The Samsung Galaxy S4 has become the UK’s third most popular phone, just four days after launch, as the iPhone 5 continues to take top honours.
Despite failing to dethrone the iPhone 5, a handset which celebrates its second month atop the UK smartphone charts, the Samsung Galaxy S4 has proved the most popular new handset on the market, reportedly eclipsing sales of its bitter rival, the HTC One.
The figures, collated by the uSwitch Mobile Tracker, which is based on sales, pre-orders and live searches, found the Samsung Galaxy S4 became the UK’s third most popular handset for April, despite only hitting retailers last Saturday, April 27. Although having overcome its high-end Android rivals, the S4 was unable to make ground on the ever popular iPhone 5 and somewhat aging iPhone 4S, a device which took second.
“It comes as little surprise that Samsung’s Galaxy S4 has entered the chart in such a strong position,” Ernest Doku, a telecoms experts at uSwitch said. “A carefully orchestrated sequence of reveals and events since its initial March unveiling has seen the S4 remain on the lips of critics and eager consumers alike.”
He added: “The hype train had barely left the station and popularity in terms of searches and pre-orders were through the roof, resulting in performance usually the preserve of an Apple device.
Although the Samsung Galaxy S4 might not have been able to claim the smartphone sales crown during its launch month, Samsung saw continued success across the board, holding firm in five of the top ten chart positions.
With the HTC One rising one spot month-on-month to fourth, the now superseded Samsung Galaxy S3 lined up in fifth, with the Samsung Galaxy Note 2, Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini and Samsung Galaxy S2 in position eight through ten respectively.
Rounding out the month’s top ten positions, the iPhone 4 continued to benefit from heavy price cuts to hold steady in sixth, while the Sony Xpera Z dropped three spots to seventh.
“The fact that Apple and Samsung occupy eight of the top ten spots is a clear indication of their dominance in the smartphone space, with the impressive HTC One valiantly holding its own,” Doku stated.
“The slight slip of the XPERIA Z does highlight an interesting trend - the front-loaded nature of handset launches, where device manufacturers attempt to garner attention in a crowded market quickly, followed by demand falling away. Price reductions, free gifts and benefits are frequently bestowed on those customers willing to commit early and pre-order the latest smartphone, as they know a heavy hitter from their competition is just around the corner.”
Looking ahead to May’s smartphone releases, Doku added: “With BlackBerry’s keyboard-toting Q10 having its own high-profile unveiling at Selfridges and Nokia poised to reveal a new Lumia device in mid-May, expect to see more big bets on flagship phones, which will undoubtedly result in some winners and losers this summer.”
If you’re torn between the leading Apple and Samsung handsets, be sure to check out our Samsung Galaxy S4 vs. iPhone 5 feature before splashing the cash.
