Samsung Galaxy S21 sales lowest in years, company starts internal review

Samsung’s Galaxy S21 series may have come in cheaper than its predecessor but its sales have reportedly been the worst in Samsung’s recent history. Numbers reported by Counterpoint Research (via Naver) show a significant drop in Galaxy S21 sales compared to sales of the Galaxy S20, S10, and even older flagships. This diminishing growth is also apparently ringing alarm bells over at Samsung and the company is said to be conducting an internal review of its mobile business.

You may also like: The complete history of the Galaxy S series

As per Counterpoint Research, the Galaxy S21 series recorded sales of about 13.5 million units globally for the first six months of its launch. In contrast, the Samsung Galaxy S20 series recorded 20% higher sales in the same period. The figures look even more jarring compared to the Galaxy S10 series that apparently sold 47% more units in its first six months. You can see Counterpoint’s graph plotting Galaxy S21 sales figures against older flagships below.

Ruffled feathers at Samsung

According to The Elec, Samsung’s leadership is conducting a “special review” of the mobile unit all throughout August at the back of lackluster earnings. Such reviews are reportedly conducted when the top management feels there’s a problem with a particular business unit. Depending on how the review goes, the company could conduct an audit of its mobile business.

As of how things are looking at the moment, it’s believed that Samsung is likely to miss its sales target for the Galaxy S21 series.

A source also told The Elec that chipmaker MediaTek has told Samsung that it cannot meet its SoC orders partly because of the global chip shortage but also because of the company’s weakened position in the market.

Meanwhile, Xiaomi has reportedly surpassed Samsung to become the top smartphone vendor in Europe. The Chinese phone maker is also closing in on Samsung globally. As per a recent Canalys report, Xiaomi bagged second place in the global smartphone market, just a hair’s breadth away from Samsung.

New chips and foldables a way out for Samsung?

With sales of Samsung’s Galaxy S series dipping, all eyes are on how the company’s upcoming foldable phones will perform.

The Galaxy Z Fold 3 and Z Flip 3 will reportedly be cheaper than Samsung’s older foldables, possibly triggering better sales. However, not everyone is happy with Samsung for ditching the Galaxy Note series this year. In fact, a poll conducted on Android Authority showed that many people want Samsung to replace the S22 series with new Galaxy Note phones next year.

Samsung is also yet to launch the rumored Galaxy S21 FE which may recreate the success of its predecessor. Add the Galaxy A series’ robust sales numbers to the mix and Samsung could soon find itself regaining lost ground. We’ll have to wait and watch what happens.