Samsung Galaxy Note 5 off to a strong start in Korea

Various news sources from South Korea are reporting a strong start to Galaxy Note 5 and Galaxy S6 Edge+ sales in the country. This is clearly good news for Samsung, especially as the company has posted successive quarters of disappointing revenue. Average daily sales volume is said to have reached 25,000 units for the two models combined, more than a twofold increase over their predecessors’ launch results.

Combined sales of the two new Samsung smartphones are expected to have reached 100,000 units just a few days after launch. Two main reasons are being cited for the strong initial reports, a competitive price point and the introduction of Samsung Pay.

“Samsung’s decision to release the new Note and Galaxy a few months ahead of their international debut has had a good impact,” – official at SK Telecom

Beginning with price, the 32GB version of the Galaxy Note 5 retails for 889,800 won ($750), while the Galaxy S6 Edge+ starts at 940,000 won ($780). While still certainly not cheap, the Note 5 has launched at the lowest price yet for a Note smartphone in Korea, while the Galaxy S6 Edge+ retails for virtually the same price as the smaller Galaxy S6 Edge, offering consumers a larger screen size without an additional cost. Carriers have also been offering competitive contract options, with prices spotted below 500,000 won.

“Local carriers are launching aggressive promotional campaigns and this is another positive factor for Samsung. A customer who pays the highest monthly payment set by each carrier can purchase Note5 or Edge Plus for below 500,000 won” – official at LG Uplus

After some delay, Samsung Pay has also finally debuted in Korea with the launch of Samsung’s latest supersize smartphones, and this has also helped to boost the phones’ popularity. Samsung has teamed up with a number of partners in Korea to ensure widespread access to the service, which allows customers to make contact-less card payments using their phone and the built-in fingerprint scanner.

The payment system also supports the regular sized Galaxy S6 handsets and will be heading to the US next month. Additional countries are on the launch schedule, but no dates have been confirmed yet.

We will have to wait a bit longer to see how well the Galaxy Note 5 and S6 Edge+ fair in the longer term and with their global release, especially as the Note 5 won’t be making an early appearance in every region. But it looks like Samsung’s latest phones are off to a good start.