Skip to main content

‘Respectable’ isn’t good enough for Samsung, as Galaxy S6 sales estimates hit 45 million

After finally delivering a Galaxy S phone that’s on par with the iPhone, Samsung and analysts had high expectations for the Galaxy S6. Unfortunately, high expectations often times fail to be met, and it looks like that might be the case for the device that many consider the Android phone of the year.

While early estimates pegged the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge sales at anywhere from 50 to 70 million units for 2015, Deutsche Bank is reportedly expecting only 45 million to have shipped. The report calls the number a “respectable” 45 million, and while the prediction might be great for most other mobile manufacturers, Samsung can’t be pleased. Unfortunately, 45 million is at the same level as the Galaxy S4, which was the flagship from two years ago and Samsung’s best-selling phone to date.

Recommended Videos

Samsung redefined the Galaxy S series this year, after the Galaxy S5 flopped in 2014. Samsung sold 40 percent fewer Galaxy S5 handsets than the Galaxy S4, which led to a shakeup in the mobile division.

The Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge were introduced to the world on March 1 at Mobile World Congress and immediately received critical acclaim for their quality builds and amazing cameras. However, many pointed out the lack of a removable battery, MicroSD card, and water resistance as major negatives.

The good news for Samsung is the Galaxy S6 is on track to be better than the Galaxy S5, but not being able to show growth over a phone from two years ago has to be a huge disappointment.

Can you imagine what it would be like in Cupertino if this happened to Apple? Unlike the Galaxy S6 and Galaxy S6 Edge, the iPhone 6 and iPhone 6 Plus are shattering records, but Apple’s move to larger displays was a more dramatic upgrade over what Samsung was able to pull off with the S6.

Samsung has the name and the marketing power to sell large numbers of devices. However, with so much competition from other Android manufacturers and the smartphone market so saturated, Samsung will have a hard time keeping up with the status quo, let alone breaking previous records.

Robert Nazarian
Robert Nazarian became a technology enthusiast when his parents bought him a Radio Shack TRS-80 Color. Now his biggest…
Miss the Galaxy S25 Edge unveil? Watch the full reveal here
Samsung's new S25 Edge.

Samsung has finally unveiled its thinnest-ever Galaxy S series smartphone, the Galaxy S25 Edge. The Korean tech giant introduced the new handset via an online video presentation that started at 8 p.m. ET on Monday, May 12.

If you missed the 14-minute presentation, you can watch it via the video player embedded at the top of this page. 

Read more
The Galaxy S25 Edge ushers in the era of the thin flagship phone
The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge on a display rack.

The era of the thin flagship smartphone has arrived with the launch of the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge, a highly anticipated device teased earlier in the year with the rest of the Galaxy S25 range. Does it live up to expectations? We’ve held it already and were very impressed, but if you want all the spec details before diving into that, we’ve got everything you need to know here. 

The Galaxy S25 Edge is just 5.8mm thick and 163 grams, and therefore very different to the 7.3mm thick and 190 grams of the Galaxy S25 Plus, the model it’s otherwise closely related to, specs-wise. It shares the same 6.7-inch Dynamic AMOLED screen with a 1-120Hz refresh rate and a peak brightness of 2,600 nits, but in a lighter, less fatiguing to hold package. 

Read more
I’ve held the Galaxy S25 Edge, and I’m completely smitten
A person taking the Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge out of a pocket.

The Samsung Galaxy S25 Edge’s reason to exist is its thinness, so it really needs to be something special as otherwise, what’s the point in it being made at all? The great news is, it really is something special and it looks unlike any other smartphone available at the moment.

I fell for its lithe frame during my short initial time with the phone, but is the thinness enough to make it worth considering over another Galaxy S25 model? Here's my early impressions.

Read more