Samsung reportedly lowered Galaxy S21 delivery expectations

The flagship Galaxy S21 series will start shipping to customers by the end of the week. The first month on the market will be decisive for the new lineup, as it gives Samsung a better idea of ​​the kind of demand it should expect in the first quarter. But for now and until a more precise forecast can be made, the company has reportedly set its expectations a little lower than last year.

Samsung estimates that it will ship a total of 26 million Galaxy S21 flagships by the end of 2021. It appears the company has adjusted its expectations based on the market performance of the Galaxy S20 series, with the latter registering 26 million shipments in 2020, compared to an estimated 35 million shipments. This year, the company apparently expects to ship 10 million Galaxy S21 base units, 8 million Galaxy S21 + units, and an additional 8 million Galaxy S21 Ultra units.

Shipments may be lower, but sales figures don’t necessarily have to

Delivery and sales figures are two different things, even though they are interconnected. A business can ship far more product to retailers than it actually sells – sometimes, but not always to its detriment – and this is why shipping figures are generally only taken as a rough estimate of the actual performance of the business. ‘a product on the market.

When it comes to Samsung and the Galaxy S21 series, the company may have adjusted its shipping numbers to avoid overproduction and oversupply. Samsung might no longer afford to flood the market as it once did, and in November we heard that Samsung wanted to follow demand more closely and gradually increase the production capacity of the Galaxy S21 as needed. This will inevitably lead to lower initial shipping numbers compared to previous years, but that doesn’t necessarily mean Samsung expects to sell fewer Galaxy S21 models overall.