the company has problems with the development of various new innovative technologies such as under-screen fingerprint sensor, wireless charging and facial recognition. Financial Times reported on July 30 that Apple will not be able to launch the iPhone 8 in September owing to problems with the procurement of core components and manufacturing process. Some even say that the iPhone 8 will be released in November or December. Apple CEO Tim Cook denied the recent rumor about the delayed launch of the iPhone 8 when he announced the company’s third quarter financial results on August 1. However, he didn’t reveal the exact release date.
On the other hand, Samsung Electronics will unveil its second-half strategic smartphone Galaxy Note 8 in New York on August 23. The company is still trying to decide on its store price so it hasn’t confirmed the exact release date. However, industry watchers believe that Samsung will begin the pre-order sale as early as September 1, a week after the new flagship phone is revealed. Then, the company will start selling the phone on the 15th in earnest.
Accordingly, Samsung Electronics is expected to dominate the market in advance in the second half of the year as the company unveils its new product ahead of Apple. It means that the situation can change unlike earlier expectations that Samsung and Apple will have a keen competition in the smartphone market in the second half.
Recently, Samsung had a better report card than Apple in terms of major smartphone related indexes. According to market research firm Strategy Analytics (SA), Samsung Electronics had the highest share in the global smartphone market with 22.1 percent in the second quarter, followed by Apple with 11.4 percent. Apple says the sales of the iPhone 7 has been shrinking this year because of market expectations for the new iPhone 8. When Apple delays the release of its new product in the second half, the company cannot expect good results in the first half of next year.
An official from the industry said, “If Apple doesn’t reveal its release plan until the end of this month at the moment when Samsung is to unveil the Galaxy Note 8, consumers’ attention can be focused on the Galaxy Note 8. The unclear iPhone launch schedule can have positive impact on Samsung.”